Utah’s offensive line is already getting noticed in the Big 12, and it may be getting a key piece back soon.
The Utes picked up the conference’s Beef of the Week honor after blowing open Kansas with a dominant front, piling up 545 yards of offense and 287 on the ground in a 41-24 win. That kind of production has turned what looked like a major question mark entering the year into one of Utah’s early strengths.
Now there’s encouraging news on Isaiah Garcia. The offensive lineman has missed Utah’s last two games with an injury, but head coach Morgan Scalley said the former Corner Canyon standout is back on the practice field.
“He’s back practicing this week,” Utah head coach Morgan Scalley said. “It’s good to have him back. I love Ike.”
Garcia came into college with serious expectations. He was a four-star recruit and the No. 1 player in Utah in the 2024 class. His first two seasons haven’t unfolded the way he or Utah likely hoped - he logged limited snaps as a freshman, then didn’t see the field in 2025 - but he was supposed to factor into a rebuilt offensive line this season.
That makes his return especially welcome for a group that already lost all five starters from the 2025 line and still opened the year with plenty of uncertainty. So far, the Utes have answered those doubts pretty emphatically.
Utah now owns the Big 12’s second-best rushing attack, sitting at 6.0 yards per carry and 238 rushing yards per game, trailing only West Virginia. The protection has been solid too, with the Utes allowing six sacks through five games, including three in the win over Kansas.
If Garcia is able to build back into the rotation, Utah’s depth in the trenches gets even stronger at exactly the right time.
In Other News...
Utahs Passing Attack Just Got More Dangerous After One Breakthrough Night
Utahs offense has leaned into sharing the load this season, with quarterback Devon Dampier helping drive a two-quarterback setup that also features Byrd Ficklin. In the win over Kansas, Ficklin filled multiple roles and the Utes kept showing the kind of unselfish approach coach Morgan Scalley has praised all year, one that has made the group harder to defend as the season has worn on.
The passing game found another gear in that one, too, as receiver Ricky Johnson, the Mississippi State transfer, delivered a career night and gave Utah a new threat on the outside. His emergence mattered not just because it added explosive plays, but because it suggested the Utes may have found another reliable piece in a passing attack that already looks more dangerous when everyone is willing to share the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Has A New Defensive Star And A Bigger Utah Concern
Colorados defense has found a jolt in Lamont Lester Jr., and the numbers have arrived fast enough to make him impossible to ignore. The defensive lineman has four sacks and 15 quarterback pressures in four games, enough to lead the Big 12 in sacks even though he already missed a game because of an ankle injury. He also posted a 91.2 Pro Football Focus defensive grade and picked up Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week honors after his debut, a quick rise that has given Colorado a genuine game-wrecker up front.
For Utah, the bigger concern is less about the rsum than the uncertainty attached to it. Lesters availability remains in question heading into the matchup, and if he is able to suit up, the Utes will have to account for a player who has made an impact right away and done it without much runway. If he cannot go, Colorado loses one of its most disruptive pieces, but until that status is settled, it is one more thing Utah has to prepare for without knowing exactly what it will face. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Gets A Harsh Reality Check With Utah Coming To Boulder
Colorados trip into a Big 12 matchup with Utah at Folsom Field comes with the sort of odd tension that only midseason college football can create: one team trying to steady itself after a quarterback change, the other still unbeaten and carrying the look of a group that has handled business all fall. Utah arrives at 5-0, while Colorado sits at 2-3 and searching for traction after recent roster movement under center.
The matchup also reflects just how differently these two programs have been moving. The betting market has made clear where the confidence sits, but the more interesting part for Utah is whether its offense can keep translating a strong start into another convincing road performance in a conference game that Colorado badly needs to make competitive. If the Utes bring the same pace and control they have shown recently, the Buffaloes will need more than a change at quarterback to keep this one from getting away early. [Read more 🡒]