Utah kept rolling Saturday night, and now the Utes head to Boulder with a 5-0 record and a No. 9 ranking after a 41-24 win over Kansas that packed in just about everything.
The game started with Utah jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but Kansas answered after a strip sack deep in Utes territory gave the Jayhawks a short field. It was a rare messy night for Devon Dampier, who had the fumble, a pick, and two underthrown balls. Even so, he still found a way to add to the highlight reel later, completing a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to defensive tackle Semi Taulanga in Utah’s new “rhino” package.
The turning point came in the fourth quarter. Utah was up 34-24 and Kansas was threatening to score again, but the Utes’ defense held firm with a goal-line stand and forced the runner back before he crossed the pylon.
Three plays later, Wayshawn Parker took a Wildcat snap and burst straight up the middle for a 90-yard touchdown. That sequence turned a tense stretch into a 14-point swing and sealed the win.
Now Utah gets old Pac-12 rival Colorado in Boulder on Saturday night in the late window at 8:15 p.m. MT on ESPN.
The numbers point firmly toward Utah. In Pick Six Previews’ Game Grader, the Utes are rated at 72.3 this season, good for 10th in the Power 4, while Colorado sits at 31.4, which is 63rd. The three-year average also leans Utah’s way: 56.5 to 43.8.
Utah entered the year projected to finish third in the Big 12, but the Utes have surged well beyond that. They were slotted No. 22 in the preseason top 25 and have climbed to No. 9, tied in the race for the Big 12’s top spot with BYU. Game Grader now projects Utah as the favorite in every remaining game.
Colorado, meanwhile, is two years removed from its 2024 nine-win breakthrough and has not found the same spark. The Buffaloes went 3-9 last season and are 2-3 in 2026.
They opened with a 14-13 win over Georgia Tech in Atlanta, but their three other Power Four games have all been losses by a combined 93-27. They’re currently 64th in Game Grader.
Utah’s offense has been relentless. The Utes have scored at least 30 points in 11 straight games, the longest active streak in FBS, and they’ve done it with balance.
They rank in the top 10 nationally in rushing offense at 238 yards per game and in quarterback rating. By the opponent-adjusted numbers, Utah is one of only four offenses in the top 15 in rushing, passing, and overall offense, alongside Indiana, Alabama and Georgia.
This has also been one of the most inventive offenses in the country this season. Utah has frequently used both quarterbacks in the backfield together, and last week the Utes even put a defensive tackle in the backfield as a lead blocker before finishing the sequence with a goal-line touchdown pass. The zone-read looks out of those sets have made the offense tough to handle.
Colorado’s defense has been rebuilt from scratch, with all 11 starters new transfers after an offseason reset. The defensive line lost five players to Power Four rosters and was backfilled mostly with FCS or non-AQ players, yet that front has still been one of the team’s bright spots.
Colorado held Georgia Tech’s power run game in check in the opener and limited Texas Tech to 315 yards two weeks ago. Through five games, the Buffaloes have held every opponent below its season average in yards per play.
On the other side, Colorado’s offense has struggled. Deion Sanders brought in Brendan Marion to run his “Go-Go” offense, a fast, spread, run-heavy system that had success at the FCS level.
It looked sharp enough in the Georgia Tech win, when Colorado rushed for 183 yards, but Big 12 play has been a different story. In losses to Baylor and Texas Tech, the Buffaloes have totaled just 161 rushing yards combined and averaged a poor 2.2 yards per carry.
Quarterback play has been a problem, too. Colorado has rotated quarterbacks for much of the 17 games since Sanders’ son, Shedeur, went pro, and last week Isaac Wilson - the former 2024 Utah starter - threw three interceptions, including a 0-yard pick six in his own end zone. Wilson is last in the Big 12 in QB rating.
That sets up a bad matchup for Colorado against a Utah defense that looks ready to control the game. The Utes should tilt field position, pressure the Buffaloes offense in every phase, and keep scoring enough to stay in their usual 30-point range.
The call here is simple: Utah gets to 6-0 and keeps its Big 12 title path on track.
In Other News...
Colorado Offense Hits Another Low As Bye Week Pressure Builds
Utah controlled the game from the start against Colorado, and by halftime the Buffaloes were scrambling just to keep the scoreboard from getting uglier. The Utes owned time of possession and first downs on the way to a 13-0 lead, while Colorados defense at least managed one bright spot with an interception to slow the bleeding.
Even so, the bigger story for Utah was how comfortably it dictated the pace, a reminder of why the Utes carry the nations longest winning streak at 11 games. Colorados offense never found much rhythm, and the gap in execution was obvious long before the break, with the Buffaloes getting more help from penalties than from their own offense at one point. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Now Faces A Surging BYU Team With Everything Raised
BYU left South Bend with a result that will ripple well beyond one Saturday night, and for Utah, it only adds more urgency to a rivalry matchup that already carried plenty of heat. The Cougars managed to beat Notre Dame despite being without running back LJ Martin, leaning on quarterback Bear Bachmeier and a defense that hung around long enough to keep the Irish under pressure all game.
The finish had the kind of late-game edge that can reshape how a team is viewed, especially when it comes against a ranked name on the road. A targeting penalty added to the drama, and BYU still found a way to close it out with one final defensive stand, the sort of response Utah will have to reckon with as the stakes keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Sees One Reason Utah's Offense Is So Tough To Prepare For
Nick Saban has spent a career dissecting offenses, so when he singled out Utah on ESPNs College GameDay, it carried some weight. During his Coach Sabans Film Room segment, he pointed to the Utes habit of using multiple quarterbacks, shifting formations and unusual backfields as part of what makes them such a difficult team to get ready for.
The real headache, at least from a defensive perspective, is how much flexibility Utah has built into its personnel and play design. Saban highlighted the versatility of players like Devon Dampier, Byrd Ficklin, Wayshawn Parker and Semi Taulanga, along with a unique option concept that keeps opponents guessing about where the ball is going and who is actually handling it. [Read more 🡒]