Utah QB Byrd Ficklin Shines In First Start As Utes Dominate Colorado 53–7

Byrd Ficklin threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in his first career start, powering Utah to a dominating 53–7 victory over Colorado on Saturday night.

The true freshman stepped in for injured starter Devon Dampier and made an immediate impact. Ficklin racked up 163 rushing yards and a touchdown by halftime and finished with 291 total yards of offense. The Utes built up a 43-0 lead at halftime and then emptied the bench in the second half, giving plenty of playing time to reserves and walk-ons.

Running back Wayshawn Parker added 145 yards and a score on just 10 carries as the Utes (6–2, 3–2 Big 12) secured bowl eligibility after winning only two conference games last season. Utah piled up a season-high 422 rushing yards, surpassing the 400-yard mark for the first time this year.

“I told (the offensive line) before the game, ‘We go out here and have fun, and play our game, we’re gonna do something great,’” Ficklin said afterwards. “And that’s what we did. We had something to prove.”

Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter completed just 9-of-22 passes for 37 yards with one interception. He was sacked five times before halftime while dealing with relentless pressure from Utah’s defense.

“I watched over 10 hours of film and a lot of pressures that came up today were nowhere to be found on tape, so I felt like today they schemed up this pressure just for us,” said Salter after the game.

The Buffaloes (3–5, 1–4) dropped their 12th game in the last 14 meetings with Utah, suffering their worst loss ever to the Utes. Colorado managed only 140 total yards and averaged 2.1 yards per play.

“This is probably the worst beating I’ve ever had except when my momma whooped me as a kid,” said Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

Utah’s ground game set the tone early. The Utes exploded for 167 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter, averaging 12.8 yards per carry.

Ficklin broke free on Utah’s second play from scrimmage for a 63-yard touchdown run, then Parker burst through a gap on the fourth drive for a 58-yard score that stretched the lead to 17–0.

In the second quarter, Ficklin added two touchdown passes — a precise 22-yard strike to JJ Buchanan and a 20-yard back-shoulder throw to Larry Simmons — helping Utah remain in the hunt to possibly reach the Big 12 title game.

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