Morgan Scalley isn’t waiting around to get creative. In Utah’s last two games, the Utes have gone for two after their second touchdown, and the move has already produced one success, one miss, and plenty of attention.
Against Arkansas, Utah reached the end zone to go up 13-3 with 9:23 left in the second quarter, then stayed aggressive. Instead of kicking the extra point, the Utes lined up in a “swinging gate” look, with long snapper Logan Castor a few steps away from the five linemen and backfield. Castor shoved the ball over to Mana Carvalho, who finished the play for two points and pushed Utah ahead 15-3.
A week later against Utah State, the Utes tried it again after Byrd Ficklin’s 9-yard rushing touchdown made it 13-0 with 5:30 left in the first quarter. This time the setup was different, but Castor was again the snapper.
Everyone was stationed to the right of him, with kicker Dillon Curtis behind him in the backfield. Curtis clapped like he was about to receive the snap, but Castor sent the ball diagonally to Carvalho, who headed toward the right side of the end zone before Brevin Hamblin stopped him short.
Scalley said the early two-point tries are about more than just chasing a couple of extra points.
“The thought of going for 2 is, first of all, we want to make people pay that aren’t necessarily disciplined in how to align to these different formations that we show,” Scalley said. “Part of it too is forcing teams to have to prepare for something that you don’t spend a whole lot of time aligning to stuff like that, so getting that on film.”
He also pointed to the bigger payoff if one of those plays lands, since it can shape how the rest of the game plays out. Scalley called himself an “aggressive guy by nature,” and he made it clear this won’t be a one-off wrinkle.
“We felt like we had it and unfortunately it wasn’t there, but I’m an aggressive guy by nature and I like taking advantage of stuff that I see. It didn’t work. Some will work, some won’t, but we’re not going to ever do anything without repping it and being prepared,” Scalley said.
“But you’re going to see more of it. Let’s just put it that way.”
The conversation around Utah’s defense and game management came on the same weekend Scalley also made a hospital visit to Utah State linebacker Harrison Taggart, who was injured in the second quarter of last week’s game when his helmet hit Daniel Bray’s knee during a tackle. Taggart lay motionless for several minutes before being placed on a spine board and taken by ambulance to the University of Utah Hospital.
Both Bronco Mendenhall and Scalley ran out to check on Taggart immediately, along with Utah State athletic trainers. Taggart pointed to the sky as he was loaded into the ambulance.
On Sunday, Taggart posted that he was seeing progress.
“Woke up with feeling and starting to get some movement in my legs! God is good. Thanks for all the texts and prayers,” Taggart wrote.
Scalley later said he stopped by the hospital and found Taggart in good spirits.
“Harrison, I’ve known him through recruiting. His mom and I went to high school together, so I just wanted to make sure that things were OK and went and visited with the family for a little bit,” Scalley said.
Taggart’s position coaches were already there when Scalley arrived, and they brought him in. Scalley said Taggart could be out of the hospital Monday or Tuesday.
“He was still there last night. I think he’s going to be (at the hospital) today and depending on how the rehab goes, they’ll be either home tonight or tomorrow.
I mean, just heartbreaking. He was in good spirits, joking around, but never want to see that happen to anybody,” Scalley said.
Utah, ranked No. 15, is 3-0 and will face Iowa State, which is 2-1, on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MDT at Jack Trice Stadium. The game will be televised by Fox and carried on 700 AM/92.1 FM.
In Other News...
Utahs First Big 12 Road Test Will Say A Lot
Utahs first Big 12 road trip arrives with a real early-season feel to it, because the Utes are not just leaving home for the first time this season, they are stepping into conference play as well. Saturdays trip to Iowa State brings a 1:30 p.m. Mountain kickoff at Jack Trice Stadium on FOX, and it comes with Utah sitting at 3-0 while the Cyclones enter at 2-1. After a win over Utah State, coach Morgan Scalley said the Utes still have clear strengths to build on, but also areas that need sharpening as the competition level rises.
For Utah, the larger question is less about the unbeaten record and more about how the team handles a road environment against a Big 12 opponent that will be eager to make an early statement of its own. Scalley pointed to key players and the ongoing offensive line competition as part of that next step, and this kind of opener can reveal a lot about how quickly a teams identity travels. The Utes have looked the part at home so far, but this game will offer a better read on what that start really means once the conference slate begins. [Read more 🡒]