Wayshawn Parker goes for career-high 3 TDs as No. 21 Utah rolls past FCS Idaho

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah running back Wayshawn Parker promised a bigger season after narrowly missing out on 1,000 rushing yards last year.

It's safe to say he's taking his own advice.

The junior running back was the star of the night with three touchdowns — two receiving and one rushing — on a career night as No. 21 Utah rolled to a 66-14 win over FCS Idaho in the season-opener for the Utes.

Parker found the end zone quickly to open up the game with a 9-yard reception in the front of the end zone, and then added a 21-yard rushing score late in the first quarter, before adding his third — a career high — on a 3-yard receiving touchdown late in the second quarter.

He finished with an efficient 94 all-purpose yards, including 71 rushing on 12 carries and 23 receiving on three catches, as Utah (1-0) put up 633 total yards on offense against Idaho.

"I was just going out there bringing confidence in my O-line and the team," Parker said. "That first game I had to go out there and show what it's going to be like this season."

His head coach, Morgan Scalley, who earned his first win as head coach in Rice-Eccles Stadium Thursday, said Parker was a major contributor to the team's early success in the win.

"That guy can catch the ball, run the ball; he's tough as nails," Scalley said. "You watch him block, he is a complete running back, which is why we have a ton of NFL scouts come to watch in practice."

And though Parker highlighted his multi-faceted skillset Thursday night, it was an all-out showing from offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven and the Utah offense, who utilized several playmakers to move the ball with ease against the Vandals.

Utah starting quarterback Devon Dampier finished the night after 2.5 quarters, throwing for 176 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-18 passing. It was the seventh straight game for Dampier with multiple passing touchdowns.

In relief for Dampier, Byrd Ficklin managed two passing touchdowns and 93 yards on 4-of-8 passing, while adding 70 rushing yards on a seven carries.

The two facilitated a potent offense that featured depth at both the wide receiver position and running back position. In total, eight receivers caught a pass, including a game-high 81 yards and two touchdowns — one was a 12-yard rushing touchdown — from Utah State transfer Braden Pegan.

Most impressive, though was a deep backfield that featured 10 different players rushing the ball Thursday night. True freshman LaMarcus Bell led the team with 87 yards, including a late 34-yard rushing touchdown, on seven carries in his Utah debut as a depth piece.

Beyond Bell was Steve Chavez-Soto, who rushed for 35 yards and a touchdown on six carries, and Mateaki Helu, who added 25 yards on three carries, to provide versatility and depth to the run game.

In total, Utah finished with 364 yards rushing and 269 passing in a fairly balanced game.

"Marky Atuaia is such a good position coach, man," Scalley said of his running back coach. "He gets those guys ready. He holds them accountable, and that's a position group I know is going to come ready every single week."

"We already knew we were going to come out and everybody was going to go out there and ball out; we had that standard," Parker added. "No matter who's on that field, you want to have your job, and you want to do it correctly. So everybody went up there, they already knew what to do, and they just balled out."

And though the offense stole the show on the night, it was the defense that got the Utes rolling early with an early interception deep in Idaho territory from Trey Reynolds, who set up Utah's first score of the night. On the next possession, Utah forced a fumble that Rabbit Evans quickly jumped on to give Utah prime position again.

Reynolds' interception made it seven straight games that Utah has recorded an interception, with 10 total picks coming over that seven-game stretch.

Idaho (0-2) managed two scores on the night, with Hayden Kincheloe capping off a 13-play, 75-yard drive on a 3-yard rushing touchdown. Starting quarterback Joshua Wood later added a 22-yard rushing touchdown late in the third quarter.

The Vandals finished the night with 225 total yards on offense, with Wood throwing for 111 and an interception on 9-of-27 passing in the loss.

But Scalley said he was impressed with his team's defensive performance Thursday night in what was a fairly aggressive approach. On a majority of the defensive plays, Colton Swan dialed up pressure to get after Wood, who finished with a team-high 41 rushing yards.

"With an athletic quarterback like they have, you want to bring it from different angles," Scalley said. "It's very easy for a guy like that to step into the pocket, and I still think he was their leading rusher. But you just want to make sure that there are no lanes for that kid, and so Swan did a great job of coming from everywhere — coming from different angles."

In the end, it was a complete performance for Scalley and his team, which gets its first win of the season before welcoming Arkansas to town next Saturday.

"I keep saying this: It's not about Morgan Scalley. I'm happy that this first one's over with, so everyone can stop talking about this is Morgan Scalley's," the first-year head coach said. "This is a Utah football deal — always will be. It is about these kids. It's about these players, and there are so many people, both that you see on the sideline behind the scenes, that help these guys get to where they're at."

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