The road to a top-10 Holy War starts with two more businesslike Saturdays.
Utah is still unbeaten at 7-0 after taking care of Houston, and the Utes are carrying that record into a tricky trip to Cincinnati this weekend. The Bearcats just beat Texas Tech, handing the Red Raiders their first loss of the season, which sets up a tougher test than the rankings might suggest. Utah is now No. 6, and head coach Morgan Scalley made it clear his team understands what’s sitting in front of it.
"I know this is going to be an electric atmosphere in Cincinnati," said Utah head coach Morgan Scalley. "We've got sole ownership of first place in the big 12, and you have to have a championship mentality of what you have, and don't let anyone take it away. Our guys will be prepared and ready to go."
BYU, meanwhile, is dealing with its first setback of the season after following its win over Notre Dame with a loss to UCF. The Cougars slid from No. 2 to No. 8 in the AP Top 25, but the season is far from off track. Their next chance to reset comes at home Saturday against Arizona State.
"Obviously, we suffered our first loss, but looking forward to see how we react to it," said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. "Life is things that happen to you, and you get defined by your reaction to it. I don't think it's going to define us in this season and this team, but I'm looking forward to the preparation, looking forward to getting back to work."
If both teams handle their business this weekend, the stage is set for a top-10 Holy War at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Kickoff for that matchup is set for 10 am on November 7.
In Other News...
RSLs Late Push Just Got Real After Huge Comeback Win
Real Salt Lakes late-season surge kept rolling at Q2 Stadium, where a 2-1 road win over Austin FC stretched its unbeaten run to four matches and gave the club a third straight victory. Saba Lobjanidze and Morgan Guilavogui handled the scoring for RSL, with Guilavogui finishing a chance set up by Sergi Solans as the visitors found enough to leave Texas with all three points.
For a team that has spent much of the year fighting for position, the timing could hardly be better. With two games left, the win puts RSL right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, and every result from here carries extra weight as the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Fans Just Got A Frustrating Holy War Reality Check
The Holy War is already one of the most anticipated games on Utahs schedule, and the latest wrinkle only added to the unease around it. The Big 12s decision-making has once again put the Utes in a spot where the matchups national profile is clear, even if the timing leaves plenty of local fans shaking their heads.
There is also the separate but related matter of how Utah has been viewed on the ESPN side of the coverage ledger after Pat McAfees complaints about his experience in Salt Lake City blew up online. Between the early kickoff and the social-media fallout, the Utes find themselves navigating a familiar mix of conference TV realities and outside noise, with the full picture still taking shape as the game approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Still Has One Injury Question That Could Matter Saturday
Utahs Friday availability report brought some clarity, but not all of it, heading into Saturdays matchup with Cincinnati. The Utes have already ruled out wide receiver Daidren Zipperer and linebacker Tayson Reid, and tight end Hunter Andrews is still listed as questionable, leaving a little uncertainty around how much depth Utah will have available in key spots.
One name worth watching is freshman offensive lineman Kelvin Obot, who remains injured even though he did not show up on the report. For a Utah team that is trying to line up cleanly before a Big 12 game with real stakes, that kind of lingering injury note matters almost as much as the official designations, especially with Cincinnati also carrying its own questions up front. [Read more 🡒]