Copyright Boulder Daily Camera
Colorado hasn’t faced Utah’s top quarterback in nearly three years. There’s a chance the Buffaloes won’t see the Utes’ starter this week, either. During a press conference on Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said it’s a “distinct possibility” that starting quarterback Devon Dampier won’t be healthy enough to play when the Utes host CU on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium (8:15 p.m., ESPN). Dampier threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 64 yards in Utah’s 24-21 loss to rival BYU on Saturday, but Whittingham said the junior “got beat up in this game pretty good.” A transfer from New Mexico, Dampier has completed 68.7% of his passes for 1,375 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions this season, while rushing for a team-high 442 yards and five touchdowns. Dampier’s top backup is true freshman Byrd Ficklin, who has appeared in five games, but could get his first start Saturday. “We have to wait a few days to see how these guys are healing up from the game,” Whittingham said. “(Ficklin starting), that’s a distinct possibility, I can tell you that. But on Wednesday you’ll start getting the availability report and the likelihood of who’s playing and who is not.” Ficklin is 9-for-9 for 138 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 17 times for 111 yards and three TDs in his limited time this season. Most of that production came in lopsided wins against Cal Poly and West Virginia. “Byrd Ficklin, we’ve got a ton of confidence in,” Whittingham said. “Every time he’s entered a game so far this year, he’s done positive things. … If we end up going that route based on health, then we got the confidence in him that he can get it done.” In 2024, Utah lost veteran starter Cameron Rising to a season-ending injury in mid-October. When the Utes came to Boulder on Nov. 16, freshman Isaac Wilson was in the lineup. In 2023, the Utes were down to their fifth-string quarterback, Luke Bottari, when the Buffs got to Salt Lake City for the season finale, on Nov. 25 of that season. CU last saw Utah’s top quarterback – Rising – during the 2022 season finale. Good first impression True freshmen edge rushers Alexander McPherson and London Merritt have made their mark on the Buffs’ defense so far this season. McPherson has 13 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, a blocked punt and is second on the team with five QB hurries. Merritt has recorded 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. “You forget they’re 18,” CU defensive coordinator Robert Livingston said of the former IMG Academy teammates. “The effort, the attitude, the enthusiasm they play with, it’s kind of infectious. “There’s such a different skill set. London wants to take the fight to you, which is rare to be an 18 year old and your No. 1 pass rush move is obviously speed to power. And then Alex is just kind of the Energizer Bunny; the plays he makes on the backside. As they continue to grow and see some things, they’re just going to continue to thrive.” Late kicks Saturday’s game in Salt Lake City will be the third in eight games for CU that kicks off at 8:15 p.m. MT. So far, six of the eight have had 5:30 p.m. MT or later kickoffs. CU head coach Deion Sanders has expressed his dislike for the late kickoffs. Athletic director Rick George said the late kickoffs are “challenging,” especially for the road team, as it’ll be close to 4 a.m. by the time players get home Sunday morning. George acknowledged, however, that CU generally brings good ratings to ESPN in its late-night slot. “I know our fan base doesn’t like it. I don’t like it,” George said. “But in some ways we’re a victim of our own success, right? If you look at our ratings in that time slot, it’s about as good as anybody in the country. … It’s an acknowledgement of the success that we can have in the viewership of college sports.” Through the first seven weeks, CU had two of the top three most-viewed games in ESPN’s 8:15 p.m. slot, with 2.46 million viewers against BYU (Sept. 27) and 1.34 million viewers against Wyoming (Sept. 20). BYU’s home game against West Virginia on Oct. 3 had the second-most viewers in that spot (1.41 million). Notable CU’s homecoming game on Nov. 1 against Arizona has been selected by the Big 12’s TV partners for a six-day hold, meaning the game time and TV slot won’t be announced until Sunday. Of the seven Big 12 games that day, six were selected for a six-day hold.
