The Utah Checkdown

From Las Vegas Bowl theatrics to roster turnover, Utah football has been busy over the last few weeks — and Morgan Scalley already has several wins. Host Josh Furlong recaps the last few weeks that saw Kyle Whittingham move to Michigan, Scalley take over as head coach, Utah win a bowl game, and Utah rebuilds its coaching staff and roster. It's a lot to cover, but it's an exciting time for Utah foo...

It was a busy week for Utah athletics last week, with multiple historic changes. Host Josh Furlong breaks down all that took place last week, including Kyle Whittingham stepping down as head coach of the football program and Morgan Scalley taking over as head coach. He highlights Whittingham's 21-year tenure as head coach and how a decision came about, while looking ahead to Scalley's tenure and w...

Utah's bowl destination is set, with the Utes traveling to Las Vegas for an exhibition meeting with the Big Ten's Nebraska. Host Josh Furlong provides a quick glimpse into the New Year's Eve game and how Utah matches up with Nebraska, but does a deeper dive on what Utah's roster priorities are for the 2026 season. Who are the key players Utah needs to return? What position groups does Utah need to...

As Utah prepares for an eventual bowl game at the end of the month, the future of the program hangs in the balance. Host Josh Furlong discusses whether Kyle Whittingham is retiring and what his timeline will be, or if he's coming back for another season. He has a deadline to decide by Friday. He also talks high school recruiting and who signed with Utah, what a 10-win season means for the program,...

Utah had no business winning on Saturday, but in improbable fashion the Utes got it done in the final minutes of the game. Host Josh Furlong recaps the wild game, and talks about how Utah got it done on a night many believed to be Kyle Whittingham's last at Rice-Eccles Stadium. What does it all mean for the future? How does it factor into Utah's Big 12 title and College Football Playoff hopes? All...

Utah continued its season with another blowout win — this time on the road at Baylor. Host Josh Furlong recaps the most recent game, as well as jumps into the top storylines that came out of the game. Like does Utah have a chance to secure both Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin for the next season? He also provides an update on Utah's path to a Big 12 championship and what it would take to get there,...

On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff selection committee did the Big 12 a solid and had three of its teams ranked inside the top 15. Is it a favorable spot for the conference or just an early nod that will wilt in the coming weeks? Host Josh Furlong weighs in on the initial rankings and where Utah landed. He attempts to answer the question of whether the Utes can get into the playoffs, if bein...

For Utah's goals to remain intact, there's not a lot of room for error in the final four games of the season. But there's still a a chance for a Big 12 title game appearance for the Utes. So what do those scenarios look like? Host Josh Furlong breaks down Utah's path, while also jumping into a potential QB controversy brewing. He also breaks down the Utah-Cincinnati game, which has title game impl...

The name of the game is moving on for Utah football. But there's still some holdover from the rivalry game, including a little more context into why Kyle Whittingham was so insistent on using analytics on fourth downs. Host Josh Furlong jumps into the nuances of Utah's fourth-down frustrations, as well as looking at the Devon Dampier situation and what his status is moving forward.. He's also join...

The rivalry game went sideways for Utah Saturday, leaving more questions than answers for Utah football. Host Josh Furlong jumps into Saturday's loss to see what went wrong, why the coaches made the decisions they made, and what it all means for the future of the Utes this season and beyond. Also, he looks into whether Devon Dampier is healthy enough to play on Saturday after being injured against...

One of the biggest games of the season is upon as a ranked BYU welcomes a ranked Utah team to LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday. Host Josh Furlong jumps into the rivalry game to see if either one of these teams has an edge Saturday in what appears to be a dead heat. He is also joined by BYU beat writer Sean Walker, who gives an inside look at the Cougars and where their focus is going into the ga...

After another blowout win — albeit without the opponent's starting quarterback — it's time to revisit if Utah is a true contender in the Big 12 ... or has the schedule been too kind to the Utes. Host Josh Furlong recaps Utah's blowout win over Arizona State to help answer the questions about where Utah is as a program, as well as jumping into the stats to give a midway look at the team. He also gi...

The much-awaited night game setting for a Utah football game is coming Saturday. The game serves as a big test for both Utah and Arizona State in what could have Big 12 title implications. Host Josh Furlong previews the game with a look at some key storylines, including a deeper dive into the stats to see the nuances between the two teams. Furlong is also joined by Arizona State beat writer Michel...

Off a bye week, Utah football looks to build some momentum after a dominant win in West Virginia. But the next two weeks, specifically, will test the Utes against ranked opponents. So how is the team looking going into a game against Arizona State? Host Josh Furlong breaks down the bye week talking points, including a conversation about whether Byrd Ficklin should redshirt and whether he's QB2 for...

In a bounce-back performance, Utah football was in complete control on the road against West Virginia. The offense opened up the passing game, and it meant a world of difference for the team en route to a 48-14 win in Morgantown. Host Josh Furlong recaps the game, using advanced stats to show how the passing game was a major component into Utah doing what it needs to do to win games each week. Sta...

Coming off its first loss of the season, Utah football now faces a difficult cross-country test against an injury-riddled West Virginia team. Utah is a 12-point favorite in the road game, but is it a make-or-break scenario for the Utes en route to a season of success? Host Josh Furlong jumps into the numbers to see where this Utah team can get an edge, while talking about what's at stake for the t...

The weekend didn't go well for Utah football as Texas Tech came into Rice-Eccles Stadium and silenced Utah's hopes of a strong start to the conference slate. Host Josh Furlong recaps the weekend games, where he looks at what went wrong, should Utah fans be worried and where to go from here. He also talks about the Devon Dampier injury that impacted the starting quarterback's ability to play on Sat...

With FOX's "Big Noon Kickoff" setting the stage for a ranked-vs-ranked matchup on Saturday, there's a lot at stake between Utah and Texas Tech when the two battle it out on the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Host Josh Furlong previews the matchup, with a deeper dive in the advanced stats of the first three games of the season for both teams, despite relatively weak schedules. He's later joined by T...

The Utes are 3-0 after a 31-6 win on the road at Wyoming, but is everything good for this Utah team? Host Josh Furlong recaps (and nitpicks) the Wyoming game to see if Utah is ready for its test in Big 12 play. Is Utah really a Big 12 title contender or have they benefitted from a manageable nonconference schedule? Also, he looks at Devon Dampier and where he's at to this point in the season, as w...

The AP voter process came under fire this week after a voter said the system was more for fun and that it wasn't that serious. Host Josh Furlong, who is the state's AP voter, talks about the voting process and what it takes to rank the top 25 teams each week, while also showcasing the serious nature of the poll. He's also joined by Wyoming beat writer Cody Tucker to preview the Utah-Wyoming game o...

With two games under Utah's belt, it's clear that the team's offense has been able to score points. Host Josh Furlong briefly recaps the Cal Poly game and takes a look at Utah's offense under Jason Beck. Utah leads the country in a few offensive stats, which should bode well for the Utes, right? He also talks a little about Devon Dampier and where he's at as a quarterback, and where the offense ne...

The college football season begins for Utah in two days in an intriguing matchup against former Pac-12 foe UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Host Josh Furlong is joined by UCLA beat writer Benjamin Royer to take a deep dive on the Bruins. The two discuss the biggest questions about the Bruins and where the game can be won. Is it simply a battle between quarterbacks Devon Dampier and Nico Iameleava or will th...

It's game week for Utah football, as the team prepares for a road contest at the Rose Bowl against former Pac-12 foe UCLA. Host Josh Furlong recaps a couple Week Zero games — the two games that had Big 12 teams — and recapped Kyle Whittingham's comments from his weekly presser. What will be Utah's offensive identity? How confident is the team going into Saturday? Is UCLA a challenge for the Utes?...

Utah football is wrapping up its fall camp this week before shifting to game week on Monday. Host Josh Furlong recaps the major talking points from camp — depth charts, QB2 identified, defensive tackles progress — and how it will relate to the 2025 season. He also recaps a town hall meeting that Utah athletic director Mark Harlan held on Saturday about how Utah will handle the House Settlement and...

Host Josh Furlong is joined by Josh Newman and Bryan Brown in a "Hot Takes Draft" episode. The three give their best hot takes for Utah football and the Big 12, while providing context to help prepare you for the 2025 season. Some of the takes are scorching, while others are much more reasonable and well within reach. It's an episode you don't want to miss. Stay up to date with University of Utah...