No. 11 Utah arrives in Boulder with momentum, depth and a defense that has kept opponents from getting comfortable all season.
The Utes are 5-0 for the first time since 2015, they are 2-0 in Big 12 play, and every win has come by at least 14 points. Three of those victories have been by 33 points or more.
That run has caught the attention of Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
"It's gonna be a daunting task," Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday. "Offensively, they get after it.
Defensively, they get after it. Probably the best team we're gonna face this season."
Utah has also found a difference-maker in Wayshawn Parker, who has turned into a weekly headache for defenses. The running back followed a 174-yard game against Iowa State with 171 yards against Kansas, piling up 345 yards on only 34 carries in those two outings. For the season, Parker has 499 rushing yards and is tied for fourth in the nation with 11 total touchdowns, including seven on the ground and four as a receiver.
Morgan Scalley said Utah is paying close attention to Parker’s workload, especially with how frequently he is touching the ball.
"I think if it's Wayshawn, Wayshawn, Wayshawn, it's easy for people to load the box," Scalley said. "The other thing are the hits that running backs take over and over and over again. It is a car crash every tackle for the most part, and so just making sure, player-load wise, you're doing everything you can to keep him healthy."
Utah’s offense has had more than one way to hurt teams. Quarterback Devon Dampier has thrown for 1,134 yards and 12 touchdowns, with just two interceptions, and he has added 206 rushing yards and three more scores.
Colorado comes in at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12 after a bye and a three-game losing streak. The Buffaloes are likely to turn again to Isaac Wilson, the former Utah quarterback who is expected to start for the second straight game.
Wilson’s familiarity with the Utes adds a wrinkle, though Sanders treated it with his usual loose touch.
"make sure you throw the ball to the guys on our team,"
Sanders joked to Wilson.
"See, we can joke like that because Isaac is one of those kids that -- Isaac is Isaac," Sanders said. "He ain't taking that to heart.
He's not gonna cry and have a pity party. That's the balance of our relationship.
We can get down like that. Then, when he does something (in practice he says), 'Yeah, what you got to say now?'
That's how Isaac gets down with me."
Wilson got the start over struggling Julian Lewis and finished with 290 passing yards and one touchdown in a 29-7 home loss to then-No. 12 Texas Tech on Oct. 3, but he also threw three interceptions.
At Utah, he passed for 1,510 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while starting seven of nine games played in 2024. He appeared in only one game last season, against Colorado, and did not complete his lone pass attempt.
Scalley brushed aside the storyline of Wilson facing his former team, while noting his arm strength and understanding of the game. He also pointed out that Colorado has former Utah cornerback Jason Stokes Jr.
"He's definitely done a great job of being developed at Colorado, and (Wilson's) going to know, obviously, some things, terminology-wise, and Stokes as well," Scalley said. "Jason Stokes is going to know some things (about the offense), but at the same time, we have a feel for his strengths and weaknesses. I think at the end of the day, it's still a team game."
If Colorado is going to challenge Utah, Wilson will likely need help from Joseph Williams, who has been one of the Buffaloes' top targets with 32 catches for 454 yards and five touchdowns.
In Other News...
Utah Just Approved A Rice-Eccles Change Fans Will Definitely Notice
The University of Utah board of trustees has signed off on a $39.1 million renovation plan for Rice-Eccles Stadium, setting in motion a project that will reshape some of the venues most visible premium areas. The work is aimed at upgrading suites and adding new club spaces, with the existing suite level getting a refresh as the Utes continue to invest in one of the Pac-12 programs most important gameday assets.
The project is expected to be completed by August 2027 and will be paid for through capital expenditure funds connected to Utahs deal with private equity firm Otro Capital. Along with the new suites and clubs, the stadium makeover also includes a press box move, another sign that Rice-Eccles is headed for a noticeable new look as the program keeps modernizing the fan experience. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Fans Are Watching One Family Weekend Decision Much Closer
Family weekend in Boulder has created an unusual wrinkle for anyone trying to get into Colorados upcoming home game against unbeaten No. 11 Utah. Tickets on resale marketplaces are showing up below the universitys official single-game price, turning what is usually a straightforward purchase into a comparison-shopping exercise for fans who want in on one of the bigger games on the schedule.
The appeal goes beyond the matchup itself, which already carries plenty of interest because of Utahs perfect start. Buyers still need to sort through seat location, delivery terms and checkout fees before pulling the trigger, since the cheapest listing is not always the best final price. And for a game like this, where demand can shift quickly, the market may keep moving right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Utah's Fast Start Now Faces Its Biggest Test Yet
Utahs offense has spent the first month doing just about everything well, and the results have shown up on the scoreboard. The Utes have topped 30 points in each of their first five games, a pace they have not matched since 1994, and the mix has been as encouraging as the totals suggest. The run game has set the tone, the passing game has complemented it, and the variety of personnel groups has made the whole operation look difficult to defend.
The larger question now is whether that balance can hold once the schedule starts asking harder questions. Utahs line has given the offense a sturdy foundation, and the efficiency numbers have backed up what the eye test says about how smoothly things are working. But early success can only carry so far, and the coming stretch will show whether this is a hot start or the kind of attack that can stay this sharp when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]