What Utah football fans can expect from the Utes' new offense

Kevin McGiven joins the Utah football coaching staff as the 11th person to assume offensive coordinator duties since 2011.

Despite the revolving door at that position, the Utes' offensive philosophy has looked relatively the same over the past 15 years. From Norm Chow to Andy Ludwig, Utah has always been about dominating the trenches and controlling time of possession through its sharp and efficient rushing attack.

Just for some context, here's a look at the ratio of pass to rush attempts for Utah since the 2011 season:

(* = Last in conference, ^ = led conference)

2011: 472 rushes/334 pass attempts*
2012: 446/351*
2013: 473/391
2014: 565/378*
2015: 571/352
2016: 570/399
2017: 526/427
2018: 563/408
2019: 591^/321*
2021: 545^/401
2022: 560^/446
2023: 562^/328*
2024: 403/358*
2025: 575^/373

Since 2011, Utah has led its conference in rush attempts five times and attempted the fewest passes six times. It's not necessarily uncommon for a team to lean on its run game, but doing so for 15 straight seasons with 10 different offensive coordinators is certainly worth noting when describing just how consistent the Utes have been since moving up to the power conference level.

It would stand to reason, then, that McGiven won't stray far from the identity that helped clinch back-to-back Pac-12 championships and a couple of Rose Bowl appearances just a few years ago as he installs his system in spring practice. With a new head coach leading the way and a deep wide receiver corps on hand, though, Utah could certainly look a little more dynamic in 2026 than it has in recent memory.

Through two weeks of spring practice, here's what we know about Utah's offense.

Focusing on "Complimentary Football"

Based on McGiven's comments from his most recent media availability session, it doesn't sound like Scalley is insisting the Utes offense operates in a certain manner or direction.

If anything, it appears McGiven is trying to take Scalley's signature "RSNB" philosophy (relentless, smart, nasty, ballhawks) and apply it to his group.

"That's something that we're really trying to dive into — how we play with that culture as as a team, and to establish that same type of toughness, that same type of relentlessness on the offensive side of the ball," McGiven said. "Outside of that, at this point, [Scalley] hasn't really given me too many directives."

At first glance, that statement from McGiven makes it sound like the Utes will continue to lean on their run game in 2026, since "toughness" and "relentlessness" aren't words that are typically associated with an air raid-style offense. Scalley himself has even shot down the notion that Utah will be more "pass happy" than it has in previous years, and because he's helped establish the program's culture for almost 20 years now, the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind when thinking about what the offense will look like in his first year as head coach.

As is the case with most things in life: The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. As it pertains to this discussion, it means the Utes will probably strive for a play style that maximizes what they can do in the run game and through the air.

"I think an important component of what it's been in the past is the ability to play complementary football," McGiven said. "That's never been a directive from coach, just more for how we play and getting the best usage out of our personnel."

Remember: "Complementary" doesn't necessarily mean "balance." In football, it's really a way of describing how the run can set up the pass and vice versa.

Fans can also expect the important pieces from last season's squad — Wayshawn Parker and Daniel Bray among them — to play pivotal roles once again as well.

"There are some guys coming back that did some things in that system, with Wayshawn with, the way they use Daniel Bray," McGiven said. "[Bray's] one I would love to be able to expand his role so you see what he can do."

Quarterback Development

Regardless of the balance in play-calling, McGiven wants both Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin to maximize their opportunities for growth in his offense — particularly when it comes to the mental aspects of playing the quarterback position at a high level.

"Everybody knows how athletic Devon and Byrd are, and I know that's something that we'll be able to be able to lean on," McGiven said. "I think the biggest thing with their development, probably with the system and schematics of the system, is just developing their decision making [and] developing their processes."

To be fair to both signal-callers, it didn't look like they had much of an issue understanding Jason Beck's offense last season. Dampier and Ficklin completed 60% of their pass attempts and threw a combined five interceptions (all from Dampier) while showing little to no signs of unsureness or insecurity from under center. In fact, Dampier came in at No. 9 in the country in total quarterback rating at 82.0, which trailed only Alex Smith's 84.5 mark in 2005 and Cam Rising's 84.2 rating in 2021 for the highest QBRs set by Utah quarterbacks since 2004.

Still, it's not for certain Dampier and Ficklin pick up McGiven's offense right off the bat. Dampier has been running Beck's system for the past few years, dating back to his time at New Mexico, while Ficklin enters his second year of college ball having to learn another offense.

There is a sense of optimism, though, that both quarterbacks will be just fine once the season rolls around. Perhaps the only real question is how much leeway Dampier and Ficklin will have to scramble and make plays with their legs.

"I really love the offense," Ficklin said after spring practice. "[McGiven] allows us to play ball [and] get the ball to the athletes, no matter that be a pass or a run."

Strive For Efficiency

After finishing last season at No. 7 in the country in offensive efficiency, it would make sense for the Utes to try and replicate that same success for the 2026 campaign.

Of course, a big reason why Utah boasted one of the nation's most productive offenses was the dominant offensive line play in the trenches. With two projected first round tackles in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu leading the way, the Utes had the most potent rushing attack at the power conference level (266.3 yards per game) and totaled the ninth-most yards of offense in the country (6,278) while averaging 41.3 points per game. Utah's quarterbacks stayed upright for the most part too, as the offensive line gave up the third-fewest sacks in the Big 12 (14).

With all five starters from that O-line either heading off to the NFL or graduation, a major storyline going into spring practice was how the transfers, incoming freshmen and small group of returners would uphold Utah's identity as one of the toughest teams in the conference.

According to Utah's head coach, it sounds like first-year offensive line coach Jordan Gross has his unit progressing nicely through the first couple weeks of spring ball. McGiven has echoed similar sentiments as well, creating an optimistic outlook for just how efficient Utah can be in 2026.

"I want us to be efficient," Scalley said. "I want us to be innovative, and I want us to stress the defense and whatever that looks like."