Salt Lake City — The No. 20 Utah Utes secured a commanding 43-10 victory over Arkansas at home on Saturday night. Quarterback Devon Dampier was a key force, accounting for four touchdowns, while Wayshawn Parker contributed three more scores, propelling the Utes to their 2-0 season start.
Dampier’s performance included two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 261 yards. Parker proved instrumental in the first half, scoring two rushing touchdowns and catching a pass for a third. His efforts helped Utah establish a significant 29-3 lead by halftime. This marked the seventh time in the Utes’ last eight games that they scored at least 20 points before the half, according to game reports.
Arkansas, now holding a 1-1 record, managed to take a brief lead after Max Gilbert kicked a 29-yard field goal to cap their opening drive. However, the Razorbacks struggled to advance past Utah’s 30-yard line again until the fourth quarter.
Key offensive plays for Utah included Noah Bennee achieving a career-best with four catches for 113 yards. In the second quarter, Bennee’s brother, Jackson Bennee, intercepted an overthrown screen pass, which directly set up Dampier’s 7-yard touchdown run. Following this score, Mana Carvalho executed a surprise direct snap for a two-point conversion, after which the Utes scored touchdowns on four straight possessions.
Dampier’s impressive outing also saw him eclipse 6,000 career passing yards, a total that includes his two years playing at New Mexico. The Utes’ offensive strategy, characterized by misdirection and creative play calls on nearly every down, kept the Razorbacks guessing throughout the game. Utah’s quick and shifty skill players were difficult for Arkansas to contain, even when Razorback players appeared to be in the right defensive positions.
This victory marks Utah’s third under Coach Morgan Scalley, and none of these games have been close. It was also Utah’s second home game against an SEC team, following their 24-11 victory over Florida in 2023.
For Arkansas, the game served as Coach Ryan Silverfield’s second at the helm, highlighting the distance the Razorbacks must cover to be competitive at the Power Four level. Quarterback KJ Jackson completed 14 of 34 passes and struggled to move the ball, hampered by a lack of an effective run game, which only managed 61 rushing yards. Despite the game being out of reach, AJ Hill showed some promise for Arkansas, converting two fourth downs on the way to the Razorbacks’ lone touchdown. The Razorbacks have not defeated an FBS opponent since their 39-26 win over Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl on December 27, 2024.
Looking ahead, Utah is scheduled to host Utah State next Saturday for their 114th meeting. Arkansas will host No. 2 Georgia next Saturday.
