Utah Looks to Bounce Back After a Tough Big 12 Opener

The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-2, 0-1) welcome the Utah Utes (3-1, 0-1) to Mountaineer Field Saturday afternoon.

Utah fell in its Big 12 opener at home last week to Texas Tech 34-10. The score is a little deceiving. The Utes were within three early in the fourth quarter before the Red Raiders rattled off 21 unanswered points.

Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, quarterback Devon Dampier, averaged 275.3 total yards per game (209.3 pypg, 66 rypg) heading into the contest with Texas Tech, but was limited to 189 yards and threw his second interception of the season.

The Pheonix (AZ) native entered the season with a streak of four straight games with at least 150 passing yards and 100 rushing yards, the longest stretch by any FBS player since Louisville’s Lamar Jackson in 2017 (7). He was also just the fifth QB since 2016 with at least 2,500 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season, joining Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels.

Dampier currently leads the team with 225 rushing yards.

Ryan Davis is coming off consecutive 10 reception games and leads the team in receiving with 29 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown The redshirt senior transferred to Utah from New Mexico in the offseason. He spent two years with the Lobos and in his last season, he recorded career-highs 54 receptions and 747 receiving yards.

Tight end Dallen Bently has upped his production this season. After recording three receptions for 20 yards in the previous two years, the senior’s 17 receptions for 187 yards through the first four games of this season are second on the team and has a team-high two receiving touchdowns.

Junior cornerback/receiver Smith Snowden he’s hauled in 13 passes for 57 yards and has 40 rushing yards on eight carries.

Sophomore Wayshawn Parker and senior NaQuari Rogers have combined for 403 yards and seven touchdowns.

Offensive tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu were selected the Big 12 Preseason All-Big 12 team. The duo leads the front that ranks second in the league in rushing at 242.8 ypg.

The Utes will give multiple looks across the front.

The Utah defense is tied with Texas Tech for the Big 12 lead in interceptions. Safety Jackson Bennee leads the group with six interceptions. The sophomore is also third on the team in total tackles with 19 while his counterpart, junior safety Nate Ritchie, has tallied a team-best 25 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss which ranks second on the team.

Redshirt sophomore defensive end John Henry Hadley leads the Big 12 with six and a half sacks.

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