Utah Coach Reveals One Concern Razorbacks Defense Can Exploit Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield brought Ron Roberts in to serve as defensive coordinator for games like this where the Razorbacks might have an advantage.

Utah scored 66 points and rolled up 633 yards of total offense on FCS opponent Idaho in Week One, but it wasn't always that easy throughout the first half. The Vandals challenged the Utes on the road, pulling within 17-7 midway through the second quarter before the floodgates opened.

It's widely known that first-year coach Morgan Scalley is breaking in five new starters across the offensive line, and grew more confident in them throughout the game. There were some hits that quarterback Devon Dampier took to make him second guess his thoughts in running the football from the pocket.

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier (4) looks to throw on the run against the Idaho Vandals during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That gameplan worked for the most part, completing 13-of-18 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns along with 31 yards rushing. For the Utes to beat Arkansas, they'll need to keep their quarterback upright because his dual-threat ability changes the dynamic of any game he plays in.

"Well, as the game went on, they played much more cohesively," Scalley said. "And to Devon [Dampier] getting hit, some of that was him pulling the ball, holding onto the ball for a little bit. Sometimes, with those options when you're doing the read fakes and stuff like that, you're going to end up getting your quarterback hit at times.

"But we'd like to take— definitely take those hits off of him. We don't want him getting hit as much as he was getting hit early in that game. But, you know, didn't give up a sack. Proud of the way our offensive line— we had a good rotation there at the guard spot. I thought the guys got quality reps. So, you know, we'll settle on a starting 5 this week that hopefully can last us throughout the game."

That alone has to give Roberts a reason to lick his chops a bit as his 'Creeper" defense generating pressure all over the field against North Alabama, even in base fronts.

Arkansas linebacker Steven Soles during Razorbacks fall camp in August. | Arkansas Football

"You watch that team, and they're big up front," Scalley said. "So that's again going to be the challenge, right — that battle up front, both on the offensive and defensive sides. They've got a very twitchy athletic edge rusher in [Steven Soles] who's a transfer from Kentucky. They're more of an odd front with Coach Roberts coming from Florida."

Soles showed off explosiveness in spurts on Saturday, playing just 29 total snaps with just one tackle and a pass breakup. Arkansas tabbed him out of the transfer portal after boasting one of the top pressure rates in college football last season.

Silverfield compared playing Utah to facing his former American Conference foe Navy while at Memphis. While he reeled off four consecutive victories agaisnt the Midshipmen to begin his tenure, his Tigers' defense struggled to stop the throwback option by allowing them to score 56 points and 566 yards of offense in 2024 and 28 points with 300 yards in 2025.

"We've faced Navy back in the day when it was old school under-center option, and you said, ‘okay, hey, just be in your gaps, trust your keys,'" Silverfield said on Monday. "And there are some times where, you know, we played some pretty good defenses versus Navy, and then all of a sudden, they went to the gun option.

"And man, it's hard because you’ve got to defend every aspect of it, and you've got to be great with your eyes, got to be great with your fundamentals. To Utah's credit, they've got a guy doing it that's really experienced, really good at it, and he can run, he can throw, and so that makes it challenging."

Silverfield knows that if his Razorbacks team has any hope of winning, it all starts by slowing down a Utah with such a strong rushing attack. Remaining disciplined is key, which could result in a breakout game from Arkansas' defense following a game against North Alabama where they applied pressure out of a base package.

Now, it's all comes down to bringing pressure from different areas that will keep an offensive line — along with Dampier — guessing where it's coming from.

"Reality, this is a discipline type game," Silverfield said. "Just trusting your eyes, trusting your keys, because you're going to be deceived. You're going to see pullers go one way. You're going to see down blocks, and then all of a sudden, you know, reverse pivoting out of the gun.

"The different things they can do. Next thing you know, like you said, you're trying to flow and make okay, who's the quarterback player? Who's the dive player? Who's the pitch player? Oh shoot! Now all of a sudden there's a slant on the backside. So you got to be as disciplined as you can, and you got to trust it over and over and over. And the focus has to be elite for all three phases."

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