Utah Opens Scalley Era With Dominant Win Over Idaho.
- ejsportsmedia
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
SALT LAKE CITY — No. 21 Utah wasted little time showing that the program's identity remains intact despite a major change at the top. Making his regular-season debut as Utah's head coach, Morgan Scalley watched the Utes race past Idaho 66-14 on Thursday night behind a balanced offensive attack and standout performances from quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker. The victory marked Utah's first season opener without Kyle Whittingham on the sideline in 21 years. Whittingham, who spent two decades leading the program, left Utah after last season to take the head coaching position at Michigan. Scalley, who previously served as Utah's defensive coordinator, was promoted after guiding the Utes to a victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl. For Scalley, the night was less about his personal debut and more about seeing his players carry the culture that has defined Utah football. “I just wanted our players to show what our culture is all about,” Scalley said. “It’s not, and I keep saying this, it’s not about Morgan.” His players made sure he felt the significance of the moment. After the game, Scalley was celebrated and doused with water by his team in the locker room. Dampier helped set the tone early. The transfer quarterback completed 13 of 18 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns while adding 31 rushing yards. After Utah built a 38-7 advantage, Dampier's night came to an end early in the second half. The performance was especially encouraging after injuries limited Dampier during the 2025 season. Against Idaho, he displayed mobility, accuracy and composure while remaining untouched in the pocket. “It was so much fun,” Dampier said. “Scalley's a different head coach. I wondered what it was going to be like, but he had an energy and a calmness in us to do our thing.” Parker provided another major spark for the Utes, producing the first three-touchdown game of his career. He finished with 71 rushing yards and scored twice through the air before adding a 21-yard touchdown run in which he broke multiple tackles.
Parker said the team had been waiting since January for the opportunity to finally showcase what it had been building. “I was just going out there being confident in my O-line and the whole team,” Parker said. Utah's offense finished with 633 total yards, including 364 on the ground and 269 through the air. Transfer receiver Braden Pegan also made an immediate impact, finding the end zone twice. He caught a 7-yard touchdown pass and added a 12-yard touchdown on an end-around. Backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin took over after Dampier's departure and continued the offensive production. Ficklin threw for 93 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 70 yards. The Utes also delivered a strong defensive performance, limiting Idaho to 225 total yards. Idaho briefly answered Utah's early dominance with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the first half. Hayden Kincheloe capped the possession with a rushing touchdown, while quarterback Joshua Wood contributed a 22-yard rushing score later in the game. Wood finished with 111 passing yards, but struggled to find consistency outside of the Vandals' scoring drive, completing just five of his other 22 attempts and throwing an interception. Utah entered the matchup as a heavy favorite and delivered the type of performance expected from a ranked team. The Utes also committed only one penalty, something Scalley pointed to as a sign of the team's preparation. “We wanted to be clean. We wanted to play as a team,” Scalley said. The result was Utah's highest-scoring performance and largest margin of victory in the 29-game history of the series against Idaho. More importantly, it provided an impressive first glimpse of Utah under Scalley. The Utes will face a significantly tougher challenge next week when Arkansas comes to Salt Lake City. Idaho, meanwhile, will return home to host Lamar.
