August 19, 2025 • 9 mins
Utah football is hitting reset after a rocky 5–7 debut in the Big 12, and the 2025 season is shaping up as a true bounce-back campaign. In this episode of Beehive Sports Report, we break down everything fans need to know about the Utes’ reload: a new quarterback in Devon Dampier, one of the nation’s best offensive lines, and a defense stacked with returning stars.
We’ll dig into each position group, explain how Kyle Whittingham and new OC Jason Beck are reshaping the offense with a spread/RPO identity, and spotlight the matchups that could make or break the season—from UCLA in the opener to the mid-October showdown with BYU. With elite linemen, veteran leadership, and a revamped scheme, Utah has the pieces to go from disappointment to contender in Year 2 of Big 12 play. Can the Utes rise back into conference title contention? We’ve got predictions, storylines, and everything Utah fans should expect this fall.
Follow us on X, TikTok, and Instagram @lifeinthestands for more Utah sports coverage, live postgame reactions, and street interviews. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review — it really helps us grow.
We’ll dig into each position group, explain how Kyle Whittingham and new OC Jason Beck are reshaping the offense with a spread/RPO identity, and spotlight the matchups that could make or break the season—from UCLA in the opener to the mid-October showdown with BYU. With elite linemen, veteran leadership, and a revamped scheme, Utah has the pieces to go from disappointment to contender in Year 2 of Big 12 play. Can the Utes rise back into conference title contention? We’ve got predictions, storylines, and everything Utah fans should expect this fall.
Follow us on X, TikTok, and Instagram @lifeinthestands for more Utah sports coverage, live postgame reactions, and street interviews. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review — it really helps us grow.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Utes enter year two in the Big twelve after
a roller coaster debut in their first season. The program's
reset is in motion, and this offseason has been full
of shakeups, coaching changes, a brand new quarterback, fresh strategies,
and a chip on the shoulder attitude. Welcome to Beehive
Sports Report, where we work our way from the headlines
to the locker room, and on the way, there's something
(00:21):
for every Utah fan to get excited about. The twenty
twenty five season is not just about erasing a five
and seven record. It's about reasserting dominance over the entire
Beehive State. Here's the roadmap for today's show. We're gonna
(00:46):
have four segments. The first one is gonna be about
position groups and where the Utes are strong and where
they probably need some growth. Segment two will be the
coaching staff and the scheme overhaul that they went underwent
this summer. Kyle Whittingham has undergone an evolution and Jason
Beck is going to bring a spread look to Salt
Lake City. Segment three is going to be key matchups
(01:08):
and schedule storylines. Obviously we'll have to talk about BYU
and the Holy World, but a couple of their other
Big Twelve matchups are pretty interesting as well. And then
segment four is going to be what this all means
for Utah football, the road ahead and obviously a schedule prediction.
So let's jump into segment one, a little bit of
a roster rundown. So all eyes around the quarterback room
(01:30):
right now. And Devon Dampierre, who's the transfer from New Mexico,
and he brings his former Cougar's offensive coordinator Jason Beck
to the Utes as well. Now, dam Pierre was the
first team All Mountain West QB in twenty twenty four,
and he looks like he's going to be the anchor
of Utah's news spread RPO offense should look a lot
like what it did in New Mexico. Backup depth is
(01:52):
pretty good as well. Isaac Wilson is going to be
a notable name, obviously the younger brother of Zach Wilson.
He also got incoming recruit. It's like Bird Ficklin. It
seems as though they have been locked in a battle
for the QB two position, but really everything hinges on
Dan Pierce staying healthy. The offensive line probably will be
the best in the Big Twelve. Phil Steele did rank
(02:15):
utah Zo line as number one in the Big Twelve.
They've got Spencer Fano, who just got named an AP
preseason All American First Team Caleb Lomu. Both of those guys,
Spencer and Caleb are on the watch list for the
Outland Trophy, which is the award for the best interior
lineman in college football. And then Tanah Togoi is a
massive six foot six, three hundred and thirty pound bulldozer.
(02:38):
He runs out the rest of the interior offensive line
and it shouldn't just compete to be a top a
line in the Big Twelve, but really the entire country.
From my perspective, the newest recruit here is Rowdy Pierce.
He joins the room drawn in by Utah's development reputation
under coach Harding. The offensive line, in quick words, should
be very very good. Defensively, Utah's defense ranked second best
(03:03):
in their inauguro Big Twelve year in several categories. The
linebackers were number one, the line was number three, the
secondary was number three, and they've got a lot of
returning stars Lander Barton at linebacker, Smith Snoden, Logan Fano.
They're all preseason all conference picks. Guys like Snowden had
plenty of opportunity elsewhere, but they decided to come back
to the University of Utah stay and play one more season.
(03:26):
Similarly that you have safety to Johnson. He returned after
leading the team in tackles and cornerback snaps in twenty
twenty four, and the duo of safeties of Johnson and
Alecai Gilman could also push for being a top duo
among the nation. If you liked the content so far,
please consider engaging with us on social media at Life
(03:48):
in the Stands, on ex, Instagram, and TikTok, and ratings
and reviews are the most helpful. We'll be holding street
interviews and have live postgame reactions once the season starts
that you won't want to miss. Now back to the show.
Let's jump in the segment two, and this is gonna
be about all the coaching shakeups and the new offensive
identity that Jason Beck is bringing to the table. So
(04:11):
Kyle Whittingham is the head coach. He's returning for his
twenty first year. He did contemplate retirement that was kind
of announced, but Hill instead press reset with a new playbook,
a new vision. The team needed a refresh, and it
sounds like Whittingham is recognizing that in real time and
doing something about it, which is great to see. We've
talked a lot about Jason Beck. Andy Ludwig was the
(04:32):
OC last year. Jason Beck is the one coming in.
He was hired in December of twenty twenty four. This
is going to be a spread, rpo heavy system. One
anonymous Big twelve coach actually said it's gonna make Utah
look very different. Dot dot dot, a tempo slash bang
bang approach with the incoming QB as well in his versatility.
All of this is going to be shaping up to
(04:54):
be a much more exciting offense for the Utes in
twenty twenty five. There's also defensive content nuity with Morgan Scalley.
He leads a unit that's expected to remain elite. They've
had some turnover, but mostly they have leaders all over
the defense and most importantly in a lot of their
signal caller positions on the back end, at linebacker in safety.
So this should be a top defense in the country.
(05:18):
Moving on to segment three, though, if we look at
their big matchups and the twenty twenty five schedule. Utah
opens on August thirtieth at UCLA in Pasadena. This is
not an easy test to set the tone or start
the season. It's also at nine PM, so this is
a prime time as it gets to kick off the
ute second season in the Big Twelve. Big Twelve Play
(05:41):
kicks off for the team on September twentieth, about three
weeks later at Texas Tech. This is a must win
game to neutralized conference doubt going into their conference play schedule.
Texas Tech is also slated as the preseason number twenty
three team in the nation, while Utah begins its campaign unranked.
So a really big game here. Other marquee games, obviously,
(06:01):
is the BYU game that'll be at home in mid October.
We all know why that matters a lot. You gotta
win the Holy War Game. Kansas Citate and Arizona State
are also going to be late November games, but those
are matchups that could define division standings and bowl positioning.
What's really nice about those games, and we'll touch on
it later, is that a lot of those are at
home for the use, so that could be in their favor.
(06:23):
And College Football News does project Utah as a potential
Big Twelve contender with a win total in the eight
to ten range. I will give a win total that
maybe is slightly higher than that for a few reasons
a little bit later. But let's jump into our last
segment here. What does all this mean in this new
chapter for Utah football in the Big Twelve. After a
(06:44):
debut season where they were five and seven and just
really didn't impress in any facet any of the three
phases of the game, there's a lot of unfinished business,
and especially because a lot of these guys on the
roster are older and coming back winning. Him himself even
said his decision to return was not about himself but
(07:05):
the program and where things are headed and where they
could be off. C ESPN ranked the Utes at seven
among Big twelve programs, reflecting optimism after thirty plus player
departures and major shifts. You could call it optimism, But
if you're number seven out of the Big twelve teams,
you're really not making a significant run at anything, and
you're probably winning in like the eight to nine win range,
(07:27):
and I just don't think that's going to be good
enough for Utah football. Big twelve parody is here, and
the window is open. I don't think that there's any
team in the Big Twelve that you can necessarily point
to and say that they're the runaway favorite, which means
that there should be a lot of people projecting a
bounce back and the Utes should contend for a conference
title and program resurgence in general. If Utah's offensive line
(07:51):
leads the way and Dan Pier brings some consistency and
some splash, this team could be the team that redefines
Utah's Big Twelve identity. The defense already brings experience, intensity,
and leadership. So all of this goes into a record
prediction where I think Utah will win eleven games. I
think they'll earn a trip to the Big Twelve title game,
and I think their preseason schedule doesn't actually look too tough.
(08:14):
The highest ranked opponents going into the season that they
play are both at home in Kansas State and Arizona State,
and there is a huge, huge home field advantage coming
to Salt Lake City, with not just the elevation but
also the crowd and the mountains. I expect a big
bounce back year, and I don't think they were prepared
for Big Twelve play last year, but they know what's
(08:35):
coming now. That's a wrap on behiv Sports Report, a
Life in the Stands production. The University of Utah football
is turning the page new offense, elite defensive talent, and
a roster primed for redemption. What do you think their
record will be in twenty twenty five? If you love
today's episode, help us out. Ratings and reviews are most helpful,
(08:56):
and hit us up on socials that Life in the
Stands on x TikTok and Instagram. We've got more coming
this season, from entering interviews to postgame reactions, and if
you see us outside Rice Cycle Stadium, come say hi.
Next episode is part two of our series comparing next
season expectations. Will BYU or University of Utah swing harder
in twenty twenty five? You should definitely set your calendars
(09:20):
until then. I'm Zach Quinn and thanks for listening to
Bee Hive Sports Report.
The Utes enter year two in the Big twelve after
a roller coaster debut in their first season. The program's
reset is in motion, and this offseason has been full
of shakeups, coaching changes, a brand new quarterback, fresh strategies,
and a chip on the shoulder attitude. Welcome to Beehive
Sports Report, where we work our way from the headlines
to the locker room, and on the way, there's something
(00:21):
for every Utah fan to get excited about. The twenty
twenty five season is not just about erasing a five
and seven record. It's about reasserting dominance over the entire
Beehive State. Here's the roadmap for today's show. We're gonna
(00:46):
have four segments. The first one is gonna be about
position groups and where the Utes are strong and where
they probably need some growth. Segment two will be the
coaching staff and the scheme overhaul that they went underwent
this summer. Kyle Whittingham has undergone an evolution and Jason
Beck is going to bring a spread look to Salt
Lake City. Segment three is going to be key matchups
(01:08):
and schedule storylines. Obviously we'll have to talk about BYU
and the Holy World, but a couple of their other
Big Twelve matchups are pretty interesting as well. And then
segment four is going to be what this all means
for Utah football, the road ahead and obviously a schedule prediction.
So let's jump into segment one, a little bit of
a roster rundown. So all eyes around the quarterback room
(01:30):
right now. And Devon Dampierre, who's the transfer from New Mexico,
and he brings his former Cougar's offensive coordinator Jason Beck
to the Utes as well. Now, dam Pierre was the
first team All Mountain West QB in twenty twenty four,
and he looks like he's going to be the anchor
of Utah's news spread RPO offense should look a lot
like what it did in New Mexico. Backup depth is
(01:52):
pretty good as well. Isaac Wilson is going to be
a notable name, obviously the younger brother of Zach Wilson.
He also got incoming recruit. It's like Bird Ficklin. It
seems as though they have been locked in a battle
for the QB two position, but really everything hinges on
Dan Pierce staying healthy. The offensive line probably will be
the best in the Big Twelve. Phil Steele did rank
(02:15):
utah Zo line as number one in the Big Twelve.
They've got Spencer Fano, who just got named an AP
preseason All American First Team Caleb Lomu. Both of those guys,
Spencer and Caleb are on the watch list for the
Outland Trophy, which is the award for the best interior
lineman in college football. And then Tanah Togoi is a
massive six foot six, three hundred and thirty pound bulldozer.
(02:38):
He runs out the rest of the interior offensive line
and it shouldn't just compete to be a top a
line in the Big Twelve, but really the entire country.
From my perspective, the newest recruit here is Rowdy Pierce.
He joins the room drawn in by Utah's development reputation
under coach Harding. The offensive line, in quick words, should
be very very good. Defensively, Utah's defense ranked second best
(03:03):
in their inauguro Big Twelve year in several categories. The
linebackers were number one, the line was number three, the
secondary was number three, and they've got a lot of
returning stars Lander Barton at linebacker, Smith Snoden, Logan Fano.
They're all preseason all conference picks. Guys like Snowden had
plenty of opportunity elsewhere, but they decided to come back
to the University of Utah stay and play one more season.
(03:26):
Similarly that you have safety to Johnson. He returned after
leading the team in tackles and cornerback snaps in twenty
twenty four, and the duo of safeties of Johnson and
Alecai Gilman could also push for being a top duo
among the nation. If you liked the content so far,
please consider engaging with us on social media at Life
(03:48):
in the Stands, on ex, Instagram, and TikTok, and ratings
and reviews are the most helpful. We'll be holding street
interviews and have live postgame reactions once the season starts
that you won't want to miss. Now back to the show.
Let's jump in the segment two, and this is gonna
be about all the coaching shakeups and the new offensive
identity that Jason Beck is bringing to the table. So
(04:11):
Kyle Whittingham is the head coach. He's returning for his
twenty first year. He did contemplate retirement that was kind
of announced, but Hill instead press reset with a new playbook,
a new vision. The team needed a refresh, and it
sounds like Whittingham is recognizing that in real time and
doing something about it, which is great to see. We've
talked a lot about Jason Beck. Andy Ludwig was the
(04:32):
OC last year. Jason Beck is the one coming in.
He was hired in December of twenty twenty four. This
is going to be a spread, rpo heavy system. One
anonymous Big twelve coach actually said it's gonna make Utah
look very different. Dot dot dot, a tempo slash bang
bang approach with the incoming QB as well in his versatility.
All of this is going to be shaping up to
(04:54):
be a much more exciting offense for the Utes in
twenty twenty five. There's also defensive content nuity with Morgan Scalley.
He leads a unit that's expected to remain elite. They've
had some turnover, but mostly they have leaders all over
the defense and most importantly in a lot of their
signal caller positions on the back end, at linebacker in safety.
So this should be a top defense in the country.
(05:18):
Moving on to segment three, though, if we look at
their big matchups and the twenty twenty five schedule. Utah
opens on August thirtieth at UCLA in Pasadena. This is
not an easy test to set the tone or start
the season. It's also at nine PM, so this is
a prime time as it gets to kick off the
ute second season in the Big Twelve. Big Twelve Play
(05:41):
kicks off for the team on September twentieth, about three
weeks later at Texas Tech. This is a must win
game to neutralized conference doubt going into their conference play schedule.
Texas Tech is also slated as the preseason number twenty
three team in the nation, while Utah begins its campaign unranked.
So a really big game here. Other marquee games, obviously,
(06:01):
is the BYU game that'll be at home in mid October.
We all know why that matters a lot. You gotta
win the Holy War Game. Kansas Citate and Arizona State
are also going to be late November games, but those
are matchups that could define division standings and bowl positioning.
What's really nice about those games, and we'll touch on
it later, is that a lot of those are at
home for the use, so that could be in their favor.
(06:23):
And College Football News does project Utah as a potential
Big Twelve contender with a win total in the eight
to ten range. I will give a win total that
maybe is slightly higher than that for a few reasons
a little bit later. But let's jump into our last
segment here. What does all this mean in this new
chapter for Utah football in the Big Twelve. After a
(06:44):
debut season where they were five and seven and just
really didn't impress in any facet any of the three
phases of the game, there's a lot of unfinished business,
and especially because a lot of these guys on the
roster are older and coming back winning. Him himself even
said his decision to return was not about himself but
(07:05):
the program and where things are headed and where they
could be off. C ESPN ranked the Utes at seven
among Big twelve programs, reflecting optimism after thirty plus player
departures and major shifts. You could call it optimism, But
if you're number seven out of the Big twelve teams,
you're really not making a significant run at anything, and
you're probably winning in like the eight to nine win range,
(07:27):
and I just don't think that's going to be good
enough for Utah football. Big twelve parody is here, and
the window is open. I don't think that there's any
team in the Big Twelve that you can necessarily point
to and say that they're the runaway favorite, which means
that there should be a lot of people projecting a
bounce back and the Utes should contend for a conference
title and program resurgence in general. If Utah's offensive line
(07:51):
leads the way and Dan Pier brings some consistency and
some splash, this team could be the team that redefines
Utah's Big Twelve identity. The defense already brings experience, intensity,
and leadership. So all of this goes into a record
prediction where I think Utah will win eleven games. I
think they'll earn a trip to the Big Twelve title game,
and I think their preseason schedule doesn't actually look too tough.
(08:14):
The highest ranked opponents going into the season that they
play are both at home in Kansas State and Arizona State,
and there is a huge, huge home field advantage coming
to Salt Lake City, with not just the elevation but
also the crowd and the mountains. I expect a big
bounce back year, and I don't think they were prepared
for Big Twelve play last year, but they know what's
(08:35):
coming now. That's a wrap on behiv Sports Report, a
Life in the Stands production. The University of Utah football
is turning the page new offense, elite defensive talent, and
a roster primed for redemption. What do you think their
record will be in twenty twenty five? If you love
today's episode, help us out. Ratings and reviews are most helpful,
(08:56):
and hit us up on socials that Life in the
Stands on x TikTok and Instagram. We've got more coming
this season, from entering interviews to postgame reactions, and if
you see us outside Rice Cycle Stadium, come say hi.
Next episode is part two of our series comparing next
season expectations. Will BYU or University of Utah swing harder
in twenty twenty five? You should definitely set your calendars
(09:20):
until then. I'm Zach Quinn and thanks for listening to
Bee Hive Sports Report.
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