No. 12 Utah moved to 5-0 on the season with a 41-24 victory over Kansas at a sold-out Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night, Oct. 10, 2026. Led by four touchdown passes from Devon Dampier and a 90-yard scoring run by Wayshawn Parker, the Utes secured their 11th consecutive win in a game that began earlier than scheduled due to inclement weather forecasts.
Utah's offense displayed significant dominance, totaling 541 yards of offense, including 258 passing yards and 283 rushing yards. The Utes' opening drive set the tone, as Wayshawn Parker followed his blocks for a 5-yard touchdown run to establish an early 7-0 lead. This marked the fifth consecutive game in which Utah's opening drive has resulted in a touchdown.
Quarterback Devon Dampier recorded his season-highs in both passing and rushing yards, finishing with 238 yards through the air and 71 yards on the ground. Dampier completed 23 of 30 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. His performance included a 12-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter and a 6-yard touchdown pass to Noah Bennee in the second quarter. Dampier also recorded a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Semi Taulanga in the fourth quarter to restore a double-digit lead.
Wayshawn Parker served as the engine of the Utah rushing attack, totaling 171 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. His 90-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the longest play of the season for the Utes and the first 90-plus yard rushing play for the team since 2021. Parker's performance made him the first Utah player since 2021 to rush for 170-plus yards in back-to-back games.
Wide receiver Ricky Johnson also achieved a career-best during the contest, recording 104 receiving yards on five targets. Johnson's performance included a 45-yard reception and a 2-yard touchdown catch from Dampier in the third quarter, which capped a 15-play, 82-yard drive. This drive was the longest in terms of possession time for the Utes this season, lasting 7 minutes and 24 seconds.
The Kansas offense, led by quarterback Isaiah Marshall, struggled to find rhythm against the Utah defense. Marshall finished with 333 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a rushing score, but the Jayhawks were held to just 58 rushing yards. Kansas' defense failed to replicate its recent stinginess, as the Utes scored 30 or more points for the fifth straight game.
Utah's defense provided critical stops, including a crucial fourth-down stand in the fourth quarter. Safety Rabbit Evans and linebacker Johnathan Hall stopped Marshall at the one-yard line to preserve a 10-point lead. Evans finished with seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, while Hall and cornerback Elijah Davis each contributed two passes broken up. Safety Jackson Bennee also recorded a season-high six stops.
The game's kickoff was moved up to 6 p.m. MT from an originally scheduled 8:15 p.m. start following forecasts of inclement weather in Salt Lake City. The game was played before a sellout crowd of 51,467 fans, marking the 99th consecutive sellout at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
With the win, Utah has won its first five games of the season by at least 14 points, a feat achieved only three other times in program history: 1953, 1994, and 2004. Head coach Morgan Scalley is the first Utah head coach since Jim Fassel in 1985 to start his first full season 5-0 and the first in school history to start 6-0 overall, including the 2025 Las Vegas Bowl.
Kansas fell to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play following the loss. The Jayhawks will travel to Kansas State next Saturday, Oct. 17, for an 11 a.m. kickoff. The Utes will be on the road against Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 17, with an 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff.
