Idaho vs. No. 21 Utah, game preview, score prediction
Sep 3, 2026, 12:36 AM
Utah Utes taking the field at Rice Eccles Stadium. Photo by Joel Davidson
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah football will run onto the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium for the first time this season Thursday night, and almost everything surrounding the program will feel slightly different.
After a long offseason filled with analysis, conversation and debate, Utah’s new era will officially kick off. Don’t take for granted just how different things might look and feel.
Morgan Scalley will lead the Utes onto the field for the first home game of his head-coaching tenure.
New offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven will unveil a different offensive approach and mindset.
New defensive coordinator Colton Swan will begin establishing his own identity on that side of the ball.
Even the stadium presentation will feature a few new wrinkles. All of it makes Utah’s season opener a special moment to take in.
The No. 21 Utes are expected to win comfortably. Idaho is an FCS opponent coming off a 38-34 loss to Cal Poly. But Thursday is less about discovering whether Utah can beat the Vandals and more about getting the first honest look at what Scalley’s version of the program will be.
Morgan Scalley’s first night at Rice-Eccles
Scalley technically made his head-coaching debut in Utah’s 44-22 victory over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl. Thursday will still feel like the true beginning.
This will be his program, his coaching staff and his first opportunity to run the entire operation through a regular-season game.
Scalley has spent nearly two decades coaching inside Rice-Eccles Stadium, but his responsibilities will be different. He will have to manage fourth-down decisions, timeouts, substitutions, replay situations and the emotional temperature of the team while maintaining awareness of all three phases.
There is also the matter of how much of Scalley’s personality reaches the field.
Utah spent the offseason emphasizing energy, accountability and its “RSNB” standard. Summer workouts became more demanding. Former players have been welcomed back into the program. And Scalley’s made a concerted effort to strengthen the personal connection between him, the team, and its supporters.
Thursday is the first opportunity to see whether that renewed energy translates beyond the practice field.
The first look at Kevin McGiven’s offense
Offensively, there’s a lot of intrigue around what this attack is going to look like. McGiven has reiterated throughout the offseason that his approach is balancing the offense to his personnel.
He’s maintained that he still wants to play with the physicality that Utah has long been known for. Meaning, running the ball will still be a priority for Utah, as it should be.
Wayshawn Parker is one of the top running backs in the conference and there is a promising amount of talent behind him.
But McGiven’s offenses have often been geared towards the passing game, and more specifically, generating explosives. Just last season, Utah State was No. 2 in plays of 50+ yards behind only Texas.
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And with Braden Pegan, Larry Simmons, Ricky Johnson, and the rest of the crew, it appears Utah will have a receiver room capable of replicating that sort of production.
Utah’s offense does not need senior quarterback Devon Dampier to become Superman against Idaho. It needs him to look like a quarterback who is fully in command.
The ideal performance would feature Dampier distributing the ball efficiently, taking a few calculated deep shots and avoiding unnecessary contact.
But the greatest curiosity belongs the offensive line, where Utah will have five new starters. The Utes should possess a significant talent advantage, but they need to play together. Clean communication and the absence of free rushers would be more meaningful than one or two highlight-reel blocks.
It won’t reveal the entire playbook, because it doesn’t need to. But formations, personnel groupings and target distribution will begin telling the story of this offense.
A motivated Utah defense faces a playmaker
Colton Swan will get his first opportunity to direct Utah’s defense as its coordinator Thursday night. The opener will provide the first real look at his approach—how aggressively Utah attacks, how Swan uses the personnel at his disposal and whether the unit plays with the discipline, communication and physicality expected from a Utah defense.
Idaho quarterback Joshua Wood gives the Utes a legitimate early test. He completed 18 of 25 passes for a career-high 363 yards and two touchdowns against Cal Poly.
He also rushed for 42 yards as Idaho produced 482 total yards and averaged 8.2 yards per play. Receiver Tony Harste caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard score.
Those numbers should command Utah’s attention without creating the illusion that Idaho possesses an elite offense.
Utah’s defensive front must rush with discipline and prevent him from escaping containment, extending plays and forcing the secondary to cover receivers a second time.
The linebackers will also be tested by quarterback runs and underneath throws. Johnathan Hall, Trey Reynolds and the rest of the group must tackle cleanly enough to prevent routine gains from becoming explosives.
Utah’s defensive checklist is straightforward: hold Idaho below 300 total yards, limit Wood to fewer than 40 rushing yards and avoid allowing multiple completions of 30 yards or more.
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Rice-Eccles will look and sound different
The changes will not be limited to the sideline.
Utah installed a new LED lighting system during the offseason that will be used during the tunnel walk, pregame introductions, scoring plays and quarter breaks. The lighting of the 2002 Olympic Cauldron has also been moved to 42 minutes before kickoff and will be accompanied by the Ute Thunder II cannon and fireworks.
The pregame DJ will operate from within The MUSS, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Utah has also teased new elements connected to the tunnel walk, the team’s entrance and the traditional Utah Man performance.
The Moment of Loudness will remain part of the game-day presentation, with an updated video featuring former Utah players who knew Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe.
Some additions will work immediately. Others may need time. Stadium traditions are a little like a new offense: everyone wants improvement, but nobody wants the parts they love to disappear.
The opener is also a Stripe the Stadium and MUSS Appreciation game, giving Utah an opportunity to introduce the changes in front of another full house. The program enters the season with 95 consecutive sellouts and has won 17 straight home openers.
What constitutes a successful opener?
First and foremost, a successful night is obviously a healthy one. It would also include Utah controlling the line of scrimmage, Dampier operating efficiently and the defense avoiding the explosive plays that powered Idaho’s offense in Week 0.
The Utes need to look organized, physical and considerably deeper than their opponent. Most importantly, they need to begin answering the questions that have followed them throughout the offseason.
What does Utah football look like when Scalley is responsible for all of it? How does McGiven’s offense fit Dampier, Parker and the rebuilt receiving corps? Can Swan preserve Utah’s defensive standard? Will the changes inside Rice-Eccles strengthen an environment that was already among the best in the Big 12?
Thursday night should begin providing those answers.
