Utah stumps Cal Poly, gets second straight blowout win

Field Level Media|published: Sat 6th September, 21:41 2025

Sep 6, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Tobias Merriweather (18) runs after a catch against Cal Poly Mustangs cornerback Boston Wilson (30) during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Devon Dampier threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 25 Utah to a 63-9 victory over Cal Poly in Salt Lake City on Saturday.

Dampier completed 74 percent of his pass attempts a week after completing 80 percent of his pass attempts against UCLA. Utah rolled up 518 total yards on offense, including 273 on the ground. The Utes averaged 5.9 yards per rush with nine different players getting at least one carry. Nate Johnson led the way with 59 yards on 11 carries.

Utah (2-0) has not lost to an FCS team since 1993 and has never lost to any Big Sky Conference opponent except Idaho.

Ty Dieffenbach threw for 82 yards and an interception to lead the Mustangs. Backup quarterback Anthony Grigsby, Jr. added 72 yards and an interception in relief of Dieffenbach.

The Mustangs (1-1) averaged just 3.8 yards per play against the stout Utes defense.

Utah wasted no time burying Cal Poly under an avalanche of big plays.

Wayshawn Parker caught a pass in the flat and raced 52 yards down the sideline untouched to cap the Utes' opening drive with a touchdown. Then Jackson Bennee jumped a route on Cal Poly's second drive and scored on a 46-yard pick-six to extend Utah's lead to 14-0 midway through the first quarter.

Dampier threw his second touchdown pass, a 4-yard strike to Ryan Davis, and NaQuari Rogers added a pair of 1-yard TD runs to push the Utes' lead to 35-6 at halftime.

Both scoring runs from Rogers were set up by big plays.

Jonathan Hall batted a pass into Grigsby's helmet and then reeled in the deflected ball at the Mustang 5-yard line. Hall returned it four yards to set up Rogers' first score one play later. Then, Rayshawn Glover returned a punt 51 yards to the Cal Poly 30 to set up Rogers' second TD with :03 seconds left in the first half.

Those two scoring runs from Rogers started a string of six consecutive touchdown drives for Utah's offense. Backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin capped the scoring frenzy with runs of 38 yards and two yards that put the Utes up 63-9 with 2:12 left.

The Mustangs had a trio of field goals on the day as their only scoring; Noah Serna had two from 30 and 51 yards and Gianluca Dimauro hit a 47-yarder.

--Field Level Media

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