All Mussed up — Early Vandal mistakes trigger blowout loss at Utah

From wire and news services and local reports 

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah didn’t need the help. 

But Idaho obliged anyway — particularly early. 

The Idaho Vandals turned the ball over on their first two possessions, setting up two short-field touchdown drives for Utah as the Utes, ranked No. 21 in the FBS, sped past the Vandals 66-14 on Thursday night before 51,444 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. 

"Obviously not the performance we were looking for,” Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said on the Vandals' postgame radio show. “We just did not play well enough to stay in the football game. Their running game and play-action passing ... we've got to do a better job on the defensive side.” 

Idaho (0-2) turned the ball over on the third play of the game when Trey Reynolds of Utah (1-0) intercepted Joshua Wood at the Vandal 31. 

Four plays later, on a run/pass option, Utes quarterback Devon Dampier flipped the ball to running back Wayshawn Parker, who played at Washington State in 2024, for a 9-yard score. 

On Idaho’s second play after the kickoff, backup quarterback Israel Carter went in on second and 15. But he fumbled the ball on a keeper, and the Utes recovered at the Vandal 12. 

Idaho held Utah to a field goal.  

Later in the first quarter, a booming punt by Idaho’s Cameron Pope appeared to glance off the Utah receiver’s fingertips, and the Vandals recovered. 

But no muff was called on the field, and upon further review, the play stood as called — a punt downed at the Utah 35. 

Seven plays later, Parker ran it in from 21 yards out for a 17-0 lead. 

Idaho responded when Hayden Kincheloe scored from 3 yards out, his second career touchdown. 

But after that, the game kinda went the way some of these FCS vs. FBS games go. 

Utah answered the Vandals’ score, then found the end zone just before the half for a 31-7 lead at intermission. 

Idaho, which received $600,000 from Utah for the game, did stop the Utes inside the 5 midway through the third quarter, down 38-7. 

Parker finished with three touchdowns for the Utes. He ran for 71 yards on 12 carries. 

Dampier checked out after Utah scored on the first drive of the second half, after a 13-of-18 day for 176 yards and three scores. 

It was the head coaching debut of longtime Utah assistant Morgan Scalley. After 21 years at the helm at Utah, Kyle Whittingham took over at Michigan. 

“I just wanted our players to show what our culture is all about. It’s not, and I keep saying this, it’s not about Morgan,” Scalley said after being celebrated and doused with water by his players in the locker room. 

Down 45-7, Wood scampered 22 yards for a Vandal TD. Wood was just 9 of 27 through the air. 

Outside of completing 4 of 5 passes on Idaho’s first TD march, Wood was 5 of 22 with an interception. 

Utah rolled up 633 yards — 364 on the ground and 269 in the air. On defense, the Utes allowed just 225 yards. 

Idaho plays host to Lamar on Saturday, Sept. 12 in the Vandals’ home opener at 1 p.m. at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.

NO. 21 UTAH 66, IDAHO 14

Idaho    0    7    7    0    —    14

Utah    17    14    14    21    —    66

First Quarter

UTAH_W.Parker 9 pass from Dampier (Curtis kick), 12:40.

UTAH_FG Curtis 24, 10:40.

UTAH_W.Parker 21 run (Curtis kick), 1:07.

Second Quarter

IDHO_Kincheloe 3 run (Forsman kick), 9:40.

UTAH_Pegan 7 pass from Dampier (Curtis kick), 4:39.

UTAH_W.Parker 3 pass from Dampier (Curtis kick), :32.

Third Quarter

UTAH_Pegan 12 run (Curtis kick), 13:15.

UTAH_N.Bennee 35 pass from Ficklin (Curtis kick), 4:45.

IDHO_Wood 22 run (Forsman kick), 1:21.

Fourth Quarter

UTAH_H.Andrews 9 pass from Ficklin (Curtis kick), 14:36.

UTAH_Chavez-Soto 5 run (Cragun kick), 9:13.

UTAH_Bell 34 run (Cragun kick), 1:04.

A_51,444.

        IDHO    UTAH

First downs    13    33

Total Net Yards    225    633

Rushes-yards    31-106    49-364

Passing    119    269

Punt Returns    0-0    2-33

Kickoff Returns    1-17    0-0

Interceptions Ret.    0-0    1-2

Comp-Att-Int    11-30-1    17-26-0

Sacked-Yards Lost    1-6    0-0

Punts    7-46.286    1-47.0

Fumbles-Lost    1-1    1-0

Penalties-Yards    5-35    1-10

Time of Possession    25:40    34:20

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING_Idaho, Wood 9-41, Kincheloe 7-37, Golston 3-24, Bias 3-6, Miller 4-1, Carter 5-(minus 3). Utah, Bell 7-87, W.Parker 12-71, Ficklin 8-70, Chavez-Soto 6-35, Dampier 6-31, Helu 3-25, H.Andrews 1-13, Bray 2-13, Pegan 1-12, Rose 2-8, (Team) 1-(minus 1).

PASSING_Idaho, Wood 9-27-1-111, Carter 2-3-0-8. Utah, Dampier 13-18-0-176, Ficklin 4-8-0-93.

RECEIVING_Idaho, Harste 2-23, Card 2-6, West-Baranco 1-44, Alexander 1-17, Superales 1-9, Jezioro 1-8, McCraney 1-6, Kincheloe 1-4, Miller 1-2. Utah, Pegan 4-81, W.Parker 3-23, Simmons 2-41, Whittemore 2-27, R.Johnson 2-25, H.Andrews 2-14, N.Bennee 1-35, Carvalho 1-23.

MISSED FIELD GOALS_None.