Kansas State had 342 rushing yards on 18 yards per carry by halftime, with five 30+ yard runs. It was the worst defensive half in Utah history. This then continued into the second half and Kansas State finished with 472 rushing yards (Utah’s worst ever).
Kansas State scored its fifth rushing touchdown to make it 47–35 with seven minutes remaining, but he attempted a 2-point pass that was blocked by Utah’s Tao Johnson.
And returned a punt 100+ yards for a rare pick two – a 4-point swing – to bring Utah within 10 points and change the momentum.
Utah cut it to 47–44 on Devon Dampier’s touchdown pass to Larry Simmons, and then on fourth-and-1, Dampier broke free and completed it to the 5-yard line to set up his game-winning touchdown. During Dampier’s long run the television cameras were shaking so violently that I thought the live feed was going to break.
Rice-Eccles was doing amazing.
The 51-47 win keeps Utah alive for the Big 12 title game and the playoffs, although they need a lot of help from the teams ahead of them. First, they wrap up the regular season with a trip to Lawrence, Kansas, to face the 5-6 Kansas Jayhawks (Friday, 10 a.m. MST, ESPN).
game grader
(Opponent-adjusted statistical dominance via Pick Six Preview)
3 year average (2022-24): Utah 55.4 (23rd out of 68 Power 4) | Kansas 53.4 (27th)
2024 season: Utah 44.9 (48th) | Kansas 53.0 (32nd)
2025 season: Utah 72.0 (11th) | Kansas 43.9 (50th)
My Game Grader formula is a measure of statistical dominance that adjusts for opponent strength and is a key part of my preseason and in-season evaluation.
In my annual season preview magazine Pick Six Previews, I picked Utah to finish fourth in the wide-open Big 12 race. They lost twice – a 34–10 loss to Texas Tech and a 24–21 loss to BYU – but their eight wins have been blowouts with an average yardage differential of +200 per game.
I projected Kansas to finish 12th in the Big 12 in my preview magazine, and so far that has proven true. They are 5-6 overall, 3-5 in the Big 12, 1-10 with their three wins over Oklahoma State and two coaching change teams UCF and West Virginia. They are ranked No. 50 out of 68 Power Four teams in Game Grader.
utah with ball
(opponent-adjusted metrics, per Pick Six preview)
Utah Crime: 10th out of 68 Power 4 teams, 27th passing, 2nd rushing
Kansas Defense: 53rd out of 68 Power 4 teams, 58th pass defense, 53rd rush defense
Utah’s offensive line was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, and it is certainly deserving. They are one of the few lines to crack the top 15 of both my OL run push (No. 2) and pass protection (No. 14).
He lived up to Whittingham’s preseason praise and said it was the best line he has ever coached. Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu are both deserving of All-Big 12 and All-America hype, and could be high NFL Draft picks in April.
Utah rushed for 292 yards on Saturday, led by Vashawn Parker’s fourth consecutive 100-yard game, Dampier adding 94 yards and two scores, and then another breakout performance from freshman Bird Ficklin, who added 54 yards and three touchdowns.
Look for more rushing success on Friday as they face a Kansas defense ranked 110th in yards per carry and 124th in explosive long-yard rushing. Kansas has also struggled to defend the pass, so Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck will be able to run a balanced, dynamic attack.
kansas with ball
(opponent-adjusted metrics, per Pick Six preview)
Kansas Crime: 18th out of 68 Power 4 teams, 13th passing, 27th rushing
Utah Defense: 35th out of 68 Power 4 teams, 9th pass defense, 58th rush defense
After Saturday’s breakdown, Utah dropped from 17th to 35th in my opponent-adjusted defense stats. Their 8.8 yards per play allowed were their worst since a Rose Bowl shootout loss to Ohio State in 2021.
They also dropped from 32nd to 58th in the opponent-adjusted rushing defense category. On the season, Utah has allowed 1,904 rushing yards, its worst in the past decade.
They received more bad news when star defensive end John Henry Daly was ruled out for the remainder of the season. He finished with 11.5 sacks, which currently ranks second in the Power Four. Despite the injury and his poor performance against Kansas State, I don’t expect this to be a recurring theme.
Kansas has finished in the Big 12’s top three offensive offenses for three consecutive years (2022-24), but may struggle here in 2025. They are eighth in the league in yards per carry and 12th in the per game category.
Instead, they have gotten more production from the pass game. In his sixth season, Jalon Daniels is having the best of his career passing with 21 touchdowns to only four picks.
sports predictions
Here, Utah’s offense has a decisive advantage against the Kansas defense. Over the last four games, Utah has been lighting up the scoreboard with an average of 51 points per game and 340 rushing yards per game.
Look for both trends to continue Friday as the Utes wrap up the eighth 10-win season of Whittingham’s career.
Utah 51 | kansas 28
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