After sluggish first half, No. 25 Utah cruises to 63-9 in home opener

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football got the result it expected against Cal Poly on Saturday: a comfortable 63-9  win. What the 25th-ranked Utes didn’t get was the same sharp, mistake-free performance they showed in their opener.

For a team with Big 12 title aspirations, the tone felt just a little off throughout the first half. The Utes were penalized six times in total, but the bigger concern was the eight infractions flagged in the first half alone. That carelessness, combined with spotty third-down execution, left Kyle Whittingham’s group looking far less polished than a week ago.

However, Utah quickly changed up the tone in the second half and ultimately cruised to victory.

First half big plays, consistent miscues

The fireworks started early when Wayshawn Parker slipped out into the flat completely uncovered on the opening drive. Devon Dampier found him in the flat out to his left, and Parker did the rest — 52 yards to the house without a defender in sight.

RELATED: Wayshawn Parker Breaks Free, Opens Scoring With 52-Yard Rushing Touchdown

The defense quickly added to the highlight reel. Cornerback Jackson Bennee jumped a route and raced the other way for a pick-six, extending Utah’s streak to 22 straight seasons with a defensive touchdown.

Bennee was simply outstanding throughout the half and finished with three pass breakups and a couple of tackles. One of his PBU’s could have been intercepted, but was dropped.

Dampier led the offense on their third touchdown drive, connecting with Ryan Davis on a four-yard crosser.

After a couple of empty possessions and field goal drives for Cal Poly, the defense stepped up to finish the half.

Johnathan Hall made a momentum-swinging play, deflecting a pass and hauling it in off the quarterback’s shoulder and intercepting it. He nearly scored but was stopped at the one-yard line. Running back NaQuari Rogers made sure the takeaway counted, punching it in for his first score.

Special teams kept the momentum going. Rayshawn Glover fielded a punt and weaved 51 yards to the Cal Poly 30. Two plays later, Dallen Bentley hauled in a 26-yard reception, setting up another Rogers touchdown run.

By halftime, Utah was firmly in control at 35–6, though the numbers told a less flattering story. The Utes managed just 229 yards of offense, struggled on third down (3-of-7), and allowed 132 yards to an overmatched FCS opponent.

Utah tightened up in the second half

The defense opened the second half with a statement three-and-out, and the offense responded with one of its best drives of the day. Dampier connected with Davis for 27 yards, then dropped a perfectly placed ball to Bentley, who tapped the left foot at the front pylon for an 11-yard score.

From there, the backups took over.

Freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin checked in, and Parker — already with one explosive play on the stat sheet — immediately took it to the house for another big play touchdown. This time, he went untouched through the Cal Poly defense for a 43-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 49–6.

On the next possession, Ficklin was a real bright spot. He connected on three passes to Rogers and two to Davis for 47 yards. Then, on an option-keeper, he took it 38 yards to the house, tossing a Cal Poly defender out of the way to get it into the end zone.

Utah took a 56-6 lead at that point, and the second and third units, which included a large number of freshmen on the defensive side of the ball. The Utes got out of a game that never felt in doubt but never quite felt clean either.

The Utes will take the win, the depth reps, and the highlight plays. But Whittingham’s staff will spend the week hammering home the penalties and execution errors. Against Cal Poly, those issues didn’t matter. Against the Big 12 slate ahead, they will.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts The Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to break down the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.