Wayshawn Parker rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns to lead No. 12 Utah to a 41-24 victory over Kansas on Saturday night, October 11, 2026, extending the Utes' undefeated season to 5-0. The victory kept Utah at 2-0 in Big 12 play, while the Jayhawks fell to 2-3 and 0-2 in conference play.
Parker and Dampier Lead Offense
Parker eclipsed 170 rushing yards for the second consecutive game, following a career-high 174-yard performance against Iowa State two weeks ago. During the contest, Parker scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter and a 90-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that effectively ended Kansas' comeback hopes.
"I tell (Utah OC) McGiven every time, 'You get the ball in my hands and I'm going to make it work.' And I did," Parker said following the game.
Devon Dampier provided significant support for the Utes, throwing for 238 yards and three touchdowns. Dampier also added 68 yards on the ground and scored one rushing touchdown. Receiver Ricky Johnson recorded a season-high 104 yards on five receptions, including a touchdown.
Kansas Offense Challenges Utah
Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall recorded a career-high 333 passing yards and two touchdowns in the loss. His primary target, Cam Pickett, finished with 134 yards on eight receptions. Despite the loss, Kansas managed to keep the game competitive for much of the second half, cutting the Utah lead to 27-24 late in the third quarter on a 29-yard pass from Marshall to Nik McMillan.
"A lot of teams play Utah passively and tentatively and try to keep it kind of basic and close," Kansas coach Lance Leipold said. "We wanted to be aggressive."
Momentum Shifts and Turnovers
The Utes' offense demonstrated high efficiency early, averaging 10.9 yards per play on its first two drives. This resulted in a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter, fueled by a 5-yard run by Parker and a 12-yard run by Dampier.
However, the momentum shifted in the second quarter when Dampier struggled with accuracy and ball security. Kansas defense forced two turnovers that allowed the Jayhawks to remain in the game. David Santiago forced and recovered a fumble from Dampier at the Utah 14-yard line, which set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Edwards. Later, Jalen Todd intercepted a Dampier pass at the Kansas 36-yard line, leading to a 34-yard field goal by Martin Connington that cut Utah's lead to 21-17 before halftime.
Critical Fourth Down Stop
The most critical turning point occurred in the fourth quarter when the Kansas offense reached the Utah 1-yard line. On a fourth-down scramble, Marshall was unable to turn the corner, resulting in a turnover on downs. This defensive stop by Utah set the stage for Parker's 90-yard touchdown run three plays later.
"I feel like that was the game changer," Marshall said regarding the failed fourth-down attempt. "I feel like if we score there, then that brings momentum to the defense."
Utah's victory marked a significant milestone in their season, as they are the only FBS team to win every game this season by 14 or more points. The Utes also extended their streak of scoring at least 30 points in 11 consecutive games, a streak dating back to last season.
Utah coach Morgan Scalley commented on the team's resilience during the game's momentum swings. "It is a game of momentum and when they have it, you've got to go steal it back," Scalley said. "You can't play the 'poor me' game. You have to find ways to get it back."
Coaching Perspectives
Regarding Dampier's second-quarter performance, Scalley noted the quarterback's ability to improve as the game progressed. "Bottom line is I thought (Dampier) held onto the ball a little bit too long," Scalley said. "One of them was a freak deal interception. But I think he cleaned some stuff up in the second half for sure."
Upcoming Matchups
Looking ahead, Utah will travel to face Colorado on Saturday. Kansas will travel to play Kansas State on Saturday.
