Bronco Mendenhall’s magic at Utah State and the underselling of Utah Ute and BYU Cougar defenses set the stage as the local college football season kicks off this weekend.
Utah travels to UCLA, BYU hosts Portland State and Utah State will open the Mendenhall era against UTEP on Saturday. It’s about time we get actual games and see these guys play against someone else.
Everybody loves a nice quarterback story this time of the year. They’re the faces of the program. Their roles are critical and their performances are scrutinized to oblivion.
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Yes, the Devon Dampier story for the Utes is a tremendous storyline. What will he do? How can he use Jason Beck’s offense to lift Utah past its 2024 injury-plagued woes? Will he dash and dart his way to first downs and touchdowns behind a top-notch, respected O-line? Is he capable of executing the passing game at a high level with new receivers and backs so he doesn’t have to take a huge burden with his legs?
Oh, and this Bear story in Provo is intriguing as BYU starts a true freshman in Bear Bachmeier for Game 1 of the season. Never happened before. Is the gamble worth it? Is his offer sheet out of high school (Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon, Stanford, Georgia) reflective of mind and athletic abilities?
All this QB stuff inside these Big 12 teams is captivating and tantalizing. No question it is the headline of August and September as teams enter the starting chute.
But let’s explore a different take on preseason week and chatter: Defense.
BYU led the Big 12 in defense last year and tied for the most forced turnovers in the NCAA. Jay Hill has assembled personnel more suited to what he needs to excel. And…
Source link : https://www.deseret.com/sports/2025/08/24/utah-utes-byu-cougars-utah-state-aggies-game-week-has-finally-arrived/
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Publish date : 2025-08-25 03:00:00
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