Utah football rules two players out for Week 10 matchup vs. Cincinnati

The Utah football team ruled defensive tackles Semi Taulanga and Dallas Vakalahi "out" for Saturday's showdown against Cincinnati.

Taulanga and Vakalahi were downgraded from "doubtful" in the Utes' Thursday availability report.

Vakalahi is set to miss his second straight game after playing in his team's 24-21 loss to BYU on Oct. 18. The 6-foot-2 sophomore from West Valley, Utah, made starts against UCLA and West Virginia earlier in the season.

Taulanga is listed as a defensive tackle, though the Utes have gotten creative with how they use the 317 pound freshman from Santa Ana, California. He's lined up as an extra offensive lineman on run plays and even as a tight end in some instances, catching two passes from that spot during the Cougars game.

Tobias Merriweather remained "questionable" for the Week 10 contest at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The 6-foot-5 wide receiver is fourth on the team in receiving yards (130) after missing last week's 53-7 triumph over Colorado.

As for the Bearcats, they didn't make any changes to their availability report on Thursday. Leading rusher Evan Pryor remained "out," along with linebacker Terrell Holcomb, while linebacker Montay Weedon was categorized as "probable."

Pryor had to leave Cincinnati's 41-20 win over Baylor last week early due to a lower leg injury. The 5-foot-9 redshirt senior leads Cincinnati in rushing yards (478) and and yards per carry (7.2, also No. 1 in the Big 12).

Here's a look at Thursday's availability report for Saturday's game.

Utah Availability Report

Out

DT Semi Taulanga
DT Dallas Vakalahi

Questionable

WR Tobias Merriweather

Cincinnati Availability Report

Out

RB Evan Pryor
LB Terrell Holcomb

Probable

LB Montay Weedon

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.