Utah football opened the 2026 season in emphatic fashion, as the No. 21 Utah Utes cruised past the Idaho Vandals 66-14 at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday night.
The victory was especially significant for the University of Utah football program because it marked Morgan Scalley’s first regular-season game as head coach following Kyle Whittingham’s departure after 21 seasons.
The Utes wasted little time establishing control in Utah vs Idaho, scoring on five of their first six possessions and building a commanding lead before halftime.
Devon Dampier leads Utah’s explosive offense
Quarterback Devon Dampier delivered an impressive season debut, completing 13 of 18 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
Dampier also added 31 rushing yards and looked mobile in the pocket after dealing with injuries during the previous season. He exited after Utah’s first possession of the second half, with the Utes already ahead 38-7.
His performance extended a streak of multiple touchdown passes to eight consecutive games.
Wayshawn Parker produces three-touchdown performance
Running back Wayshawn Parker was another major difference-maker for the Utah Utes football team.
Parker scored three touchdowns, including two receiving touchdowns and a 21-yard rushing score. He finished with 71 rushing yards and repeatedly created big plays against the Idaho Vandals defense.
His three-touchdown performance was the first three-score game of his career and gave Utah another dynamic weapon alongside Dampier.
Braden Pegan and Byrd Ficklin add to the scoring
Utah’s offense continued producing after Dampier left the game.
Wide receiver Braden Pegan caught four passes for 81 yards and scored his first touchdown as a Ute. He also added a 12-yard rushing touchdown, highlighting the versatility of Utah’s attack.
Backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin also made an impact. He completed 4 of 5 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 70 yards.
Ficklin connected with Noah Bennee and Hunter Andrews for touchdown passes as the Utes continued extending their advantage.
Utah piles up 633 total yards
The numbers underline just how dominant U of U football was in the season opener.
Utah finished with 633 total yards, including 364 rushing yards and 269 passing yards. The Utes also recorded 33 first downs compared with 13 for Idaho.
The 633-yard performance was Utah’s highest total since the team produced 662 yards against Colorado in 2022. It also ranked among the seven highest single-game offensive totals in program history.
On defense, Utah limited Idaho to only 225 total yards.
Utah defense sets the tone early
The Utes’ defense immediately put pressure on the Vandals, forcing turnovers on Idaho’s first two possessions.
Hunter Andrews recorded an interception before Rabbit Evans recovered a fumble. Idaho managed only 95 total yards in the opening half and averaged just 2.5 yards per play during that period.
Idaho eventually found the end zone through Hayden Kincheloe and quarterback Joshua Wood, but the Vandals struggled to sustain drives throughout the night.
Wood finished with 111 passing yards and added a 22-yard rushing touchdown, while Kincheloe rushed for a score in the second quarter.
Historic result in Idaho vs Utah series
The 66-14 result was more than simply a convincing season-opening victory.
It represented the most points Utah has scored and the largest margin of victory for the Utes in the 29-game history of the series.
Utah also extended its impressive home-opening run. The victory marked the program’s 18th consecutive home-opening win, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Morgan Scalley begins his regular-season era
The Utah Utes entered the game with plenty of attention surrounding their coaching transition.
Scalley took over after spending years as Utah’s defensive coordinator. He previously coached the Utes in their Las Vegas Bowl victory over Nebraska at the end of last season.
Replacing a coach who spent 21 seasons at the program was a major storyline entering the season, but Utah’s performance against Idaho offered an encouraging first glimpse of the new era.
The Utes showed balance on offense, strong line play and an aggressive defense while avoiding major mistakes.
What’s next for Utah football?
Following the dominant win over Idaho, Utah football will return to Rice-Eccles Stadium for another home matchup.
The Utes will host Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 12, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. MT and the game set to air on ESPN.
For the University of Utah football program, the matchup will provide a much tougher test after the one-sided victory over the Vandals.
Utah vs Idaho final score
- Utah: 66
- Idaho: 14
- Utah record: 1-0
- Idaho record: 0-2
- Devon Dampier: 13-of-18, 176 yards, 3 TDs
- Byrd Ficklin: 93 passing yards, 2 TDs, 70 rushing yards
- Wayshawn Parker: 3 total touchdowns
- Utah total offense: 633 yards
- Idaho total offense: 225 yards
The emphatic victory gives Utes football a strong opening statement under Scalley, with Dampier, Parker and Ficklin providing plenty of reasons for optimism heading into the next stage of the schedule.
Leave a Reply