Morgan Scalley opened Holy War week with the kind of message that fits a rivalry sitting in the top 10 and staring at the first College Football Playoff rankings: keep your head down, keep your edge, and don’t let the moment swallow the work.
Utah’s coach made it clear Monday that the buildup around Saturday’s game is real, but it cannot become the story inside the building.
“This is a big one. It’s not the big one,” Scalley said Monday.
That line set the tone for a press conference that touched everything from roster health to BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier to the temperature around the rivalry itself. Scalley had praise for the matchup, respect for the people involved and a pretty direct plea for everyone else to dial back the ugliness.
His relationship with BYU coach Kalani Sitake is part of why he feels that way.
“Kalani’s a dear friend,” Scalley said. “So I love him, and I’m grateful for what he taught me, and excited to go against him.”
He said the rivalry matters because of the schools’ closeness, the history between them and the families with ties to both programs. But he also pushed back on the hostility that can come with it.
“The hatred, the toxicity that is spewed from both sides,” he said, “it’s not good for the rivalry.”
When asked about the game’s religious and cultural significance, Scalley pointed out that both rosters and fan bases include people who aren’t LDS.
“Does God care who wins this game? No.
Does He care about people? Yeah,” he said.
“And so I think we can be better to each other in that realm.”
The football side of the week brought a mix of concern and relief. Utah will be without Kelvin Obot for the rest of the season after a lower-leg injury, though Scalley didn’t offer more detail. On the brighter side, he said Noah Bennee, Braden Pegan, Wayshawn Parker and Ethan Day - all of whom were limited at Cincinnati - are expected to play.
“All are fine and will be playing.”
That matters against a BYU defense Scalley described as active, technically sound up front and solid in coverage. He said the Cougars’ different fronts will force Utah to communicate well and handle assignments cleanly, which makes having offensive pieces available even more important.
Scalley also left open the possibility of BYU running back LJ Martin returning, though he said he didn’t know whether Martin would play.
The quarterback discussion was just as pointed. At Big 12 Media Days, Devon Dampier said he wanted to do better in big games, and Scalley was asked Monday how he helps his quarterback prepare for a stage like this.
“They’re all big. They’re all big,” he said. “Don’t overdo it.”
His formula is simple: understand what winning requires, study the film, sleep, hydrate and eat right. In his view, piling on extra pressure doesn’t help anybody.
He also pushed back on the idea that Dampier has come up short in those moments.
“In my opinion, he’s performed well in big games,” he said.
Scalley added that quarterback play is tied to protection and receivers making the right adjustments against coverage. Dampier’s own makeup, though, is a major part of why Utah trusts him.
“He’s tough. He’s competitive. He’ll call his own number,” Scalley said.
That confidence in Dampier comes with a broader warning for the Utes: the game will be decided by execution, not by emotion or rankings. Scalley said Utah has to clean up the issues that showed up at Cincinnati, including second-half run fits, turnovers and special teams.
“We can’t turn the ball over,” he said. “That stuff loses you football games.”
He also said he was encouraged by teammates helping each other avoid unnecessary confrontations, something that can matter a lot in a rivalry where a personal foul can hand the other side an easy opening.
“Emotions are high, and you can’t let the emotions rule you,” Scalley said. “It’s all about execution.”
Then there was Bachmeier, whose growth clearly changed the way Scalley sees him. His first thought, he admitted, was way off.
“He is a running back playing quarterback,” he recalled thinking. “I was wrong. Dead wrong.”
Scalley said Bachmeier’s passing efficiency, velocity, decision-making and work ethic have all stood out. That combination makes him a tougher assignment than the first impression suggested, because Utah has to prepare for both the quarterback run game and a passer who can deliver the ball.
“When he runs, it’s like, okay, bring your lunch every time,” Scalley said. “He is thick.
He’s tough to bring down. Really good balance.”
Asked what last year’s matchup taught him, Scalley kept it short.
“He can hurdle you.”
His bigger point was about the moments that swung the game.
“They executed in key moments when we didn’t, and that’s why they won the game,” he said.
For all the noise around rankings and postseason possibilities, Scalley’s message stayed steady: Utah has earned its place by focusing on the next opponent, not the outside chatter.
“No one owes you anything. You go earn it every single day,” he said.
And when the talk turns to Tuesday’s playoff rankings, he doesn’t want that to become the main event.
“The only ranking that matters is at the end of the season.”
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