Utah football's top pass rusher exits Kansas State game after sustaining non-contact injury

Utes' top pass rusher had to exit the game in the first quarter

Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham checks the clock during the first half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Rice-Eccles Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Utah football defensive end John Henry Daley had to be helped to the locker room after sustaining a non-contact injury during the first quarter of the Utes' home finale against Kansas State.

Daley had to leave the field due to what appeared to be a lower leg injury. The standout pass rusher returned to the sidelines in the second quarter while wearing a boot on his left foot.

Daley was a force early on, recording 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in less than a quarter of action against the Wildcats.

Daley, a Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist and quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, entered Week 13 tied for No. 7 in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 9.5 sacks on the season. His 77 sack yards was already the seventh-most by a Utah player in program history. His 14.0 tackles for loss was second in the Big 12.

Daley was not on the field to start the second half.

The Utes sorely missed Henry's presence early on against the Wildcats, who racked up 348 rushing yards while ripping off five runs of 30-plus yards to take a 31-21 lead at halftime. Third-year tailback Joe Jackson accounted for 236 of those yards, as the third-year tailback set a new career-high while recording the most rushing yards by an individual player this season, per ESPN.

Utah entered the game yielding 143.2 rush yards per game, while Kansas State came in ranked No. 13 in the Big 12 with 137.8 rush yards per game. It was the first time this season allowing over 300 rush yards for Utah, which hadn't given up more than 262 prior to Saturday.

"Worst half of defense we've played in a long, long time" said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham to ESPN sideline reporter Stormy Buonantony, as the Utes went into the locker trailing for just the third time in 2025.

Kansas State struck first after Utah couldn't bring down Wildcats back Antonio Martin Jr., who plowed his way up the middle, broke off a few would-be tacklers and navigated his way to the end zone for the game's first score. It was Utah's first time trailing since the fourth quarter of its 24-21 loss to BYU on Oct. 18.

A 33-yard run from Jackson late in the first quarter helped Kansas State respond to Utah's first scoring drive of the game, as the Wildcats went back in front courtesy of Avery Johnson's eighth rushing touchdown of the season.