Baylor @ Utah preview
Rice-Eccles Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 9, 2023 ) Utah 20, Baylor 13
A quirk of conference realignment has No. 11 Utah hosting Big 12 foe Baylor in a non-conference matchup Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City.
The Utes (1-0) scheduled a home-and-home series against the Bears (1-0) a few seasons earlier while still in the Pac-12. In the teams' first-ever matchup, Utah rallied to defeat Baylor 20-13 in Waco, Texas, last season in the opener of the two-game series.
Then the Utes joined the Big 12 this season. Rather than folding the game into the league schedule, the two schools agreed to keep the return game at Rice-Eccles Stadium as a non-conference matchup this season.
Still, it will be a useful measuring stick for both teams ahead of Big 12 play after each school enjoyed lopsided wins over FCS opponents in Week 1.
Utah routed Southern Utah 49-0 behind standout performances from Cam Rising and Dijon Stanley.
Playing for the first time since injuring his knee in the 2023 Rose Bowl, Rising threw for 254 yards and a career-high five touchdowns -- all in the first half -- on 10-of-15 passing. The seventh-year senior became the first Utah quarterback since Brian Johnson in 2008 to pass for five touchdowns in a single half.
Brant Kuithe, who saw his first action since suffering a serious knee injury against Arizona State in October 2022, caught three of those TD passes, setting a Big 12 record for tight ends.
"It was great to have Cam and Brant back on the field last week," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "Lethal combination. They've got great chemistry and, obviously, we saw that in the first half."
Stanley, who began the season as the fourth-string running back, tallied 150 yards and two touchdowns on three catches. He also led the Utes on the ground with 34 yards on six carries.
Whittingham and his staff drew up a package of plays for Stanley before the season started and left the door open for the young running back to have an expanded role as the season progresses.
"He's a weapon for us -- at least he was in that first game, and if we can create some more big-yardage chunk plays with him in the future, that could be a niche he could fill for us this year," Whittingham said.
Baylor showed potential for turning the corner after a turbulent 2023 season with a 45-3 rout of Tarleton State last week.
Toledo transfer Dequan Finn made his debut at quarterback for the Bears, throwing for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-22 passing. He added a 39-yard rushing touchdown.
There were a few warts in his first performance. Finn threw a pair of interceptions, but the Bears held firm on defense to keep those turnovers from being momentum killers.
Finn earned rave reviews from his coaches heading into Week 2.
"The best thing about all of it is that he's way determined and way focused," Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. "We can see what he can be."
--Field Level Media