by This article was first published in the Ute insiders newsletteh. Register to receive the newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday evening.
Utah arrived this season at the first of two weeks with a 4-1 record.
After a loss of 34-10 against Texas Tech at the end of September, the Utes bounced back with a 48-14 victory in West Virginia to go the Bye week for the first time in three years.
The UTES-Oms with injuries for a few important players-putting this week rest and restore before they start the second half of the schedule, starting with Arizona State next Saturday at the Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Loss for Texas Tech leaves the UTES with little margin in the conference’s title race, but when October starts, Utah still has all his preseason goals for it.
With the UTES at about the mid -season point, let’s look at five important statistics that paint the image of the 2025 season of Utah so far.
84%
What a difference made a year in the red zone.
Last season the UTES was plagued by inefficiency with a red zone, rank no. 45 in scoring in the red zone (87%). In terms of scoring touchdowns in the red zone, the Utes were close to the bottom of the FBS – in the end zone only 48.7% of the time.
The red zone misery was high on the list of things for the new offensive coordinator Jason Beck to repair when he arrived in Salt Lake City, and he did exactly through five games.
Utah stands nationally in the score percentage of the red zone and scored at least three points in all 25 years to the Red Zone. Still encouraging is the percentage that the Utes Touchdowns score within the 20-Yard Line-84% of the time. Only six other teams have a higher touchdown percentage with a red zone than the UTES nationally.
Beck’s Play-Calling and the version of Dampier is good in the red zone.
“We take a red zone very seriously,” said Dampier. “If we completely income there, seven points are more than three. So great emphasis to ensure that we score when we arrive there.”
90.4
Defensive ending John Henry Daley has not only been the best defensive player of Utah through five games, but one of the best in the nation.
Daley’s 90.4 Pro Football Focus Defensive Grade is number 23 in the country among all defensive players. The Byu transfer, who waited last season behind Logan Fano and Van Fillinger, certainly got the most out of his starting option.
In 2025, Daley registered at least half a bag in all five games and is currently leading the nation in total bags with 6.5. So far, Daley has 22 quarterback pressure, which is in fourth place in the nation, and his profit percentage (percentage “victories” versus blocking non-Pass Rush Snaps) of 29.2% is the third highest under defensive ends with at least 75 pass Rush-snaps.
Teams have found no way to slow down Daley.
“How have we not seen him improve? He has improved in every aspect of his game. He is stronger. He is a technician. I mean, he has worked on his foundations and his techniques extremely difficult,” said Utah -coach Kyle Whittingham. “He has really good passtrush skills, as it appears, I think he still leads the nation in bags.
“He is a man who really polished his game in the past year and has really made himself an exceptional player.”
76% and 242.6
The attacking line of Utah has mainly met expectations.
The experienced front five have kept Dampier clean at 76% of its 167 dropbacks and all season only allowed three total bags – bound for number 9 in the nation. The offensive line has also been crucial in the hasty attack of Utah, which hurried 242.6 yards per match – no. 13 in the country.
The offensive line of UTAH generates 3.5 line recruiting per rush – a metric trying to measure how many Yardage an attacking line generates with every rush – which is one of the best in the Big 12 conference.
Beck’s attack in Utah is a Run-first attack, and when the Utes can implement the ball effectively, success is followed.
In all on one after one match this season, Utah has won at least 242 hurry, resulting in four wins. The other match, against Texas Tech, contained a line of defense that surpassed the front of Utah. The Red Raiders held the Utes to just 101 hasty yards, stinked their hasty attack and forced more humid to beat them through the air.
The UTES were limited to only 3.3 meters per emergency attempt, a drastic decrease of the 6 meters per rush they enjoyed the game.
Against West Virginia, the Utes were back to their old roads in the Run match, which hurried 242 Yards (5.1 yards per Carry).
If the attacking line of Utah can prevent a repetition of the Texas Tech game, Beck’s attack works well.
“If we run the ball as we were able, things will open for us,” said Whittingham.
21
If there is one thing to Nitpick about Beck’s attack, it has been the lack of explosive plays through the air.
The UTES are actually in the top 25 play of 10 yards or more (77 such authorities), but rank no. 54 in Games of 20-plus Yards (21). Protect this as “explosively” plays through the air, and Utah arranges number 71 in pass-scene pieces of 20-plus meter (13) and no. 68 in pass games of 30-plus meter (6).
In the loss against Texas Tech, the Utes had one game of 15 yards or more-a 44-yard pass from Dampier to tight ending dallen bentley.
Against West Virginia, the UTES had six steps of 15 meters or more and five runs of 15 meters or more, with the help of the center of the field, try much more and much more intermediary and deep steps than a week ago.
For the attack of Utah to take the next step, this must draw up such performance against better defenses, but the victory of 48-14 last Saturday was a step in the right direction.
“We know that was something that hurt us last week and we had to push the ball through the field better,” said Whittingham.
“We did that this week. Recipients got up, answered the challenge. I thought we had a good schedule and the right dose of run and pass, play-action off the run game and tight ends were a factor,” Wheatingham continued. “Again, Dallen Bentley continues to play good football for us.
“JJ Buchanan had a very nice touchdown, that first. Ryan Davis has been good every game, and so yes, the Worp game was really in much higher gear this week.”
52
Utah missed 52 tackles this season, a song that regards the coaching staff as unacceptable.
Improving the tackling is one of the most important priorities for the unity of Morgan Scalley.
“Tackling is something we are proud of. We are working on it every week. This week there will be no different. And we were very sloppy in that respect last week. Very sloppy,” said Whittingham after the Texas Tech match, where Utah 23 Tackles missed.
Against West Virginia there was clear improvement, with Utah 11 tackles missing-free close to Whittingham’s goal of a single digit missed tackles every week.
There are still some problems for the UTES to do cover on the defense, but the group as a whole has been very solid for the first five weeks of the season.
They are tested by an injury to starting safety Nate Ritchie, which has filled in for wounded safety rabbits Evans. First -year nate Tilmon should get up or the Utes can bring Jackson Begen to safety.
In case you missed it
The Bye Week arrives at the perfect moment for the Utes, which is affected by injuries, who have to do with the injuries to safety Ritchie, two-way player Beene and the start of defensive tackles Dallas Vakalahi and Aliki Vimahi, among others.
Of the archives
Extra points
‘They trust me’: Ryan Davis draws up his claim as WR1 from Utah with 107-Yard Game in West Virginia
This former Ute still feels ‘blessed’ to play a ‘small child game’
What Rich Rodriguez said after the loss of West Virginia to Utah, with Byu the following week
