The Machine

Utah

Big 12 · 9-0CFP 2

Utah is 9-0, No. 2 in the CFP rankings, and No. 12 of 138 in the machine's ratings, 17.3 points better than an average FBS team. Last game: won 28-20 vs BYU in Week 10. The machine gives Utah a 70% chance to make the playoff.

Week 11: at Arizona, Saturday, Nov 14: the matchup, unit by unit

Machine rankNo. 12of all FBS teams
Rating now17.317.3 points better than an average FBS team
Since July+8.8from 8.5 in the preseason rating
Playoff chance70%of the machine's simulated seasons

Why Utah is No. 12

  • Utah's rating is 17.3: the machine's estimate that Utah is 17.3 points better than an average FBS team on a neutral field. That is No. 12 of 138. For scale, 0 is an average FBS team: right now the closest to it is No. 68 Arizona State (0.2).
  • It started the season at 8.5, ESPN's preseason Football Power Index from July. Its results since have moved it up 8.8.
  • The biggest weekly moves: +5.3 after Week 2 (W 43-10 vs Arkansas) and +2.4 after Week 3 (W 33-0 vs Utah State).
  • Its record is 9-0. The 9 wins came by 21.3 points on average; the best was over No. 22 BYU. The rating weighs how much a team won or lost by and against whom, not just the win-loss count.
  • Its FBS opponents so far average No. 53 in the machine's ratings.
  • Just above is No. 11 South Carolina (18.6); just below is No. 13 Oregon (16.7).

The rating, week by week

Strengths and weak spots

Head coach

Morgan Scalley is in his 2nd season at Utah (since 2025). This season: 9-0. At Utah overall: 10-0, counting this season.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Team stats

Season totals and averages over 9 games, each with its national rank among 138 FBS teams (No. 1 = best). The game-by-game story is in the season, week by week.

Passing

Completions-attempts184-274
Passing yards2274
Touchdowns-interceptions22-7
Yards per attempt*8.3No. 29 of 138
Explosive pass rate11.7%No. 41 of 138
Sacks allowed (rate)3.9%No. 35 of 138

Rushing

Carries-yards351-1940
Yards per carry5.5No. 9 of 138
10-plus-yard runs (rate)18.2%No. 6 of 138
Stuffed at or behind the line (rate)22.3%No. 128 of 138

Scoring

Points per game37.7No. 13 of 138
Yards per play6.81No. 13 of 138
Third-down rate53.1%No. 3 of 138
Red-zone TD rate61.9%No. 64 of 138
Giveaways12No. 86 of 138

Defense

Points allowed per game16.3No. 15 of 138
Yards per play allowed5.36No. 50 of 138
Yards per pass attempt allowed6.6No. 41 of 138
Yards per carry allowed3.7No. 47 of 138
Sack rate4.5%No. 102 of 138
Takeaways16No. 17 of 138
Third-down rate allowed36.3%No. 53 of 138

Totals are the official box score. * Yards per attempt and the rates come from the play-by-play, where passing yards count on completions only, so they can differ from the box score by a play or two.

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Player leaders

The top 3 in each category over the same games. Passing yards count every completion (official box score).

Passing

  1. Devon Dampier172-253, 2053 yds, 20 TD, 7 INT
  2. Byrd Ficklin11-20, 192 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT

Rushing

  1. Wayshawn Parker123 carries, 762 yds, 9 TD
  2. Devon Dampier103 carries, 483 yds, 7 TD
  3. Daniel Bray32 carries, 237 yds, 2 TD

Receiving

  1. Braden Pegan44 catches, 591 yds, 8 TD
  2. Creed Whittemore22 catches, 351 yds, 0 TD
  3. Noah Bennee19 catches, 295 yds, 3 TD

Tackles

  1. Trey Reynolds54
  2. Johnathan Hall48
  3. Rabbit Evans40

Sacks

  1. Elijah Elliss2.5
  2. Jireh Moe2.5
  3. Karson Kaufusi2

Interceptions

  1. James Chenault3
  2. Jackson Bennee2
  3. Rabbit Evans2

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

Who's playing

Based on who has actually played this season, from the box scores, not the team's published depth chart. Each bar is that player's share of the team's attempts, carries (quarterbacks left out), catches or tackles. The box score lists no positions, so there is no offensive line here.

Throwing

  1. Devon DampierMost passes in the last game9 games253 attempts92%
  2. Byrd Ficklin5 games20 attempts7%

Carrying

  1. Wayshawn Parker9 games123 carries60%
  2. Daniel Bray8 games32 carries16%
  3. Mateaki Helu4 games14 carries7%
  4. Steve Chavez-Soto4 games14 carries7%

Catching

  1. Braden Pegan9 games44 catches24%
  2. Wayshawn Parker9 games29 catches16%
  3. Creed Whittemore9 games22 catches12%
  4. Noah Bennee7 games19 catches10%

Tackling

  1. Trey Reynolds9 games54 tackles10%
  2. Johnathan Hall9 games48 tackles9%
  3. Rabbit Evans9 games40 tackles8%
  4. Jackson Bennee9 games39 tackles7%

Data provided by CollegeFootballData.com.

The season, week by week

  1. Week 1 W 66–14 vs Idaho. Idaho is an FCS team, so there is no FBS baseline to grade this one against. Won the turnover battle by 2.
  2. Week 2 W 43–10 vs Arkansas. The passing game was the strength: 10.8 yards an attempt, 3.6 more than Arkansas usually allows. Its most yards an attempt of the season.
  3. Week 3 W 33–0 vs Utah State. The run game was the strength: 5.2 yards a carry, 1.9 more than Utah State usually allows. The fewest yards an attempt it has allowed all season.
  4. Week 4 W 31–17 at Iowa State. The run defense was the strength: Iowa State got 3.4 yards a carry, 1.8 under what it usually gains. Won the turnover battle by 2.
  5. Week 6 W 41–24 vs Kansas. The run defense was the strength: Kansas got 2.8 yards a carry, 2.0 under what it usually gains. The most yards an attempt it has allowed all season.
  6. Week 7 W 27–24 at Colorado. The run defense gave ground: Colorado got 5.8 yards a carry, 2.5 over what it usually gains. Its fewest yards an attempt of the season.
  7. Week 8 W 21–13 vs Houston. The run game was the strength: 6.5 yards a carry, 2.8 more than Houston usually allows. Its most yards a carry of the season.
  8. Week 9 W 49–25 at Cincinnati. The run game was the strength: 6.4 yards a carry, 1.8 more than Cincinnati usually allows. The most yards a carry it has allowed all season.
  9. Week 10 W 28–20 vs BYU. The passing game was the strength: 7.8 yards an attempt, 2.2 more than BYU usually allows. Won the turnover battle by 2.

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