Patrick Kinahan: Weak competition aside, Utah football rolling as conference play starts

SALT LAKE CITY — All the preliminaries are done now, with each of them playing out virtually exactly as planned.

As usually has been the case for more than a decade, Utah's football steamrolled through the three nonconference games. If for no other reason than just because, given the nature of the quality of opponent to date, more difficult tests await this team.

Using a literary license, Utah has barely broken a sweat thus far. Utah State was the final overmatched nonconference opponent to leave Rice-Eccles Stadium with a disheartening loss, as the Utes rolled to a 33-0 win on Saturday afternoon.

Through three games, the Utes look like they haven't missed a beat from the last season that ended with an 11-2 record and a No. 14 ranking. But add one vital important piece: The offense is more diversified and explosive, which says something considering it led the Big 12 in total offense at 482.9 yards per game last season.

"3-0 going into conference play, so we're excited," said coach Morgan Scalley. "We definitely got some things to clean up."

In his second season at Utah, but first under new coordinator Kevin McGiven, quarterback Devon Dampier has upped the ante as a dual-threat weapon. Likely only an injury stands in the way of the senior having one of the best statistical seasons in program history.

His command of the offense is arguably as good as any quarterback in the country. It also can be argued that Dampier is a more willing passer this season, as he showed right from the start against the Aggies.

Instead of relying on his dynamic running ability, Dampier looks more comfortable surveying the field for open receivers before taking off. That patience was displayed on Utah's first drive off the game, as Dampier bought time for Utah State transfer Braden Pegan to get open for a 28-yard touchdown pass. The two also hooked up for a 36-yard touchdown to make it 29-0 right before halftime.

In the first quarter, after which essentially became garbage time, Dampier passed for more than 100 yards and averaged nearly 8 yards per carry on four attempts. Extracted over an entire game in Big 12 play, those types of numbers likely would make the Utes a serious contender for the conference championship game and put Dampier in the race for MVP.

Before going any further, the primary objection reading Utah's superlatives is valid. Even the most faithful diehard recognizes this team hasn't faced strong competition.

It started out bad and hasn't got much better. Eventually the schedule will turn tougher, maybe even starting next week on the road against a revamped Iowa State team, which lost its coach and several key players to Penn State in the offseason but did post 55 points on Bowling Green on Saturday and nearly upset nationally ranked Iowa last week.

As most Power Four teams do, the plan is to schedule a cupcake — usually a lower-division opponent in the season opener — and then play a fellow P4 team and one against the Group of Six. The model, as it is often referred to, calls for an A, B, C schedule before finishing with nine conference games.

But this season, Utah was saddled with three opponents considered at the C level. Maybe a low B, if we're being generous.

Idaho and Utah State figured to be easy wins, which followed to plan. But Arkansas, which is awful by any standard, let alone as a Southeastern Conference member, was the hiccup in the model.

The Razorbacks, which Utah crushed 43-10 last week, are coming off a 2-10 season during which the coach got fired. Combined with losing to Georgia on Saturday, Arkansas has been outscored 91-27 in its two games against FBS competition.

In Bronco Mendenhall's second season, the product Utah State puts on the field isn't much better. At least give the Aggies credit for playing hard, but Mendenhall's history of improving teams in his second season — see BYU and Virginia as the standards — as head coach might take a hit this year.

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