Utah hosted Cal Poly in the home opener of the 2025 season. A packed-out Rice-Eccles Stadium left happy, as the Utes dominated the Mustangs from the jump.
The 63-9 victory takes the U to 2-0 on the season as they gear up to face Wyoming on Sept. 13.
With nine total touchdowns, eight by the offense, and one by the defense, there was plenty of production from each spot on the depth chart. One key standout was the sophomore out of Holladay, Utah, Jackson Bennee.
Bennee has done it all this season. Playing snaps at safety, corner and wide receiver has displayed the 6-foot-2 playmaker’s ability to make an impact in all facets. His pick-six paired with three pass-deflections caught the attention of head coach Kyle Whittingham in the post-game press conference.
“What he’s doing so far has been outstanding, especially when you consider that he’s splitting time and playing a wide receiver about 30 or 40% of the time. So he’s been a huge surprise. He’s probably the biggest surprise in a good way on the football team this fall so far. We saw that in camp,” Whittingham said.
Bennee wasn’t the only standout performer of the game, however, as the blowout allowed numerous depth pieces to contribute. One of whom made the absolute most of their opportunity, backup quarterback, Byrd Ficklin.
Ficklin impressed in his collegiate debut, turning the heads of Whittingham and incumbent starter Devon Dampier.
“I thought Byrd was electric. We’ve all seen him, especially in spring ball and fall camp. He showcased that he can get on that field with the best of them and ball. I’m so happy he was able to showcase that to the world, and obviously, behind me, we got two great quarterbacks ready to go in there and ball at any time,” Dampier said.
“Byrd Ficklin looked really good when he came in. He’s an athlete, he’s cool under pressure, and a true freshman, just right out of high school. I thought he handled his opportunity really well,” Whittingham said.
With the backup quarterback battle being as close as it is, Whittingham indicated the possibility of maintaining a redshirt year for Isaac Wilson. Assuming all goes to plan with injuries, expect Ficklin to remain the backup for the 2025 season.
While it can be hard to find negative characteristics of a 54-point win, Utah does still have some work to do. The box score doesn’t indicate the struggles, but Morgan Scalley’s secondary was shaky at times. A couple of defensive pass interference calls and blown coverages gave Cal Poly opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have been there.
“There are things we need to get better at. They hit that glance route on us three or four times. We’ve got to not let people inside. There are things to work on, but one touchdown [given up] in two games is the bottom line, and that’s a really good start to the season,” Whittingham said.
Overall, an impressive victory keeps the ball rolling for the Utes. With two forced turnovers from the defense and 510 total yards of offense, Utah has a lot to hang its hat on. Jason Beck’s offense has thrived on the one-two punch of Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers.
Throwing in three separate wildcat formations, led by Hunter Andrews, Nate Johnson and Rogers, gives opposing defenses another element that they must include in their game plans. Beck’s unpredictable offense continues to adapt ahead of conference play.
Who knows what else the coaching staff has up its sleeves, but for now, enjoy the ride, Ute fans. A long journey awaits.
