As the clock ticked to zero on the Utah Utes' dominant 43-10 win over former Pac-12 foe UCLA last Saturday, the fans who traveled to the Rose Bowl were ecstatic. While it wasn't the Rose Bowl Game, it gave the Utes some momentum in getting the season off on the right foot.
Not only had the Utes beaten a Power Four team (UCLA now resides in the Big Ten), but they had done it on the road, on ESPN, and with an offense that had come to life at last.
The 43 points were the most by the Utes in a road game since a 55-3 shellacking of Arizona State in 2023 and brought back memories of the 2022 team that cleared the 40-point mark seven times during a 10-4 season.
Lost in the euphoria of their strong showing was an inability of the wide receivers to get involved in the offense, according to Joe Coles of the Deseret News, which put more pressure on Devon Dampier to scramble out of the pocket on multiple occasions.
Now, you might say, "Wait. The Utes had guys catching the ball all night long. Dampier threw for 206 yards." Yes, they did, indeed. But who was catching those passes?
A cornerback, a safety, a linebacker, two tight ends, and a running back combined for 17 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns, while players classified as wide receivers combined for only FOUR catches and 57 yards. One could argue that most of the non-receivers had no business being open or outrunning defenders, but they did a better job of this than their WR counterparts on the night.
While using defensive players on offense isn't a new concept in college football, it's rare for the Utes to have one be their primary receiver.
Smith Snowden was Devon Dampier's main target with six catches for 51 yards. While it was a good outing for a cornerback who was moonlighting as a wide receiver, Snowden is not likely to become the next Travis Hunter, even if the Utes continue utilizing him offensively.
While the Utes amassed over 280 yards on the ground in overwhelming the Bruins, they won't be able to continue dominating opponents if the receivers cannot get open. Defensive coordinators in the Big 12 will lock in on Dampier and cut off the running lanes if the receivers cannot get open with regularity.
Expect to see Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck scheme to get the receivers on track against Utah's next opponents, Cal Poly and Wyoming, who should offer less resistance than the Bruins in the secondary. If the WRs have a better outing, it will bode well for the Utes heading into their Big 12 opener against Texas Tech in a few weeks.
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