SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s leading passer at the end of the first quarter was its punter.
And it was still more than Colorado’s starting quarterback Kaidon Salter, who finished the first half with 23 yards on 5-of-16 passing (31%). Even that was an improvement for a Colorado team total of -18 total yards at the halftime break.
That included five first-half sacks for a total of 55 yards for a Utah defense that blitzed on nearly every play of the first half and forced Colorado to beat them through the air — Colorado couldn’t.
It was that kind of night in Salt Lake City.
It’s safe to say Utah exorcized its demons from an emotional loss to its rival last weekend with a dominant home performance, beating Colorado 53-7 late Saturday night.
Utah (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) put up 588 total yards — 398 yards in the first half, including 260 rushing yards — in a complete team performance against Colorado (3-5, 1-4 Big 12).
True freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin, who got his first career start with Devon Dampier sidelined with an injury, showed out Saturday. And it didn’t take long to see what the freshman was going to bring when he rushed for a 63-yard touchdown on the second play of the game.
It was the longest run by a true freshman in a start and the longest by a Utes player this season.
Ficklin led the team with 151 rushing yards on 20 attempts, which is the most by a quarterback — regardless of class — since at least 1996. It was also the most of a true freshman starting quarterback all time, beating out the record of 64 yards set in 1982 against San Diego State.
He also threw for two passing touchdowns — a 22-yard toss to fellow freshman JJ Buchanan and a 21-yard strike to Larry Simmons — and 140 yards on 10-of-22 passing in his debut before being replaced by Isaac Wilson in the fourth quarter.
Utah did the majority of its damage in the first half, posting 43 points in what included a 58-yard rushing touchdown by Wayshawn Parker, a blocked punt by Jackson Bennee on the Colorado 7-yard line, and a Colorado safety after Salter was called for intentional grounding in the end zone on one of many Utah blitzes.
And then there was punter Orion Phillips, who pulled off a fake punt in the first quarter, tossing the ball to an open Dallen Bentley for a 25-yard pick-up. The play eventually set up a 53-yard made field goal by placekicker Dillon Curtis.
Salter finished the night with 37 yards and an interception on 9-of-22 passing. He added 24 rushing yards before sacks were accounted for his total, netting the Buffaloes QB -4 rushing yards on the night.
He was replaced in the fourth quarter by backup QB Ryan Staub.
Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee (23) blocks Colorado Buffaloes punter Damon Greaves’ (35) punt during an NCAA football game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo: Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
One of Colorado’s best drives of the night came right out of the halftime break, where the team started at the 26-yard line and picked up a few first-down plays to move the ball deep into Utah territory. But the drive stalled out when Utah held firm on fourth-and-1, forcing the Buffaloes into a turnover.
Utah’s defense finished with 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four pass breakups, while holding the Buffaloes to 140 total yards. Linebacker Jonathan Hall led the team with five total tackles and two sacks, while contributing an additional two tackles for loss.
Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley had a less aggressive game plan in the second half, calling off the constant blitzes and subbing in depth players to preserve starter health in the blowout win.
The Buffaloes managed a late-game score to end the shutout when Staub found the end zone on a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 9:03 left in the game.
This story will be updated.
