Experience of Jimmy Rogers Will Help Iowa State Football Against Utah

The Iowa State Cyclones are going to have their hands full this weekend at Jack Trice Stadium for their Big 12 opener.

Not only is the weather forecasted to be underwhelming, but they are also facing a ranked opponent for the second time this season. The Cyclones are welcoming the No. 15-ranked Utah Utes to Ames for a whiteout game.

Regardless of what the weather is like, you can expect a raucous crowd at Jack Trice Stadium to support Iowa State against a strong opponent. Utah has been throttling their opponents thus far, winning all three games by at least 33 points and allowing only 24 points combined.

They have a strong defensive unit with a lot of talented players, and offensively, they create havoc because of a unique system. The Utes deploy two quarterbacks, Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin, and both have found plenty of success on the field.

Utah has two dynamic quarterbacks leading offense

h Utes quarterback Byrd Ficklin (15) and quarterback Devon Dampier (4) celebrate a touchdown. — Nov 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Byrd Ficklin (15) and quarterback Devon Dampier (4) celebrate a touchdown against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“These guys are good. They’re really good. And they don’t put up these numbers if they weren’t. And then they’re really good on defense, so they have more opportunities on offense. So, we’ll have our hands full for sure. We’ve got to play hard, and we’ve got to take care of the football, and we’ve got to try to find a way to create explosives on defense and on special teams. You’ve been vocal, I think, from the outset about your confidence that this team would be able to compete at a high level right away,” head coach Jimmy Rogers said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).

Dampier is one of the most explosive dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. He has completed 71.6% of his pass attempts for 690 yards and seven touchdowns with one interception. On the ground, he has gained 114 yards with two more scores.

Ficklin is the second-leading rusher on the team with 117 yards, scoring once. He hasn’t been as efficient as Dampier through the air, completing only 52.9% of his passes, but he has 166 yards and two touchdowns.

Jimmy Rogers has experience with multi-quarterback systems

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers reacts to an official's call. — Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers reacts to an official's call during the third quarter of the Cy-Hawk Series football game against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 12, 2026, in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

What makes this so different from other two-quarterback systems is that both are capable of running the same offense. Usually when a second quarterback is deployed, it is with a specific play type in mind; that isn’t the case with Utah.

However, it is something that Rogers has previous experience against from his time in the FCS, coaching against the Montana State Bobcats and North Dakota State Bison.

“Yeah, I would say this isn’t like North Dakota State’s. This is closer to Montana State’s because they’re both going to run the similar type plays and you don’t know who’s touching the ball or when they’re touching the ball. At times they don’t even have a quarterback under center. They line up in six open formation and then they motion a guy back in.

"You’re not really sure who’s going to be at quarterback at times. And then the triple option stuff with tight end wrap, and you have to be, for one, counted outright. You have to have the right coverage. And you’ve got to be able to win one-on-one on the perimeter at times, and you’ve got to be able to mix it up and play zone defense, and you’ve got to be in the right spot,” the Cyclones head coach said.

Rogers will certainly lean on that experience to help defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit prepare his defense as much as possible for a major matchup.

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