SALT LAKE CITY — Utah took care of business in their home opener Saturday, defeating FCS Cal Poly 63-9.
Wayshawn Parker took a swing pass 52 yards for a touchdown on Utah's first possession, and the game was never in question. The Utes outgained Cal Poly by nearly 300 yards and kept them out of the end zone.
Seven different players scored touchdowns for Utah, not including Devon Dampier, who threw three of them. Utah performed the way a top-25 team should against an FCS foe.
As head coach Kyle Whittingham put it simply, Utah "controlled the game from start to finish."
Before the Big 12 season kicks off, Utah plays their final nonconference game with a road trip to Laramie, Wyoming (6 p.m. MDT, CBSSN).
Utah and Wyoming were conference rivals for 100 years from 1910-2010 together in the Rocky Mountain Conference, the Skyline Conference, the WAC, and then the Mountain West before Utah took the Pac-12 bid in 2011.
Game Grader
(Opponent-adjusted statistical dominance via Pick Six Previews)
3-year average (2022-24): Utah 55.4 (23rd of 68 Power 4) | Wyoming (non-AQ)
2024 season: Utah 44.9 (48th) | Wyoming (non-AQ)
2025 season: Utah 68.6 (13th) | Wyoming (non-AQ)
My Game Grader formula is a measure of statistical dominance that adjusts for opponent strength and is a key piece of my preseason and in-season evaluation.
In my annual season preview magazine Pick Six Previews, I selected Utah to finish fourth in a wide-open Big 12 race, but after their blowout win over UCLA, that projection has shifted. Utah had the No. 2 Game Grade of Week 1 (only trailing TCU's blowout of UNC), and now Utah has moved up to the top spot in the Big 12.
It is early, but my game-by-game projections have Utah favored in all nine Big 12 games, and they earned a spot on my playoff bracket projection.
Wyoming is 2-0 after defeating Akron (10-0) and FCS Northern Iowa (31-7). Akron is one of the worst teams in FBS, and was just blown out 68-0 by Nebraska, while Northern Iowa is unranked in the FCS poll and was picked eighth in the 10-team Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll.
Utah with the ball
Utah offense: 53 points/game (8th of 136 FBS teams), 5.6 yards/carry (34th), 8.5 yards/pass (40th)
Wyoming defense: 3.5 points/game (2nd), 2.6 yards/carry (25th), 3.7 yards/pass (4th)
Two games in and Utah's new-look offense has exceeded all expectations. The UCLA and Cal Poly wins could not have gone much better statistically, as Utah is averaging 53 points per game and have converted all 11 red zone trips into touchdowns.
Utah ranks No. 1 nationally in third-down conversions (23-of-30) and has shown off both a strong run game and a passing threat it has lacked the past two seasons.
Dampier showed off his dual-threat ability in the UCLA opener, and then Saturday went 17-of-23 passing for 190 yards and placed a perfect touch pass into the corner of the end zone to tight end Dallen Bentley.
At New Mexico before his transfer, Dampier played this Wyoming defense last year and ran for 207 yards, threw for 164 more, and scored three touchdowns.
Wyoming head coach Jay Sawvel dreaded seeing him transfer to another opponent: "He's a great player, I wish we were done with him."
Sawvel's defense is stronger this time around, with a second-year coach bonus, a more veteran group, and some key transfer wins. They shutout Akron, held Northern Iowa to just 7 points, and they currently rank in the national top 10 of most defensive categories.
Brayden Johnson is an all-conference star at linebacker, and the secondary has fully shut down their opposing pass attacks.
While this is a step up in competition, look for Utah to dominate the line of scrimmage and continue their offensive explosion.
Wyoming with the ball
Wyoming offense: 20.5 points/game (107th of 136), 4.7 yards/carry (64th), 7.3 yards/pass (71st)
Utah defense: 9.5 points/game (21st), 2.7 yards/carry (28th), 5.7 yards/pass (40th)
Wyoming starting quarterback Kaden Anderson was teammates with Quinn Ewers at legendary Southlake High (Texas) and has a handful of starts here. This unit struggled last season in Sawvel's transition year, but now they get second-year bonuses all over the roster.
The offensive line returns nine of their 10 from the two-deep, the top three receivers returned, and Anderson had the full offseason of growth.
Utah has a decisive talent advantage at every single position here. Their performance against UCLA and five-star Nico Iamaleava was impressive, and again they played well against Cal Poly.
In the first quarter, Jackson Bennee jumped an out route and took back the interception for a touchdown. This continued Utah's NCAA record streak of consecutive seasons with a pick six (22 years) and they backed up the title I gave them as "Pick Six U."
Game prediction
Wyoming is 4-7 hosting power conference opponents since 2000, with wins over Texas Tech, Virginia, Missouri, and Ole Miss. This is considered by many to be the toughest place to play in the Mountain West.
Utah leads the series 50-31-1 and won the past four by an average of 30 points/game. While Wyoming has had success hosting other Power Four teams, Utah is too strong this year.
I trust Wyoming head coach Sawvel's assessment on Utah: "They don't have a weakness."
Utah 38 | Wyoming 13
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Brett Ciancia
