Utah football releases initial availability report for Kansas State game

A notable name was left off Utah's initial availability report for Saturday's Week 13 matchup against Kansas State.

After underscoring the severity of Devon Dampier's ailment following the Baylor game, admitting the New Mexico transfer wouldn't have been available had the Utes played in Week 11, head coach Kyle Whittingham left the door open for the possibility that Byrd Ficklin could get the start at quarterback against the Wildcats during his weekly press conference.

However, early indications pointed toward Dampier, who Whittingham said was "a little beat up" following last Saturday's contest in Waco, Texas, being available for Utah's home finale, as the junior signal-caller's name was absent from Wednesday's initial availability report.

"[Dampier] loves running the football and and he's been effective at it," Whittingham said on Monday. "So we'll just see what happens. But there is a scenario where you could see Byrd; I'm sure of that, but we'll see."

Ficklin saw more playing time in the second half while Dampier nursed an injury, which forced him to make a brief locker room visit in the second quarter before the first of Ficklin's pair of explosive runs. The 6-foot-3 true freshman ripped off scoring runs from 67 and 74 yards out, spearheading an offense that finished with 380 rushing yards and averaged 8.8 per carry in the Utes' 55-28 victory over Baylor.

Ficklin led the ground attack with 166 rushing yards on six carries and was awarded the Big 12 Freshman of the Week award for his efforts on Monday.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Dampier tough it out and suit up, though, given his deep understanding of the ins-and-outs of Utah's offense. The 5-foot-11 junior had the second-most rush yards on the team (543) and ranked third in the Big 12 in completion percentage (65.3%) through the Utes' first 10 games. He also had 1,668 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and had five interceptions going into Week 13.

Utah went into the week knowing the Big 12 suspended Elijah "Scooby" Davis for the first half of Saturday's game due to the unsportsmanlike penalty the redshirt junior cornerback was assessed during the fourth quarter of the Baylor game. Davis got into an altercation with Bears wide receiver Ashtyn Hawkins following a late touchdown score.

While the Utes will miss a key piece of their secondary in the first half, the Wildcats won't have their top pass-catcher at any point during Saturday's game.

Kansas State ruled its leading receiver Jayce Brown out for the remainder of the season after the junior suffered an injury during the team's 14-6 win over Oklahoma State. Brown led the Wildcats through their first 10 games with 712 receiving yards and 5 TDs on 41 receptions.

Kansas State could be very thin at the wide receiver position if Jerand Bradley doesn't suit up. Bradley, who had the fourth-most receiving yards on the team despite missing three games, was categorized as "questionable."

Kickoff from Rice-Eccles Stadium is set for 2 p.m. MT on ESPN2.

Utah Availability Report

Out (first half)

CB Elijah "Scooby" Davis

Probable

OL Solatoa Moea'i

Kansas State Availability Report

Out

WR Jayce Brown
CB Jayden Rowe
S Colby McCalister
WR Callen Barta
OL Amos Talalele
K Leyton Simmering

Doubtful

CB Justice Clemons

Questionable

WR Jerand Bradley
WR Bryce Noernberg
RB JB Price

Initial report categories

Out: Broad term for any reason a student-athlete cannot play in the upcoming conference game (injury, illness, suspension, eligibility or legal issues, or personal matters)
Out (1st half): Suspended for the first half of the upcoming game due to the NCAA targeting rule
Doubtful: Has a 25% chance of playing
Questionable: Has a 50% chance of playing
Probable: Has a 75% chance of playing
Available: Has a 100% chance of playing; must be designated if previously appeared on a previous availability report and is now expected to participate

When do Big 12 teams have to submit availability reports?

Big 12 football programs are required to submit daily availability reports beginning three days before each game. The initial reports are posted on the league's website at 8 p.m. MT.