SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah football team returns to Rice-Eccles Stadium for the first time in 2025 for the home opener against Cal Poly at 4 p.m. MT. It will be the first ever meeting between the Utes and Mustangs on the football field.
 SATURDAY LINEUP
Venue: Rice-Eccles Stadium (Salt Lake City, Utah) Time: 4 p.m. MT Watch (ESPN+): Mark Neely (play-by-play), Barrett Brooks (analyst) ESPN 700 AM & 92.1 FM: Bill Riley (play-by-play), Scott Mitchell (analyst), Steven Sylvester (sideline); SiriusXM Ch. 386 Â
 THE NUMBERS
• Head Coach Kyle Whittingham improved to 17-4 in season openers with the Utes after Saturday's dominant 43-10 victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
• Utah's 286 yards rushing were more than UCLA's total offense output (220) in the opener.
• The Utes have won 16 straight home openers at Rice-Eccles Stadium (not counting truncated 2020 season due to COVID-19).
• Utah churned out a demoralizing 20-play, 80-yard touchdown drive on Saturday that chewed up 9:44 of game time in the third quarter. It tied for the most plays in one drive in week one FBS action (Stanford).
 UTAH FOOTBALL: NEED TO KNOWS
• Quarterback Devon Dampier made his presence felt in his first appearance as a Ute, throwing for 206 yards on 21-of-25 attempts while adding 87 yards rushing on 16 carries to combine for 293 total yards. Dampier added two passing touchdowns and one on the ground.
• Utah scored points on seven of its nine possessions against UCLA on Saturday, punting just once, with the other drive without a score culminating in victory formation as the clock hit zeroes in the fourth quarter.
• The Utes' defense harassed Bruin quarterback Nico Iamaleava all night, sacking him four times and allowing just 11 completions on 22 attempts for 136 yards while also intercepting a pass. UCLA could manage just 84 net yards rushing on 28 attempts.
• Utah was 14-of-17 on third down conversions, compared to just 2-of-11 for UCLA.
 RING OF HONOR INDUCTEES
Utah football is set to induct two former Ute greats into its Ring of Honor during Saturday's game in Ron McBride and Roy Jefferson.
 Ron McBride
Utah Head Coach, 1990-2002
Utah Offensive Coordinator, 1977-82
Utah OL Coach, 1985-86
In 1994, "Coach Mac" coached one of the top teams in Utah history as his squad went 10-2, beating No. 15-ranked Arizona in the Freedom Bowl to clinch the school's first 10-win season in history and finish with a top 10 national ranking. The '94 team won its first eight games of the season—including a road triumph over Oregon—then took down BYU in a classic to finish off the regular season.
The 1995 Utes won a share of the WAC Championship in a season that included the team's third straight win over BYU. Fan interest was rapidly picking up and paved the way for a rebuilt Rice-Eccles Stadium to open in 1998. A year later, Utah won a share of the 1999 Mountain West title and defeated Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Utes were back at the Las Vegas Bowl in 2001, knocking off USC and the next year's Heisman Trophy winner—Carson Palmer.
In his 13 seasons at the helm of Utah, McBride amassed an 88-63 record, six bowl appearances and 21 NFL draft selections. He was inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. McBride was the recipient of the All-American Football Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and was honored by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame in 2005 for "outstanding contributions to amateur football."
He also launched the Ron McBride Foundation, which supports schools, youth serving agencies, and programs that meet the needs of Utah's most vulnerable children. McBride's other accolades include MS Society Sportsperson of the Year and the YMCA Man of the Year. He has been honored by Prevent Child Abuse with its "Legacy of Hope" award and by the Boy Scouts of America.
Roy Jefferson
Utah Wide Receiver, 1962-64
Roy Jefferson was a first-team all-American as a senior in 1964, a three-year letterman, and one of the standout wide receivers in Utah history. Jefferson was a three-time All-WAC selection and served as alternate captain in his final year, when the Utes defeated West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl.
For his career, Jefferson averaged 16.66 yards per catch; it was a school record at the time and remains in the top eight at Utah more than 60 years later. He was the team's leading receiver in both 1962 and '63, with the latter season seeing Jefferson make 29 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns.
Jefferson was inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986 and his 1964 Liberty Bowl Team was enshrined in 2014.
The native of Compton, California, Jefferson was selected by Pittsburgh in the second round (18th overall) of the 1965 NFL Draft. He went on to play 12 seasons with Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington, and was a member of the Baltimore Colts squad that won Super Bowl V over Dallas in 1971. He earned three All-Pro selections and three trips to the Pro Bowl, including in 1968 when Jefferson led the NFL in receiving yards.
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