Utah
Baylor football looks to make statement against No. 11 Utah, win first game against ranked opponent since 2022 – The Baylor Lariat
By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
The jitters are gone for Baylor football after sprinting into the season with a dominant victory. Lingering around the corner, though, is a road test against No. 11 Utah, which offers the Bears a chance to storm back into the national limelight. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
Since marching the green and gold to a Big 12 Championship and Sugar Bowl victory in 2021, head coach Dave Aranda has been unable to take down a ranked opponent. Despite its 21-7 win over No. 8 Ole Miss on January 2, 2022, Baylor has lost their last eight games against ranked foes.
“I want to be good,” Aranda said. “[Week 1] was, in a lot of ways, probably the first scrimmage of fall camp, on both sides, I would think, with just the inventory of plays being run. And so while there were clean things, it needs to be a whole lot cleaner, and communication needs to be better from the ones to the twos. I think there’s too big of a drop-off right now.”
The Bears (1-0) and Utes (1-0) faced off for the first time in program history in 2023, when injury-riddled Utah beat Baylor 20-13 at McLane Stadium. Because the home and away matchups were set prior to Utah joining the Big 12, Saturday’s battle will not count as a part of conference records and will be treated as a non-conference matchup.
For Aranda and the returning Bears, it doesn’t matter whether the game counts for the conference standings. They just want one more chance to take on a ranked opponent, and the opportunity to see a team they nearly beat a year ago makes the storybook possibilities even sweeter.
“We played hard last week but we didn’t really execute. I feel like if we play hard and execute, we’ll do really well,” senior wide receiver Ketron Jackson Jr. said. “[We’re] really looking forward to this trip. Obviously, from last year, I feel like it’s another chance that we get to knock them out.”
The green and gold were able to keep the game in Waco close, but allowed 17 unanswered second-half points. Keeping the game in Salt Lake City close, or even beating Utah, will take more discipline as the Utes have lost at home only three times since 2018.
“I have a lot of respect for them, their physicality and that home environment. It’s a tough place to play; it’s gonna be loud. We’ve had some game twos in tough places to play and this will be one of them,” Aranda said. “We’ve got something to prove. I think that we got a bunch of guys that want to win and want to achieve and want to be that team, and we know that the team we’re playing is kind of that team. And so we have to be able to show up with our best.”
Throughout the week, Aranda preached of the importance of defensive leadership and elevating the level of play with Utah senior quarterback Cam Rising on the opposing sideline. Junior safety Devyn Bobby is one of the defensive leaders who is expected to take on a bigger vocal role.
“We’ve definitely got a chip on our shoulder,” Bobby said. “It’s a revenge tour. We’re ready to step it up and we know it’s going to be a physical game. It’s going to take all four quarters but we’re prepared.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with the game being broadcast on FOX.
Utah
Utah coworking operator Kiln to open second Arizona location
Kiln is nearing the opening date of its second Phoenix-area location.
The Utah-based coworking company will open “Kiln Biltmore” — a 20,000-square-foot office for entrepreneurs, small businesses and larger companies — at Camelback Colonnade this fall. The office, which will carry an address of 1801 E. Camelback Road in Suite 201, will feature gathering spaces, meeting rooms, executive suites, a theater fitness room, audio rooms and more.
“Phoenix is a city that thrives on innovation and growth, and we’re excited to contribute to this vibrant community with the opening of Kiln Biltmore,” said Arian Lewis, CEO and co-founder of Kiln, in a statement. “Our mission at Kiln is to elevate the quality of people’s lives while at work, from startups to large enterprise teams, and this location is perfectly situated to become the center of gravity for the business ecosystem of Phoenix.”
Kiln members and guests also have access to a calendar of tech, entrepreneurship and business programs, networking events, professional development workshops, fitness and lifestyle classes for collaboration opportunities.
Earlier this year, Kiln opened in Gilbert on the second level of the SanTan Village outdoor retail center in a 33,000-square-foot space with similar amenities to Kiln Biltmore.
This story is posted in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal. Click to read the full story.
Utah
Trump makes quick campaign in stop in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — Dozens of supporters of Former President Donald Trump lined up along a chain link fence that separated them from a private hangar at the Salt Lake City International Airport. They were all hoping to a catch a glimpse of his plane landing in Utah for private fundraiser Saturday evening.
Cheers erupted when the plane branded with the former president’s name touched down.
“I think we all got goosebumbs, got a little emotional just seeing that Trump plane,” said Robyn Van Wagenen who has been a supporter since 2016. “We’re Trump supporters through and though.”
Trump’s last visit to Utah was back in 2017. Two other fundraisers previously scheduled in Utah this summer were canceled.
“It’s an interesting opportunity because Utah not being a battleground state, generally at this season of a campaign, (you) don’t receive a presidential visit or a visit from a presidential candidate,” said Robert Axson, Utah GOP chair.
Axson compared Trump’s visit like “pulling off on a road trip to get gas,” stopping in Utah while visiting various swing states like Nevada and Arizona. Trump only touched down in Utah for about two hours. Axson said approximately 500 people, of all ages, filled the private hangar, including Gov. Spencer Cox, House Speaker Mike Shultz and President Stuart Adams.
Deseret News reported donors paid thousands of dollars to be of attendance. Other big money donors included British television producer Mark Burnett and former national security adviser Robert O’Brien.
Brad Bonham, Utah GOP national committeeman said Trump spoke about things that are “important to the everyday Utahn.”
“He recognized the Gold Star families in attendance, spoke at length about our military. We have many military families here in Utah,” he said. “He also talked about energy production. And if you have spent any time in rural Utah, you know, many of the towns are supported by energy production.”
Axson and Bonham said that Trump acknowledged Utah is not a battleground state, but positioned very close to two others, Nevada and Arizona. They said supporters here have an opportunity to make sure those other states vote red. They said the Utah Republican Party is working to coordinate trips to those states to go and campaign for Trump.
“This (was) an opportunity for (Trump) to come to Utah, meet with hundreds of Utahns, hear from us on what our concerns and needs and interests are, and also an opportunity for us as Utahns to very clearly show our support for the candidacy of Donald Trump and showcase that Utah wants to see Donald Trump back in the White House,” Axson said.
Utah
College football live scores, updates: Tulane at Oklahoma, Utah at Utah State and more
Week 3 doesn’t look very appetizing on the surface, but you never know when there’s going to be a seismic upset.
Saturday started off a bit chalky with No. 4 Alabama blowing out Wisconsin after Badgers QB Tyler Van Dyke suffered an injury on the opening drive. No. 6 Missouri continued that with a nervy come-from-behind home win over No. 24 Boston College.
No. 16 LSU also needed to rally on the road against South Carolina after falling behind 17-0 early. The Tigers did just that, earning a crucial SEC win as the Gamecocks’ game-tying kick sailed wide as time expired.
Perhaps the most notable result of the day was yet another disastrous Florida State loss.
Follow the rest of the day’s action below.
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