Morgan Scalley’s Utes pivot to a ground-heavy attack in Ames, prioritizing ball security and trench warfare in the Big 12 road opener.
The 15th-ranked Utah Utes head into Iowa State for the first road game of the season on Saturday. Morgan Scalley and his staff are expecting some soggy weather in Ames, which could become a factor in the Big 12 opener.
The forecast for Saturday shows rain starting on Friday night and coming in waves. Unfortunately, the strongest activity will be centered around the start of the game. There will be soggy conditions, making the Utes game plan all about ball protection and ramping up the rushing attack with Wayshawn Parker. This will be an opportunity for Devon Dampier to conduct the offense without little-to-no emphasis on the passing game.
Regardless of what the conditions might be Saturday afternoon, Scalley spent the week preparing his players for what could be a wet and sloppy game. This is where teams can win or lose in the trenches. There was a major concentration on being prepared with the right cleats for traction and getting a feel for handling a soaked football.
"[We’ll] do everything we can to prepare for that situation," Scalley said this week. "Ultimately, it’s guys understanding the surface, and we’ll be prepared."
One of the hardest things for Utah will be letting the game come to them and not forcing anything. The weather isn't likely to slow the Utes offense down to looking average. But trying to jam through an uptempo approach might not work if conditions worsen throughout the game.
Utah has turned the ball over twice this season, both times by Dampier with a fumble and interception. Needless to say, the Utes' offense has been efficient this season, but even more so on the ground. They average 232.7 rushing yards per game (23rd, FBS) and thrive with designed runs by Dampier and Byrd Ficklin, who is a factor all over the field. But can they cover all the number of factors with inclement weather?
Utah has beaten every opponent they have faced by at least 33 points this season. This includes Arkansas, who took home a 43-10 loss in Week 2. The Utes are also in the top 10 nationally for scoring offense and defense. Scalley's team has two ranked opponents on the schedule right now (No. 25 Houston, No. 9 BYU). All things considered, Utah is the truest dark horse in the Big 12 right now. We'll find out what this team is made of on Saturday.
The Utes moved up to No. 15 in this week's AP Top 25 poll. Utah hits the road for the first time this season on Saturday against Iowa State (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
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