The Utah Utes have had a lot of drama recently, maybe more than in all of the last 20 seasons combined.
With longtime coach Kyle Whittingham announcing that he was stepping down after the bowl game, but then taking the Michigan job on the verge of the team leaving for Las Vegas, Morgan Scalley stepped into the head job on the fly, ready to mold this team in his own image, out from his former boss's prodigious shadow.
Morgan Scalley knew he would be the head coach once Whittingham stepped down, but likely didn't know that his former boss would be moving on to another program.
Now, it's his time to step up and show he's ready for the job. Much as his former boss Whittingham did back in the Fiesta Bowl all those years ago, Scalley will be in the spotlight as the New Year arrives.
With the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on tap, Scalley has a golden opportunity to show that the Utes' defensive ways will continue as a pipeline to the NFL for their players, against a Nebraska team with their starting QB in the transfer portal.
How much will the Utes change with Scalley in charge?
So far, the Utes haven't lost any key coordinators, though it's rumored that Michigan may poach a few of them before long, with offensive coordinator Jason Beck believed to be one that Kyle Whittingham desires to take to the Wolverines.
For now, Beck is on board, as well as QB Devon Dampier (2,867 total yards, 29 TDs), who, along with Wayshawn Parker (931 rushing yards and 6 TDs), should keep the Ute offense rolling, despite the expected opt-outs of offensive tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu for the NFL Draft.
Nebraska's defense allowed 4.8 yards per carry this year, while the Utes averaged 269.8 rushing yards per game. Even without their top two offensive linemen, the Utes shouldn't have an issue running the ball against the Cornhuskers, as they often rotated other linemen throughout the year.
The defense should look the same, with the most significant opt-out being Logan Fano (also for the NFL), while linebacker Lander Barton should lead the way on that side of the ball.
Several players have talked about the energy that Scalley and his assistants bring before a bowl game, and that should be on full display Wednesday night. The Utes are favored to win, and for good reasons.
For Utes fans, this will be the start of a new era, as Scalley becomes the 17th head coach in Utes history, with hopes that he etches his name in Utes lore as his former boss did.