2025 Weber State Football Preview

WEBER STATE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW

the newcomers aiming to pilot the Wildcats

QUESTIONS AT QB

Weber State quarterbacks, from left, Kingston Tisdell

Dijon

and Jackson Gilkey (2) pose for a photo on Aug. 11, 2025, at Stewart Stadium in Ogden.

Meet the newcomers aiming to pilot the Wildcats

BY BRETT HEIN

Standard-Examiner

OGDEN — The biggest question for any football team at any level each summer is: who’s your starting quarterback?

“It goes as they go,” Weber State head coach Mickey Mental said after the final

spring scrimmage.

That’s especially true, though, for a Wildcats team all but starting over at the position following the transfer of Richie Muñoz (who went to Incarnate Word before landing at Tennessee Tech) after the youngster started 17 straight games in purple.

So the names to know for Weber State are now Jackson Gilkey, Dijon Jennings, Cash McCollum and Kingston Tisdell. Jennings returns with a handful of WSU snaps under his belt and the other three are newcomers. They have a total of 11 career college passing yards.

What is Weber looking for as it identifies

a pecking order?

“In a successful o ense, usually the quarterback takes care of the ball, puts the ball on, accurate, doesn’t take negative yardage plays and is a great leader,” Mental said midway through fall camp.

Quarterbacks

“I think they’ve done that at a high level.”

Certainly, the Wildcats will miss Muñoz from his best days (364 yards, six touchdowns at Montana) but will hope the new No. 1 will be able to open up the playbook and improve upon his not-best days (two goal-line fumbles against Northern Colorado, first two passes intercepted at Northern Arizona).

Jersey No.: 2

High school stats: Passed for 5,725 yards and 51 touchdowns in three seasons on 64% completion and rushed for 884 yards and 12 TDs on 155 attempts. He was a two-time district MVP and a three-star prospect.

College stats: None

preparation is exactly how you want it. He’s always prepared for meetings, he’s always taking great notes, always asking good questions. They all are, but one of his great traits is his maturity, which is one of the most important traits in a good quarterback.”

DIJON JENNINGS

Hometown: Reynoldsburg, Ohio

Previous: Akron/Weber State

Height: 5-foot-11

Class: Junior (fourth season)

Jersey No.: 10

As they often are in the heat of late summer, hopes are high for the new horizon.

“They’re an extremely talented group and they’re all about ball,” quarterbacks coach Zach Larson said. “Their recall is great, they’re super intelligent so whoever was working with them before did a hell of a job. Their football IQ is o the charts. We can talk about scenarios, schemes, defenses, and don’t have to talk about anything multiple times. And having so many new guys, you create that competition that makes everybody better.

“Their approach as quarterback,” Larson said, “someone who has to lead the team — I know they’re going about business the right way.”

Here’s a look at each of Weber State’s four quarterbacks, in alphabetical order, and what each brings to the table.

Gilkey came out of the spring as the frontrunner and appears to have kept his hold on the No. 1 spot, though nothing has been decided, or at least announced. He transferred after two seasons not seeing the field at UTSA.

JENNINGS ON GILKEY

“He makes great decisions on the field and he knows how to rally guys together.”

MCCOLLUM ON GILKEY

“Jackson has a really good ball and a really good arm, and he can also make plays with his legs.”

TISDELL ON GILKEY

High school stats: Passed for 3,990 yards and 45 touchdowns in four seasons, adding 962 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

College stats: Passed 2 for 3 for 11 yards, and rushed for 7 yards in five carries, in 2024.

“I’m just here to make the team better — if that’s through leadership, starting, or just helping whoever’s starting,” Gilkey said. “Just however we can get the ball into our playmakers’ hands, getting the guys who are explosive to have the ball in their hands.”

“Jackson is great at getting the ball out, he gets the ball out early.”

GILKEY ON HIMSELF

Jennings is the oldest of the group by age and by college experience, and is the only returning quarterback from 2024 after Muñoz transferred and Creyton Cooper hung it up with one year of eligibility remaining.

JENNINGS ON HIMSELF

JACKSON GILKEY

Hometown:

Previous:

“I think I’m a pretty good student of the game. I’ve seen a good amount of ball and I think I’m pretty good at making decisions out there on the field, on the fly, and mesh pretty well with the playbook.”

Height:

Class: (third year)

LARSON ON GILKEY

“Jackson is the ultimate maturity, confidence guy. His

“I hang out with friends. I like to golf. I’m probably one of the best golfers on the team, not to toot my own horn, but I could probably beat a lot of these guys. I usually go with (offensive lineman) Will Way, he’s been my buddy because I knew him before I even got here. Marcus (Chretien) is supposedly pretty good but I haven’t got to go out with him yet. Kingston’s picking it up and Cash has gone a couple times — Kash Gates and Cash McCollum.”

“I feel like my playmaking ability will allow me to extend plays for the team when needed.”

LARSON ON JENNINGS

outside of the does a great job

“His ability to create stands out a lot. He can make plays outside of the scheme, which makes it really di cult on the defense. He can ad lib, does a great job extending when things don’t go exactly right. He takes care of the football and finds a play when there

GILKEY ON JENNINGS

“Dijon’s got a creativity to his game. That’s something I see positive in his game, is just how he makes plays.

Weber State quarterback Dijon Jennings poses for a portrait in this undated photo.

It’s things that you don’t see on the whiteboard, stu he just makes happen out (on the field) when you put on the tape.”

MCCOLLUM ON JENNINGS

“He can make any throw, he has a super fast release and makes plays with his legs.”

TISDELL

ON JENNINGS

“Dijon is another great playmaker and he’s able to get the ball out a lot of di erent ways.”

OUTSIDE OF FOOTBALL

“I go fishing a lot. I spend a lot of time with family and friends out here, I typically just chill and watch a little Netflix or Hulu. Just spend time with my guys here, playing cards and stu like that. I haven’t found a fishing spot here, it’s so hot here. A lot di erent than in Ohio.”

CASH McCOLLUM

on the field at all times. ... I do a good job of getting out of the pocket, even though I try to stay in the pocket and deliver but when I do get out of the pocket, keeping my eyes downfield — just making plays inside and outside the pocket. I’ve been trying to get faster to get away from those big guys, outrun the D-line.”

LARSON ON MCCOLLUM

Catch me at the river, playing pickleball with teammates.”

KINGSTON TISDELL

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Previous: Inglewood High Height: 6-foot-1 Class: Freshman (first year) Jersey No.: 14

LARSON ON TISDELL

“He has a little moxie to him. He’ll take reps and he’ll have some flashes and, I hate using the word gamer, but there’s a side to him that when it’s good, it’s really good and it’s really impressive as a young talent. So has a super high ceiling. He’s come in and been very impressive, taking advantage of the reps he has.”

“The first thing that stands out is his presence and his poise, especially under pressure. When he gets blitzes, one of his best traits is finding completions under pressure, which is not easy ... there’s a lot of movement at the line of scrimmage, in the secondary, that’s really di cult to do and manage.”

High school stats: Passed for 6,898 yards and 73 touchdowns to 17 interceptions over four seasons with a 61% com-

GILKEY ON TISDELL

GILKEY ON MCCOLLUM

“He’s got a cannon. He’s a young dude who’s got a lot of upside for sure. He can make every throw, probably better than the rest of us.”

a senior at Inglewood

“He’s got a cannon as well, and he’s just got this really good feel for the pocket. Running-lanes wise, he’s really good on his feet. He’s a true freshman so he’s still getting used to a college playbook ... but you can see it’s clicking, so that’s cool to see. He’s going to be pretty good, you can see little spurts of it.”

Hometown:

Previous:

Height:

Class:

China Spring, Texas North Texas 6-foot-4

Jersey No.:

Freshman (second year) 6 He threw for

state title his junior season, threw

High school stats: 8,691 yards and 112 touchdowns over his high school career, adding 893 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. McCollum led his team to a state title his junior season, threw for 3,154 yards and a school record 47 touchdowns as a senior, and was a threestar prospect.

College stats:

McCollum said he left North Texas to find a coaching sta that “rallied around me, believed in me, gave me a chance to compete for the starting job” and said Weber State was the place for him.

MCCOLLUM ON HIMSELF

“I feel like I can make any throw

JENNINGS ON MCCOLLUM

“Cash is a gunslinger, that gunslinger mentality. I love how he plays the game, pushes the ball down the field very well.”

high school early to join WSU in January and has spring and fall

TISDELL

ON MCCOLLUM

“Cash is great at the deep ball, he has a good sense for that.”

OUTSIDE OF FOOTBALL

the deep ball, he has bird to

describe as a high ceiling is interested in graphic to generally having a HIMSELF

“I’m from Texas, but it’s definitely different from the Utah outdoors. I love to bird hunt, love to fish, just go outside. I’ve been on a couple hikes here; I’ve enjoyed that, except when I’ve got to come all the way back down. But Utah’s a beautiful place, so you could catch me anywhere.

happen. I’m able to get out of the pocket and make throws on the

FOOTBALL

enrolled as a freshman about a year ago. He can make plays,

a little bit because I was early a year ago. He can make plays, he makes the throws. He’s fast, he’s big, he stands in good feet.”

defense overall, just seeing the extending

ter he gets his estate.

Big Sky still a big deal while staying true to mission, values

If you are a fan of college sports — and, since you are reading this column in a publication based within the market of a Big Sky member institution, I sure hope so! — then I need not inform you that the current landscape for intercollegiate athletics looks far different than it ever has. Many would argue that these modifications were overdue and, by and large, I do not disagree.

What I am here to share, however, is that amid this sea of change, things have never been better for the Big Sky Conference.

When you (or your parent or grandparent) close your eyes and recall what college sports has traditionally looked and felt like, that mental imagery is so much of what you still can expect when you step foot on campus for a contest at Weber State University or the University of Montana or Idaho State University, to name just a few of our member institutions. The passion, pageantry, and esprit de corps experienced at a college football game uniquely galvanize a campus with its alumni and fans, creating a sense of community and belonging that is increasingly critical in today’s ever-divisive world. Plus, the competitors in these competitions — who finally can monetize their name, image, and likeness — continue to be college students, earnestly pursuing a degree.

In 1963, a half-dozen schools with a similar sense of a pioneering spirit decided to start their own conference. More than 62 years later, five of those six charter members of the Big Sky Conference remain, a rather remarkable fact amid all the ongoing realignment.

Over time our league has grown, and a year from now our membership will be comprised of 11 NCAA Division 1 athletic departments plus two football affiliates, all associated with public universities. When the name of your state is part of the name of your institution, as is the case for many of our member schools, what happens on campus resonates not only in that community but also across that entire

state. And regionally, the Big Sky’s eight-state geographic footprint essentially encapsulates the western third of the United States.

Around the country — and most prominently in the “Power 4” leagues that, not coincidentally, have signed the most lucrative broadcast agreements — college athletics is rapidly changing to conform to rules being written (and re-written) as they are initially enforced and legally contested. And while the Big Sky continues to modernize with the times, we are also proud to say that, unlike the conferences commanding the most attention from national media, we are not fully professionalized, either.

As someone whose career has had the rare fortune to include significant time at essentially all levels of college athletics — before joining the Big Sky almost seven years ago, I was a Division III men’s basketball student-athlete, a Division II conference commissioner, and a Division I FBS athletic director, among other roles — I can tell you that one of our many strengths is knowing who we are, and staying true to that mission and our values.

Yes, being a college athlete can (and should) be more lucrative than ever, but what also still matters is the opportunity to earn a college degree. This is not lost on our campuses, and I commend our university presidents, athletic directors, coaches, and other campus leaders for continuing to reinforce and respect the importance of attending classes, achieving strong grades, and graduating with a major that is personally meaningful. Most importantly, kudos to our students for pouring into their academic and athletic pursuits. And yet despite the changes to the national landscape, we will continue to punch above our weight class. Since 2021, our football teams have won 10 games against schools that compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision, which is twice as

many as our next-closest fellow league in the Football Championship Subdivision. As the preeminent and deepest FCS conference (with six of our football programs ranked in the 2025 preseason polls, exactly half of our league is in the Top 25), we take our role seriously as a leader at not only our level but also on our campuses, within our communities, and beyond.

Big Sky athlete alumni include some who are the best in the world at their craft. In the last five years, former Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp earned Super Bowl MVP honors and Weber State’s Damian Lillard was named a member of the NBA’s distinguished 75th Anniversary Team. We had six NFL Draft picks this spring, and three former Big Sky players were selected in the past two NBA Drafts. Olympic gold medalist and Idaho Vandal Dan O’Brien just headlined our re-

cent Hall of Fame class. Earlier this month, Idaho State’s Jared Allen was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

The Big Sky remains a big deal, which is cause for celebration, especially for a league that proudly bills itself as #ExperienceElevated. As we kick off the 2025-26 academic and athletic year, we hope you enjoy cheering on our 3,700-some athletes competing in 16 sports at our member institutions, all while we remain true to who we are.

Tom Wistrcill, who has more than 30 years of experience in college athletics, officially begins his eighth year as Commissioner of the Big Sky Conference in the fall of 2025. He was formerly the Director of Athletics at the University of Akron and previously worked in the athletic departments at both the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin.

in two days.

CONTINUING THOSE BEEHIVE TIES

New assistant coaches lead groups needing playmakers

OGDEN — In Justin Mullgrav’s mind, ending up on staff at Weber State was somewhat predisposed.

Not out of entitlement, but through football’s natural order in the Beehive State.

“There’s been foundational ties from here all the way to the OG, the godfather, Mr. (Ron) McBride,” said Mullgrav, who twice before now worked on staff at the University of Utah. “We saw Weber as a family.”

His first stint at Utah was in 2019 as a graduate assistant.

“At the time, the great coach Jay Hill was the head coach here — as we well know, one of the baddest safeties that ever played at the University of Utah. A real stand-up man,” Mullgrav said. “He’d come do professional development at Utah all the time.

“So it wasn’t a hard decision, the journey I’m on; I’m not surprised at all that God delivered me here (to Weber State). There’s always been a symbol of respect and appreciation for what happens here.”

Mullgrav is one WSU’s four new, young assistant coaches in 2025 as the Wildcats look for an immediate turnaround to last year’s 4-8 campaign. Three of them inherit position groups where clear stars or starters have moved on through the transfer portal, meaning it’s a mostly new start across the board for the new leaders.

“We do not care,” Mullgrav said about the way those changes lined up. “Everybody’s dealing with losing players. Whoever is here, we’re going to coach them. The advantage is the mindset ... (that) it gives opportunities to the guys who are here, and they’re taking advantage of it. I wasn’t here with the guys who left so all I see is time, space and opportunity.”

KEILAN BENJAMIN CORNERBACKS

The former standout in WSU’s defensive secondary now has full charge of its cornerbacks, a spot he took over in February. Benjamin spent two years working defensive quality control at WSU and also as cornerbacks coach and assistant defensive coordinator for the Ogden Jets for one season.

To him, winning as a player (WSU went 14-2 in the Big Sky in his two seasons, 201718) and combining the best attributes of his Utah-tied mentors prepared him to succeed in the role.

“Weber State is something you’ve got to

for a photo after a practice on Aug. 12 at Stewart

speaks with people on the sideline during an August

believe in and embody. It’s a tough mindset,” Benjamin said. “I grew from a young kid to a man, all credit goes to Jay Hill. He built us to be tough but also knew how to show love and give love. So I think my best attribute is, I know how to be tough on you and I can also relate to you, no matter who it is. I give love and the boys all feel comfortable enough to let me get on them because they know it’s coming from a good place.

“We’ve got a great bond. My group always wants to work because they understand what it takes. They know I’ve done it; i didn’t go to the NFL, none of that, but I got that first team (Big Sky selection). Weber State embodies me, because they know I played with passion. Play with that passion and the game’s going to give back to you.”

His other influence came from working alongside Andre Dyson for two years, someone the 29-year-old says is “one of the smartest dudes I know.” Dyson taught him, he said, how to break down the game, the small ins and outs.

“He knows what winning looks like,” head coach Mickey Mental said. “There’s a level of commitment, you want to see your alma mater be successful. ... He’s always going to be upbeat, be vocal, and push his players and relate to his players the right way.”

When he’s not deep in football, Benjamin plays the piano, falling back on an old song “Sorry, there is no more” he learned as a child and aspiring to master some songs by Alicia Keys.

Weber State lost starters Jalon Rock (Liberty) and Frankie Edwards III (New Mexico), along with contributor Zavien Abercrombie (Nevada), to the transfer portal.

The cupboard isn’t bare, but some players who logged reps last year will need to take big steps. Sophomore Ishaan Daniels (No. 22; 2024: 25 tackles, one interception) is back, having started several games last season before an injury. Coaches have high hopes for the likes of senior Toddrick Dixon (No. 16, 15 tackles), junior Montae Pate (No. 20, 34 tackles, one pick six), and sophomore Logan Mackey (No. 28, six tackles).

Most of all, sophomore Tre ParksVinson (No. 7) is back. Talk around him — someone Mental calls “a different athlete” — has been high for two years but he got pulled out of action during fall camp last year due to a non-injury health issue. That, and junior Tajon Evans (No. 23) adding speed to the group after switching from receiver in the spring has the staff seeing playmakers that need to put it together on the field.

BRADY DAIGH DEFENSIVE TACKLES

Daigh, 32, played linebacker at the University of Colorado. He has coaching stops in Division II, at Utah Tech for one season with WSU defensive ends coach James Cowser, and was on the defensive staff at Utah. He followed Mullgrav to WSU from Utah; after WSU’s linebackers coach opened up, Mullgrav moved there where he’s coached the most and Daigh took defensive tackles, a group he’s coached the most.

“I think it’s redundant, but it’s something I think is very important in coaching, is how do you connect with young people, how do you get the most out of them, and he does a tremendous job with that,” Mental said about Daigh. “He played linebacker, he’s coached defensive tackles, so he’s seen the box from different points of view and can bring a good perspective.”

Of the four new coaches, he inherits the most returning experience as it relates to starters and longevity, especially with the return of sixth-year tackle Easton Payne (No. 99, 36 career tackles) from injury.

“I do have the benefit of having veteran guys like Easton Payne, Matt Herron, who’ve been out there and proved it on the field, so I’m leaning heavily on them as leaders right now,” Daigh said. “We want to be playmakers, we want to be the most physical unit. ... When opposing offenses turn on the film, they’re scratching their heads, having problems seeing what we put on tape. It starts with effort, we have to play so hard it shows up on tape. It has to be part of our DNA.”

Mental thinks shifts in coaches and moving to one defensive coordinator in Joe Dale should help groups like the defensive tackles get back to stuffing the run and disrupting offenses.

“It’s one voice. Not that Grant Duff did anything wrong, he’s a tremendous coach. But with one voice and what we’re trying to ask our guys to do, which is play with confidence, run to the football and cause disruptions, you’re able to pull the trigger and make the play.”

The junior Herron (No. 97, 46 career tackles) stands to be a big difference-maker now as a veteran.

Hardworking senior Ben Beecher (No. 93, 20 career tackles) returns for his final campaign at defensive tackle, with athletic redshirt freshman Kevin Johnson (No. 44) moving inside to tackle. Oscar Serrano (No. 94) adds to the group as a junior college transfer while one of Utah’s best preps last season, Zion Finau (No. 98) of Corner Canyon, is getting his feet wet with the group.

It stands to reason that at least one of Finau, Johnson or Serrano will need to take off for the tackles group to enjoy the depth it needs.

JUSTIN MULLGRAV LINEBACKERS

Mullgrav (linebacker, South Carolina State, 2013) inherits a group that said goodbye to more than most. Garrett Beck used his eligibility, and Jayden Ah You and Alema Tupuola hung it up with eligibility left. Sione Moa, the Weber High alum by way of BYU, was in spring camp for just a moment before leaving as well (he’s now at UConn).

So “time, space and opportunity,” like Mullgrav said.

Mullgrav was a graduate assistant at Utah for two years, coached linebackers at Eastern Washington for two years, then returned to Utah for two more as a defensive analyst. His job, he says, is simple: “Make these players better at a positional level and it translates to the collective. ... That’s my only job here: better football players and better men.”

Interest definitely gravitates to junior Sione Hala (No. 13, 37 career tackles), a transfer from Boston College, to give the Wildcats some experience and playmaking. “He’s a great dude. A layered person, so much to him. He has a lot to give to society and really glad to see his growth,” Mullgrav said. “He does things you cannot teach. ...

COACHING CHANGES

You’re going to get toughness out of that kid and edge — and hopefully it’s a winning edge.”

Mullgrav says he “loves the group that we have.”

Aizik Mahuka (No. 33) returns after 18 tackles as a freshman. Junior Mayson Hitchens (No. 0, 56 tackles in 2024) gets an opportunity to grab more of a spotlight after a solid sophomore campaign if he can recover from a mid-August, lower-leg injury. Both got plenty of reps last season, along with Raimoana Tinirauarii (No. 40, 38 tackles last year) on the weak side, and it’s those kinds of players WSU will need to take a big step forward to sure up a defense that struggled in the red zone and didn’t create turnovers.

Redshirt freshman Aidan O’Callaghan (No. 37) has athleticism that coaches love but he may be sidelined for a time with a knee injury. Junior Kevin Enriquez (No. 43) earned a scholarship. Sophomore Elijah Teriipaia (No. 52) is another youngster in the mix, Daniel Asisi (No. 32) is back after redshirting (appearing in one game last year) and David Brinton (No. 53) is in his first camp as a freshman.

The man who goes by “Ace” says one of his favorite things off the field is finding new places to try new food. And he golfs. “I’m not looking for a partner,” Mullgrav says. “I just want to be bad by myself.”

Mental said Mullgrav is “very detailed, tremendous work ethic, tremendous knowledge of this defense” and “he’s doing a great job getting the most out of those guys and connecting with them.”

DANIEL WRIGHT RUNNING BACKS

At 25 years old, Daniel Wright Jr. is easily the youngest coach on the staff. Among all coaching staffs at WSU, he’s rivaled only by fellow alums Kate Payne (volleyball) and Lauren Hoe (softball), also both starting their first school year as assistant coaches.

Wright sees his age as a “why not?” scenario. An opportunity, like young players get.

“I’m not too far away from the game, I can bounce around and speak their language,” Wright said. “I can bring that young energy to connect with older players, younger play-

ers, and continue to adapt with the game.”

Mental has liked what Wright brings so far.

“He develops young talent, and connects and holds his players to a high standard,” Mental said.

Wright rushed for 336 yards for two Big Sky title winners at Weber State, leaving with a bachelor’s degree in communication, and rushed for 437 yards finishing his career in one season at Tarleton State. He has a master’s degree in sports administration from East Central University, where he coached in 2024. At 2023, he coached a freshman to first team all-conference honors at American River College, also Wright’s junior college alma mater.

He sees his job as helping his players find confidence and purpose, like he found as a college football player.

Damon Bankston takes last season’s 1,104 rushing yards to New Mexico, meaning eyes now move to Davion Godley. As a freshman, Godley (No. 25) rushed for 630 yards on 6.2 yards per carry, so he’s the natural top dog.

“I don’t feel as if we lost a starter,” Wright said. “I don’t coach twos. Everybody’s a one

(starter) in my eyes and I’m going to look at them like that, and make sure they’re ready to play at that capacity.”

Godley seems set to shine and behind him are several looking for a breakout similar to what he had last season. Redshirt freshman Chauncey Sylvster (No. 5) looks to have made strides while redshirt sophomore Major Givens (No. 30) aims to crack into a role. Senior Bird Butler (No. 15, 141 yards in 2024) is back as a utility-knife type of back.

Senior Colter May (No. 34, 48 career yards) was voted to preseason all-Big Sky honors as a fullback, and Davis High walkon Spencer Ferguson, back from missionary service, “plays his ass off,” Mental says.

Zach Hrbacek (No. 27) is a wildcard. The senior played four seasons at Sam Houston, battling injury on the way to 779 rushing yards (his best campaign coming in 2022 with 495 yards and three touchdowns).

Off the field, Wright is spending most of his time with his pitbull terrior Granite, who walked the graduation stage with him and, at other coaching stops, became known as the “director of joy.”

WEBER STATE FOOTBALL 2025 SCHEDULE

Arizona

Louisiana

California

Oregon Bozeman, Montana Pocatello, Idaho

What to know about Weber State’s 12 opponents

BY BRETT HEIN Standard-Examiner

For the second straight season, Weber State football will play 12 regular-season games.

That used to be based on the calendar in FCS football but will, starting in 2026, now be the norm. FCS will play 12 regular-season games every year; the Big Sky is moving to nine conference games and will use what is currently called “Week

SIONE HALA

0” in August for conference games.

What isn’t the norm, however, is Weber State’s travel this season.

The Wildcats open with four of the first five games on the road. According to the school, WSU is the only team in either Division I subdivision to play its first four road games in each of the continental United States’ four time zones, geographically.

6-foot-1 linebacker

Junior (fourth season) Los Angeles, California

Outsiders expect a Boston College transfer who was a four-star recruit out of St. John Bosco to have a big impact for Weber State and in the Big Sky.

Hala doesn’t disagree.

“The team looking at me, I know they expect a lot. And everything they expect, I definitely could give,” Hala said.

“Some of my personal goals: I definitely want to be first team (Big Sky) and I want to be the Big Sky defensive player of the year. Those are high expectations, but delusion is what got me here.”

Hala plans to make his presence felt in the middle of the field.

“I love contact,” he said. “I love going through people’s faces, whether he’s a lineman, running back, tight end. I love getting my hands on people and I love putting my face in it.”

He says he and the linebackers will join up with the defensive line to make a strong front.

“We’ve got KT (Keahnist Thompson), Matt Herron, we’ve got Kev Johnson, EP (Easton Payne). We’ve got some dogs in the front.”

longer trip in league play — but the trip to James Madison in Virginia is three times as long, and to McNeese in Louisiana is twice as long.

Overall, Weber State will travel about 10,500 miles this season.

Trips to Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, give Weber State two long hauls in the first three weeks of the season. WSU also plays at Portland State this season, a

Based on travel and the strength of WSU’s schedule to start the season, it’s not unreasonable that even a team noticeably improved from 2024 might still start 2-4 to open this campaign. Kenneth Massey’s strength of schedule metric has Weber State’s slate projected as the second-most di cult in FCS.

But there’s plenty of talk around junior Camden Coleman looking like a potential starter; he transferred to JMU after starting for two seasons at Richmond. So whoever second-year head coach Bob Chesney goes with will have plenty of game experience, especially compared to which WSU QB gets the starting job.

Here’s a look at each of WSU’s opponents for the 2025 season.

AUG. 30: AT JAMES MADISON

2024 record: 9-4 (4-4 Sun Belt)

Predicted conf. finish: 1st

All-time: JMU 3-0

Last: JMU 37-24 (2021)

Four all-time meetings between JMU and WSU, counting 2025, will take place in the last nine years — even after WSU and JMU canceled a planned meeting in 2023. The Dukes will pay Weber State just $300,000 for the trip, marking the first matchup between the two after James Madison moved up to FBS.

On the field, James Madison is expected to be as good as always. The Dukes are 28-9 in three seasons since moving to FBS, including a 17-7 record in the Sun Belt.

The Dukes have a returning quarterback who passed for 2,598 yards and 26 touchdowns to just four interceptions last year while also rushing for 442 yards and seven more scores. But it’s unclear now if junior Alonza Barnett III will get the nod against Weber State.

SEPT. 6: AT ARIZONA 2024 record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12)

Predicted conference finish: 12th

All-time: First meeting

Barnett is rehabbing an ACL injury suffered late last season and hasn’t been a full fall camp participant. Many might expect the Dukes to turn to sixth-year senior Matthew Sluka, who finished fourth in Walter Payton Award voting in 2023 at Holy Cross and then left UNLV in 2024 after three games over failed-and-bailed NIL disagreements.

WSU’s first meeting with Arizona gets them $625,000. The blue Wildcats are looking for a bit more than their two-win Big 12 debut last year in the second season under head coach Brent Brennan. Arizona beat lowly Houston and sprung a road upset on Utah for its two league wins. Brennan turned over both coordinator spots in the o season. The defense (allowed 31.8 points per game) said goodbye to Duane Akina and promoted linebackers coach Danny Gonzales, formerly head coach at New Mexico, to defensive coordinator. Eight-year Syracuse head coach Dino Babers lasted just one year calling Arizona’s o ense for Brennan. Dynamic quarterback Noah Fifita threw for 239.1 yards per game in 2023 with a 72.4% completion rate and 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions. That regressed to 246.5 yards (7 more yards but on eight more attempts per game) at a 60.5% clip with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions (tied for most picks among Big 12 QBs). Arizona’s o ense dropped from averaging 34.6 points per game to 21.8. So o ensive reins now go to Seth Doege, an outside hire aimed at infusing young, up-and-comer energy into the o ense. Doege had hands in getting Jaxson Dart to USC and later was on sta coaching Dart at Ole Miss. Most notably, perhaps, is that Doege had two 4,000-yard seasons as quarterback at pass-happy Texas Tech.

So that, and Doege’s one season as o ensive coordinator at Marshall, could see Fifita return to form and give Weber State fits.

SEPT. 13: AT MCNEESE

2024 record: 6-6 (3-4 Southland)

Predicted conf. finish: 6th

All-time: McNeese 4-1

Last: McNeese 28-26 (2024)

McNeese has successfully left Ogden with wins twice (2024, 2012) and Weber State is now trying to snap a four-game skid against the Cowboys in a series that first played in 1990. In one of four such losses for WSU in 2024, McNeese capitalized on miscues and edged the Wildcats by two points.

But most everything’s di erent in Lake Charles this year. Last year’s 6-6 campaign was the best for three-year head coach Gary Go , who was fired at season’s end. Former Montana QB Clifton McDowell has used his eligibility after starting for McNeese last year. McNeese has turned back to Matt Viator, who was head coach for the Cowboys from 2006-15. His final campaign saw McNeese go 10-0 in the regular season, after which he left for an FBS job at Louisiana-Monroe, where he went 19-39 from 2016-20. Overall, he coached at McNeese for 17 seasons and is now back at the helm.

TV station KLPC reports Viator’s return and stadium renovations have season ticket sales up 70% in Lake Charles. So excitement abounds, even though little is known or expected for what the Cowboys will look like on the field.

All-time: First meeting

record: 9-3

finish: 4th

Weber State finally opens the home slate in Week 4 with another first-time matchup in Butler, the Pioneer Football League (FCS nonscholarship conference) team from Indianapolis that WSU will pay $200,000 to make the trip.

defensive MVP. Connors led FCS last season with 74 solo tackles and has eight interceptions in the last three seasons.

UC Davis does have to replace two key

The Bulldogs fared well enough last year, going 4-0 in nonconference (with three non-DI opponents) and finishing tied for third in the PFL.

seniors, though, in quarterback Miles Hastings (who led FCS with 4,493 passing yards last season) and 1,500-yard running back Lan Larison. Plough said in a press conference this week that redshirt freshman Caden Pinnick had won the quarterback job; he appeared in one game in 2024, recording no stats, though well

Butler has leadership changes as well after Ball State hired away head coach Mike Uremovich. The two Indiana schools unofficially made a trade, with Butler hiring Ball State assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Kevin Lynch as its new head coach. He’s only the 10th head coach in the last 90 years at Butler.

TRE PARKS-VINSON

5-foot-9 cornerback Sophomore (fourth season) Fort Worth, Texas

He came to Weber State as a receiver in 2022 but everyone’s been waiting several years for his debut as a cornerback.

The Bulldogs will have a starting returning QB in junior Reagan Andrew (1,717 yards, 11 touchdowns, six interceptions) on the roster, though Butler leaned on its run game last year at 214.4 yards per game, seventh best in FCS.

Tre Parks-Vinson is ready to go one year after a noninjury medical issue pulled him out of fall camp and away from the 2024 season.

He was cleared in the spring to get back into the action.

SEPT. 27: AT UC DAVIS

2024 record: 11-3 (7-1 Big Sky)

Predicted conf. finish: 2nd/3rd

All-time: WSU 7-4

(2023)

Last: UC Davis 17-16 (2023)

Dan Hawkins put his alma mater on a great foundation and Tim Plough ran with it in 2024, leading UC Davis to a school-record 11 wins in his first season at the helm. The Aggies tallied the program’s best win in terms of highestranked opponent (No. 5 Idaho), won at No. 7 Montana and also grabbed the program’s first-ever win over Eastern Washington.

And now the Aggies have seven players, most in the league, on the Big Sky’s preseason all-conference team.

That’s led by senior safety (and native of Pleasant Grove, Utah) Rex Connors, who was voted the Big Sky’s preseason

“You never know when your last snap is, so take every snap, every moment, don’t take it for granted,” he said. “Just give it your all.

“I feel like it really built me into who I am today, just to believe in God, believe in the process, believe I’m here for a reason.”

He plans on doing big things on the field.

“I strongly believe I’m going to be a game-changer when we need that spark. I could make that spark for the whole defense, give us that energy o an interception, a big tackle, fumble. I feel like I can be that player.

Position coach Keilan Benjamin: “Tre’s got intangibles that most DBs gotta ask and pray for. He can jump 38-40 inches, 4.4 speed and ability to track a ball. He’s got a knack for the ball naturally; I call him my ‘pick artist’ out of the group.

“Tre is one of those dudes I lean on a lot. He’s been through a lot ... and he’s one dude who’s going to change the season this year, for sure.”

he should have four games of experience by the time Weber State visits The Farm.

OCT. 11: VS. SACRAMENTO STATE

2024 record: 3-9 (1-7 Big Sky)

Predicted conf. finish: 6th

All-time: WSU 16-10

Last: Sac 51-48 2OT (2024)

Why would a team that managed just one conference win in 2024 (a double-OT home win over Weber State) generate buzz as either a dark horse — or maybe even a favorite, depending on who you ask — in 2025?

Money, mostly. A reported infusion of support, including NIL money, saw the Hornets bring in 50 transfers to this year’s roster. Of those, 34 are FBS transfers. Hero Sports rated Sac State’s 2025 class, both high school alone and overall (preps and transfers) as the best in the country.

One of those transfers is quarterback Jaden Rashada, a former four-star California prospect who spent one season at Arizona State and another at Georgia. He threw for 485 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in three games as a freshman at ASU and did not appear in a game for UGA.

It’s hard to know what to make of Sacramento State as the team arrives in Ogden following WSU’s bye. Many of those recruits were surely lured with the promise that the Hornets would be in FBS after 2025. Indeed, Sac State is leaving the Big Sky after this year, but for FCS independence; the school’s request to grant it an FBS transition without a conference invitation was denied.

Perhaps that’s why the Hornets were voted sixth in both Big Sky preseason polls (coaches and media) while also receiving one first-place vote in each: we’re all waiting to see if first-year head coach Brennan Marion can live up to the hype while also admitting that the Hornets could very well be a juggernaut.

OCT. 18: AT PORTLAND STATE

2024 record: 3-8 (3-5 Big Sky)

Predicted conf. finish: 10th

All-time: WSU 24-15

Last: WSU 43-16 (2024)

The Vikings host Ogden after opening the season with games in six straight weeks, including Aug. 23 and “Week 0,” four of which are on the road. Oct. 18 probably brings a refreshed squad o a bye week as Weber arrives in Hillsboro.

Portland State always has a few top-end players and athletes who help the Vikings compete in most Big Sky games. Defensive back Isaiah Green (2024: 50 tackles, one interception) and tight end Tanner Beaman (257 yards, one touchdown) were voted to the Big Sky’s preseason all-conference team.

PSU’s defense got cooked for 40 points per game last season, though, which is something they’ll need answers for as head coach Bruce Barnum enters his 11th season leading the program.

Longtime dual-threat QB Dante Chachere is now done with his PSU career; he totaled 1,970 passing and 873 rushing yards last year, with 12 touchdowns in each category. Senior CJ Jordan (via Idaho and Northern Illinois) and sophomore JohnKeawe Sagapolutele (transfer from Hawaii) seem like probable top choices to replace Chachere.

Eastern Washington is expected to be about as good as the expectations for Weber State, with both voted eighth in one Big Sky preseason poll and ninth in the other.

EWU’s o ense has long been its calling card and, like many teams on this schedule, is going to break in a new quarterback this season. Kekoa Visperas (2024: 2,171 yards, 17 touchdowns) is o to Tennessee Tech as a likely frontrunner for that QB job over Richie Muñoz.

Most of those passing yards went to Efton Chism III (1,311 yards, 13 TD), who has impressed in camp for the New England Patriots this summer. The Eagles were more run-heavy last season than many are accustomed to, but leading rusher Tuna Altahir (718 yards) is also out the door.

Sixth-year senior Jared Taylor is back; he hurt WSU in 2023 as a run-package quarterback and, in 2024, he rushed for 708 yards and 10 touchdowns. Other than Taylor, the Eagles have a list of sophomores and freshmen with limited or no reps at QB.

EWU put defensive lineman Tylin Jackson, defensive back DaJean Wells and special teams player Trevor Thurman on the preseason all-Big Sky list.

NOV. 1: VS. MONTANA

2024 record: 9-5 (5-3 Big Sky)

Predicted conf. finish: 2nd/3rd

All-time: UM 41-18

Last: WSU 55-48 OT (2024)

With resources and pedigree, and a proven FCS coach in Bobby Hauck, count on Montana to always factor in the Big Sky race and make the playo s.

Logan Fife is gone as QB but the Griz (speaking of pedigree) return Keali’i Ah Yat after a decent showing in part-time work as a redshirt freshman last season. Montana also brought in Utah native Jake Jensen, who graduated high school in 2019, for his final college season. He threw for 1,970 yards in one junior college season in 2021, spent three seasons on the bench at USC, and is now aiming to win a job with the Griz. Redshirt freshman Luke Flowers

is also in the competition to start. None of the above will have Junior Bergen (2024: 542 yards, punt-return savant) or Keelan White (628 yards) to throw to, but whoever wins the job will have Eli Gillman (1,104 yards, 15 TD) in the backfield with them.

The all-time series is severely lopsided, but Weber State has won three straight against Montana overall and five of the last six, including three straight in Ogden.

NOV. 8: AT MONTANA STATE

2024 record: 15-1 (8-0 Big Sky), national runner-up

Predicted conf. finish: 1st

All-time: MSU 34-23

Last: MSU 40-0 (2023)

Playing Montana and Montana State back to back is yet another tough facet of WSU’s schedule. WSU’s series with MSU is the opposite of UM: the Wildcats were more competitive in the past but the Bobcats have won four straight and seven of the last 10. That’s because Montana State has become a juggernaut and rattled o 15 straight wins in 2024 before losing to North Dakota State in the national title game. With what has been a great o ensive line even with consistent turnover via outgoing FBS transfers, the Bobcats have put up gaudy rushing numbers (295 yards per game last year). MSU had three 1,000yard rushers in 2024, but two are gone. QB Tommy Mellott was drafted by the Raiders (2,759 passing yards, 31 TD; 1,050 rushing yards, 15 TD) and Scottre Humphrey (1,386 yards, 16 TD) transferred to New Mexico to create a killer RB duo with WSU’s Damon Bankston.

Who is back, though, is running back Adam Jones, voted as the Big Sky’s preseason o ensive MVP after rushing for 1,172 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman.

Stanford transfer Justin Lamson may very well step into Mellott’s shoes. Jim Plunkett no longer has Stanford’s record for rushing TDs by a quarterback in one season after Lamson ran for eight last year as a part-time QB. A fifth-year col-

lege player, Lamson is listed as a junior on MSU’s roster. In two seasons at Stanford, he passed for 804 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions; he also rushed for 428 yards and 13 touchdowns.

NOV. 15: AT IDAHO STATE

2024 record: 5-7 (3-5 Big Sky)

Predicted conf. finish: 7th

All-time: WSU 49-16

Last: ISU 43-35 (2024)

Weber State ends the 2025 slate with both its yearly rivalries, starting with the one we can perhaps now call a rivalry since the Bengals have tallied a win (WSU was 37-3 in the last 40 matchups before 2024) to claim the newly reinstated Train Bell Trophy. And hopes are high for the Bengals in

the second year under Cody Hawkins. Hawkins got ISU’s o ense to 32 points per game last year, though the Bengals are yet another team starting over at QB after Kobe Tracy (3,077 yards, 24 TD) and Hunter Hays (longtime run-package QB) are gone. ISU brought in junior college QBs Jordan Cooke and Logan Gonzalez to vie for the job.

Hawkins also pulled Idaho native Grant Du out of his longtime role at Weber State (along with defensive linemen Bronson Childs and Jagger Childs) to run the Bengals’ defense, so the Pocatello squad should see improvement there (allowed 37.8 points per game in 2024).

NOV. 22: VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA

2024 record: 8-5 (6-2 Big Sky)

Expires 9/30/2025.

Predicted conf. finish: 4th/5th

All-time: NAU 29-28

Last: NAU 27-6 (2024)

If hopes are good for Idaho State, they’re even better for Northern Arizona, who edged ahead in the all-time series against Weber State with last season’s home win and returned to the playo s for the first time since 2017 under first-year coach Brian Wright.

The Lumberjacks enter the season ranked No. 19 with the return of quarterback Ty Pennington, voted as the Big Sky’s preseason all-conference QB. He threw for 2,288 yards and 13 touchdowns last year while adding 437 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Only one of his top receiving targets returns (Kolbe Katsis, 498 yards, two TD) but leading rusher Seth Cromwell (681 yards, nine TD) is back.

NAU placed defensive lineman Micah Carreon (46 tackles, 7.0 TFL), linebacker Brandon Wong (43 tackles, 4.5 TFL, one forced fumble) and punter Ben D’Aquila (46.7 yards per punt, 30 of 40 punts fair caught or inside 20) on the preseason allconference team.

Some familiar Weber State players will be putting on new numbers this season. Here’s how to nd them in 2025, listed in order by new uniform number, as well as those taking coveted single and other digits.

44 0 LB Mayson Hitchens

90 1 DE Keahnist Thompson

2 QB Jackson Gilkey

3 S BJ Carey

4 WR Jayleen Record

5 RB Chauncey Sylvester

6 QB Cash McCollum

7 CB Tre Parks-Vinson

85 8 WR Jaden Thrower

9 S Tre Tribble

19 10 QB Dijon Jennings

83 19 WR Devin Ford

81 23 CB Tajon Evans

27 25 RB Davion Godley

46 35 S Rishi Daniels

no

42 S Chipper Harding

56 44 DE Kevin Johnson

95 85 TE Ammon Munyer

99 DT Easton Payne

Friday & Saturday: 11:00am - 9:00pm

Tuesday - Thursday: 11:00am - 8:00pm

BYU COUGARS

Cougars hope to keep momentum with new QB

BY JOHN MARSHALL Associated Press

BYU entered the offseason with questions at receiver, cornerback, defensive line and kick returning.

Quarterback was not expected to be an issue with Jake Retzlaff likely returning after a solid first season as the Cougars’ starter.

That all changed this summer, when Retzlaff opted to transfer to Tulane while he reportedly faced a suspension for violating BYU’s honor code. Now the Cougars will start a true freshman at quarterback for the first time in program history after Bear Bachmeier edged out two more experienced players.

“We feel good about the talent that we have,” said BYU coach Kalani Sitake, entering his 10th season in Provo. “We have to let them battle it out and see what happens. If you’re going to play quarterback at this level, you have to be a leader already. They’re all natural leaders.”

Retzlaff won a tight competition with Gerry Bohanon to become BYU’s starter last season and got better as the season progressed. Retzlaff threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, adding 417 yards and six more TDs rushing.

The Cougars finished 11-2 with Retzlaff leading the offense, capping the season with a win over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.

Retzlaff’s course — and BYU’s with it — changed when he was named in a sexual assault lawsuit earlier this year. The suit was later dismissed, but Retzlaff acknowledged having consensual sex in his defense, a violation of the school’s honor code asking students to abstain from premarital sex.

Retzlaff’s decision to transfer left BYU with three prime candidates to earn the starting job this season: Bachmeier, McCae Hillstead and Treyson Bourguet.

Hillstead played eight games at Utah State in 2023 and Bourguet played 10 games over two seasons at Western Michigan. Both players have a year under their belt at BYU after transferring.

BYU SCHEDULE

30 vs. PORTLAND

6 vs.

20 at East

27 at

3 vs. WEST

11 at

8 at

A four-star recruit out of Murrieta, California, Bachmeier did not play at Stanford and transferred to BYU after spring practices, but quickly picked up the offense and was named the starter for the opener on Aug. 30 against Portland State.

“What’s up Cougar Nation, this is QB1 Bear Bachmeier,” Bachmeier said in an X video post of an AI bear wearing his No. 47 jersey while walking through the woods.

Note: The Big 12 did not do preseason polls for 2025. Below is ESPN’s projection for the Big 12, including what analytics say is each team’s expected number of conference wins.

Expectations return after disappointing 2024 season

BY JOHN MARSHALL Associated Press

Kyle Whittingham considered making his 21st season at Utah his last. Win a championship, walk away would have been a perfect ending.

A disappointing season changed Whittingham’s mind. A sour note was not the way he was going to end a run that included consecutive Pac-12 championships and seven 10-win seasons.

“I couldn’t stomach going out on that, with that season, as frustrating as it was and as discouraging as it was,” Whittingham said. “It just didn’t sit well with anybody, but most of all me and so I thought, ’Hey, that’s not going to be the final act of my deal. I got to come back and try to get

the ship right and get back on track.’”

Whittingham hoped to go out on top after 20 seasons. The Utes were loaded, picked to finish first in their first Big 12 season and a potential College Football Playoff team.

Utah instead floundered, losing seven straight games at one point to finish 5-7.

Whittingham opted to return to Salt Lake City and has the type of team that could produce a quick bounce back.

Utah’s defense has been one of the nation’s best under Whittingham and will likely be stout again with several key players back. The offense will have a new look with two additions from New Mexico: offensive coordinator Jason Beck and dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier.

The Lobos were fourth nationally in total offense a year ago with Beck calling the shots

Aug. 30 at

6 vs.

13 at Wyoming

UTAH SCHEDULE

and Dampier running the plays, so the Utes should be explosive in their new-look offense.

“We really just want to put the right guys in the right places to make plays,”

Beck said. “We want to adapt to what our strengths are and play to those strengths.

Cougars

“Excited to get this season going.”

MARTIN’S IMPACT

The loss of Retzlaff could give L.J. Martin an even bigger chance to shine in his third season in Provo.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back rushed for 518 yards and four touchdowns in 2023, following that up with 718 yards and seven TDs last season. Martin was named offensive MVP of the Alamo Bowl after accounting for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

DOMINATING D

BYU had a rare down season defensively in 2022, but bounced back the past two seasons behind coordinator Jay Hill.

The Cougars again should have a formidable defense this year, even after losing several starters on the defensive line.

Linebacker has been a strength in Provo and will likely continue to be with the returns of Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker. The front does return several players with experience and the addition of Utah transfer Keanu Tanuvasa should be a big boost.

The secondary lost Jakob Robinson and Marque Collins — also one of the nation’s top kick returners — but has plenty of experience in the back with multiple players who were in the rotation last season.

SCHEDULE

BYU won its first nine games last year and has a chance to get off to another good start in its third Big 12 season.

The Cougars open at home on Aug. 30 against Portland State, with nonconference games against Stanford and at East Carolina. BYU opens conference play at Boulder on Sept. 27, with road games against Arizona, Iowa State, No. 23 Texas Tech and Cincinnati.

The Cougars host rival Utah on Oct. 18.

Utes

We’re going to go, not at a fast tempo, but we’re going no huddle.”

ADDING DAMPIER

Utah’s quarterback situation the past few years revolved around Cameron Rising. He was superb in 2021 and 2022 but struggled with injuries his final two years.

Dampier gives the Utes a dimension they haven’t had.

The 5-foot-11 junior was one of the nation’s best quarterbacks last season, beating teams with his arm and legs. Dampier threw for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns — with 12 interceptions — while adding 1,166 yards and 19 TDs rushing.

“He’s got that ‘it’ factor that you look for in quarterbacks. He’s got the field general mentality that you look for,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that everybody gravitates towards. There’s no doubt who’s in charge on offense.”

DOMINATING D

Utah annually has one of the best, most

physical defenses in the country. This season should be no different, even after losing numerous players to graduation.

The Utes’ front line should again be stout and the linebacking corps is solid, anchored by Lander Brown. Smith Snowden and Tao Johnson also are back in a secondary that could be among the best in the Big 12.

“The defense has been very consistent, something that you can count on from year to year,” Whittingham said. “Can’t remember the last time we’ve had a real down year defensively and so the defense just needs to do what they’ve been doing for a lot of years.”

SCHEDULE

Utah has a tough season opener on the road, playing at UCLA on Aug. 30 before hosting Cal Poly and Wyoming. The Utes open Big 12 play at home against No. 23 Texas Tech and face No. 11 Arizona State two weeks later.

Utah also hosts No. 17 Kansas State late in the season, with road games against West Virginia, BYU, Baylor and Kansas.

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