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.
The Utah Jazz won their final summer league game against the Portland Trail Blazers 83-79. It was a fun game that came down to the wire, with a few Jazz players showing promise that could help the team.
The player who surprisingly didn’t help as much as you’d hope was Blake Hinson, who shot just 1/9 from three. Hinson was a sharpshooter for the Jazz last season, and it’s too bad that he couldn’t show that shooting stroke in the summer league. It’s likely not a big deal, but it would have been nice to see that shooting continue in the summer league. It does make you wonder why all the players who played for Utah last season, or will be getting regular minutes next year, didn’t shoot well in Las Vegas. Is that a trend? Or is it just a coincidence? It makes you wonder if the Jazz have been running hard practices, or if the players are tired from enjoying their time in Las Vegas? There’s no way to really know, but it’s interesting.
Utah’s strongest performer, in terms of plus-minus, was Bez Mbeng. He was a team-leading +14 and, even though he didn’t shoot the ball well either, his defense and intensity really shows on the floor. In this one, Mbeng had 4 steals and handled the ball for a lot of the game. He was also one of the top players in minutes with 20 in this one. I personally really like Mbeng and I’m rooting for him to make the team. I do think he can be a defensive-focused do-it-all player who could really contribute if he keeps improving.
Justin Harmon scored the ball well, leading the team in scoring with a team-leading 21 points. He had 6 free throws in this one and was a positive contributor overall. Harmon could be a nice addition to the training camp roster and, if he can show out, maybe he can earn himself a roster spot. He’s worth watching going forward at the very least.
And with that, the summer league is now over, and we now enter a long summer that will lead into one of the most exciting eras of Jazz basketball I can remember. It will be led by the best prospect in Jazz history to actually suit up for the Utah Jazz, and I can’t wait to see him develop into a superstar wearing the purple and blue.
Jon Anderson will be charged with moving the Orem school forward following the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on campus last year.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Incoming UVU President Jon Anderson poses for a photo with his family after an event announcing his selection at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, July 17, 2026.
BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — A massive community effort is underway as volunteers and Beaver County crews distribute thousands of sandbags to protect homes from the potential path of floodwaters.
After the Cottonwood Fires, residents have been waiting for weeks for relief to come in the form of rain, though officials now warn it may come all at once with an increased risk of flooding and debris flow.
Emergency Service Director Les Whitney believes that the fire has left plenty of debris to bring trouble for residents.
“We got a lot of water. We’re bringing debris with it, so tree branches, tree limbs, logs, lots of different size firewood, and that’s all in the creeks. We’re worried about that plugging up our bridges and stuff, so we have heavy equipment and excavators located in strategic places so that we can keep those bridges open,” said Whitney.
An estimated 140 homes and condominiums were spared from the flames, but remain in the paths of floodwaters.
Residents can also pick up sandbags at the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office or at the Beaver County Rodeo Fairgrounds.
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