Utah football is back at No. 2 in the AP Top 25, and that puts the Utes in familiar territory.
Saturday’s win over BYU pushed Utah to the highest ranking in program history, matching the No. 2 spot the team last reached in 2008. That season ended with a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.
For Morgan Scalley, though, the ranking is more marker than destination. The Utah head coach made it clear the Utes can’t let the attention change how they operate from week to week.
“You have big games because of the way you behave leading up to it,” Scalley said. “You have to prepare for each game, and they have to see it from the coaches too that each game means that much.”
He said the standard has to stay the same no matter who is on the schedule, and that treating the BYU game as something different from the rest would send the wrong message.
“Every game matters,” he added. “You don’t know when someone is going to upset you, when one game matters versus the other.”
Even with the praise pouring in after the latest victory, Scalley said Utah still has work to do. The staff is still sorting through mistakes that could become issues later, especially with another major test looming.
That next challenge comes on the road against No. 22 Arizona in Tucson. It’s another chance for Utah to show it can hold its place among the nation’s top teams, but Scalley’s message hasn’t changed: the job isn’t close to finished.
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Utah Faces A Bigger Wayshawn Parker Question After BYU
Wayshawn Parkers availability had been one of the quieter questions hanging over Utah after the BYU game, and the early read is encouraging. His MRI showed a heel bruise, and Morgan Scalley said he expects Parker to be ready for the upcoming matchup with Arizona, a relief for a backfield that has already had to manage his injuries throughout the season.
Even so, the bigger issue for Utah may not be whether Parker can suit up, but how much the Utes can realistically lean on him. He had limited carries against BYU, and if the staff decides to be cautious again, Utah may have to spread more of the workload to other running backs when Arizona comes to town. [Read more 🡒]
David Pollack Just Put Alabama In A Playoff Spotlight
Former ESPN analyst David Pollack stirred the pot on his podcast by ranking 12 teams by his confidence in a College Football Playoff berth, and he put Utah at the top of the list. It was a notable vote of confidence for a program that has stayed in the national conversation by pairing recent performance with a schedule that still leaves room to make a convincing case when the committee starts sorting through the field.
Pollacks list also included the usual heavyweight mix of Georgia, Alabama, Miami and UCLA, underscoring how crowded the race remains as the selection committee prepares to release its second rankings soon. For Utah, the attention is useful but not yet decisive, because the real test is whether the Utes can keep stacking wins while the committee weighs resumes that are still very much taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Devon Dampier Just Gave Utah Fans A New Big Game Debate
Devon Dampiers latest week only sharpened the conversation around what Utah has in its senior quarterback. After his performance against BYU, where he accounted for all four Utah touchdowns, Dampier was named the Paul Hornung Award National Player of the Week and shared Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, another sign that his impact has gone well beyond steady production. He has become one of the defining reasons the Utes have stayed unbeaten, giving the offense a clear identity in the biggest moments.
The recognition keeps piling up, too. Dampier is now one of 18 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award and has also moved into the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10, putting him in the middle of a broader national awards discussion that should only intensify as the season goes on. For Utah, the bigger question is no longer whether Dampier belongs in the spotlight. It is how far he can carry that spotlight before the hardware conversation gets even louder. [Read more 🡒]