The Big 12’s two ranked teams from Utah are headed into a pivotal Saturday with very different kinds of pressure on them.
No. 6 Utah is coming off its biggest test and now heads to Cincinnati, where the Bearcats are fresh off a field storming after beating Texas Tech.
No. 8 BYU, meanwhile, gets to stay home and face an Arizona State team that has been struggling, all while trying to clean up the tackling issues that showed up in its first loss of the season at UCF.
For BYU defensive coordinator Kelly Poppinga, the fix starts with the basics, and he made clear this week that the Cougars aren’t going to panic over one bad night.
“I’m never a guy that overreacts that way. I think just stay the course. You trust the process.
“We did our tackling drill yesterday, and we did our tackling drill today, and every other coach has done his stuff in his position drills.
“And so, I’m not going to sit here and overreact. I just think it’s something we’ve got to continue to get better at,” he continued. “And I think every team in college football goes through just being able to go through the techniques and fundamentals and not lose that as the season goes on, but get better at everything every day.”
Poppinga said BYU still hasn’t put together its best complete game this season, though the Notre Dame matchup came close. Even then, he said there were still areas that could have been sharper. He pointed to the Iowa State game as another near-complete effort and said Kalani Sitake wants a full 60 minutes.
“We have great leadership, great experience and guys who have played a lot of football,” he said. “Kalani (Sitake) wants us to play a full 60 minutes - I think we came close to that in the Iowa State game and there were glimpses in the Notre Dame game and throughout the whole entire season.”
Utah’s challenge comes with its own set of problems. The Utes will have to deal with Cincinnati running back Tabb Cole, who is set to run behind an offensive line that will test Utah’s front. On the other side, Cincinnati’s defense has to figure out how to slow down Wayshawn Parker and quarterback Davon Dampier.
Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield called Utah’s offense “extremely talented” and said the Utes stretch defenses from sideline to sideline, opening up thin spots.
“They can push the ball down the field in the passing game and ‘just stay on track’ without many negative plays, keeping down-and-distance manageable,” said Satterfield.
That’s a bad matchup for Cincinnati, which has been one of the nation’s worst defenses against strong offenses. Utah’s offense, run by Kevin McGiven, has enough firepower to make that a major issue whether the game is in Salt Lake City or on the road.
This is the stretch where the Big 12 race starts squeezing down toward the league title game in Arlington, and both Utah and BYU are trying to keep their place near the top.
This week’s games
Notre Dame 38, Navy 9
Arizona 28, Texas Tech 24
SMU 27, Syracuse 21
Oklahoma State 24, Iowa State 21
Michigan 17, Rutgers 9
Mississippi 31, Auburn 21
Kansas State 17, Colorado 13
Georgia 34, Florida 21
Indiana 24, Minnesota 21
Northwestern 27, Oregon 21
TCU 21, Kansas 17
Utah State 17, Colorado State 14
Utah 31, Cincinnati 24
BYU 34, Arizona State 14
In Other News...
Utah Gets A Tough Holy War Week Reality Check
Ahead of the Holy War, Utah got a clearer picture of its roster and a reminder of how thin the margins can be this time of year. Morgan Scalley said Kelvin Obot will miss the rest of the season because of a lower-leg injury, while also indicating that Noah Bennee, Braden Pegan, Wayshawn Parker and Ethan Day are expected to be available for the rivalry game against BYU.
Scalley also used the buildup to push for a more civil tone around a rivalry that rarely lacks edge, even as he praised Devon Dampiers performance and leadership. And with BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, Scalleys view has evolved as well, after initially sizing him up one way and then acknowledging how much his passing game has improved. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads Into Utah Showdown With A Backfield Problem
BYU is heading into Saturdays rivalry game with Utah carrying more than the usual questions about its ground attack. Kalani Sitake acknowledged the challenge this week, praising Utah back Wayshawn Parker as an NFL-caliber runner while also taking stock of a BYU backfield that has been hit hard by injuries and has not had much stability in recent weeks.
The Cougars have been forced to navigate those issues while trying to keep the running game functional against a Utah defense that will be ready for a physical fight. Sitake did not sound like a coach expecting easy answers, and with the backfield still unsettled, BYUs ability to generate offense on the ground could end up being one of the more important subplots in the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Added A Recruit Who Changes The Feel Of 2027
Utah kept building out its 2027 class with a notable in-state pickup, landing high three-star offensive tackle Manase Brown from Corner Canyon High. Brown gives the Utes another big body up front and adds to a class that already includes four offensive line recruits, a clear sign that the program is making the trenches a priority early in the cycle.
Brown is also now one of Utahs top-rated prospects in the class, ranked second on the Utes board for 2027. For a program that has long sold itself on development and line play, adding a player with Browns profile only sharpens the look of the class and raises the stakes for what comes next in the recruiting run. [Read more 🡒]