Utah Insider Lays Out The Major Difference In Utes That Arkansas Must Prepare For

Not much has changed for Utah under Scalley, but offense may look different

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Christian Harrison (1) kneels before the start of the spring game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Needless to say, Arkansas' Week 2 contest against Utah is a huge game for the Razorbacks and first-year head coach Ryan Silverfield.

A win would briefly silence the plethora of doubters Silverfield has and put Arkansas on the inside track towards a potential bowl berth. A loss would only increase the chatter regarding Silverfield's ability, or lack thereof, to coach at the Power Four level.

Utah insider Steve Bartles spoke Tuesday on the Chuck and Bo Show about the matchup between the Razorbacks and Utes and what should be expected.

Of course, no one's quite sure of entirely what to expect in a matchup between two first-year head coaches. Morgan Scalley was tapped as Utah's head coach following the departure of Kyle Whittingham, making the primetime game in Salt Lake City one of many unknowns.

"I think one of the biggest differences we'll see is on the offensive side of the ball," Bartles said. "Kyle was very much a coach that was about game control and running the ball, preserving the defense. Those are still things that are valuable to Morgan Scalley, but he's talked a lot about being innovative and being on the cutting edge when it comes to schematics and coaching.

"I think he's going to lean a little bit more into the passing game than what we saw under Kyle Whittingham. I think there's gonna be more embracing of the quarterback position and the passing attack."

The Utes led the Big 12 in offense in 2025, putting up 483 yards and 41.3 points per game. But they did so, as Bartles alluded to, with a dominant rushing attack that put up 266 yards per game on the ground. Utah's passing game averaged only 216 yards per contest, good for only 11th in the league.

"There's just going to be more of an emphasis on the passing game than what we've seen with Kyle Whittingham," Bartles said. "That's probably going to be the most noticeable difference. Otherwise, it's going to be a lot of the same principles and culture and behavior that we've seen from Utah the last 10 years."

If Utah actually plans to move to more of a dynamic passing attack compared to recent years, then Arkansas' rebuilt secondary better be up for the test earlier than expected. The Razorbacks are led by a veteran group built on experience at nearly every position.

Between Jahiem "Joker" Johnson, Shelton Lewis, Christian Harrison and La'Khi Roland, the Razorbacks have put together a defensive backfield looking to flip the script on a 2025 season that saw them allow 11 pass plays of 40+ yards (No. 107, FBS) and 239 yards per game (No. 104, FBS).

While Arkansas and Utah have never met on the gridiron, the Razorbacks' last trip to the Beehive State went well for the Razorbacks. In 2022, Arkansas traveled to Provo to take on BYU, beating the Cougars 52-35 before losing to them in Fayetteville in 2023.

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