This year’s player of the game memento: an oversized Utah Mammoth hat. You may have seen photos and videos of it being passed around the locker room after wins. After being named and a round of applause, the new winner dons the headwear for a job well done. Switching to the hat started with Captain Clayton Keller and a joke for one of his linemates.
“I actually ordered one as a joke for (Barrett Hayton) because we always say that he has a big head,” Keller laughed. “They’re kind of popular and then I brought it into the rink one day and me, (Lawson Crouse), and (Mikhail Sergachev) just kind of talked about him.
“We said ‘hey, we should make that our postgame hat,’” Keller continued. “After you win it, you sign it and after the year, I don’t know what we’ll do with it (yet).”
Keller and the leadership group have the rest of the regular season to decide what happens to the hat. But for now, it remains a key part of the post-win celebrations. Having a moment to celebrate and recognize each other is a key part of any team.
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“That’s important,” head coach André Tourigny explained. “That’s part of team chemistry, having fun, building relationships all of that.”
“It’s super cool,” Keller reflected. “Brings the guys together after the game, celebrate the win, and enjoy it for a little bit before we move on to the next one.”
The 39th season of “College GameDay” has kicked off its 32nd year of road shows. “College GameDay Built by The Home Depot” is headed to Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday for a showdown between Cincinnati and Utah. Rece Davis hosts the three-hour show, and will be joined by analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban at the desk, along with college football insider Pete Thamel, reporters Jen Lada and Jess Sims and college football betting analyst “Stanford Steve” Coughlin. “GameDay” legend Lee Corso retired after the Aug. 30 broadcast.
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Where to go
“College GameDay” will take place at Presidents Circle at the University of Utah from 8-11 a.m. ET. The pit will open at 6:30 a.m. ET, and fans can line up early.
Click here for more details on directions, parking instructions and everything else you need for No. 17 Cincinnati at No. 24 Utah.
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Why we’re excited for Cincinnati at Utah
The conference foes meet for the first time ever.
Brendan Sorsby’s 20 passing touchdowns for Cincinnati is the 3rd-most in the Big 12.
Cincinnati are 5-0 in the Big 12.
Utah’s 267.1 rushing yards per game are the 5th-most in the FBS.
The last time Cincinnati and Utah were on ‘College GameDay’
Cincinnati last appeared on “College GameDay” on Nov. 6, 2021. The Bearcats beat the Tulsa Golden Hurricane 28-20. Saturday marks Cincinnati’s 3rd appearance on the program. Utah last appeared on CGD on Oct. 28, 2023, falling to Oregon 35-6. Saturday will be the 6th time “College GameDay” visits Utah.
Keep ‘College GameDay’ going
Christine Williamson, Harry Douglas and Harry Lyles Jr. return with “Countdown to GameDay Live.” The digital pregame show will be live each week at 8:30 a.m. ET and is available across social and streaming platforms.
Fans can also keep up with the game on the ESPN App. To learn more about ESPN’s networks and services, check out this direct-to-consumer FAQ.
For all of the latest “College GameDay” updates this season, check back in with our “College GameDay” home page periodically.
College football’s Week 10 slate is set to start and finish in Salt Lake City, where Utah will host Cincinnati in a pivotal Big 12 clash featuring conference title and postseason implications alike.
The ranked matchup between the No. 24 Utes (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) and No. 17 Bearcats (7-1, 5-0 Big 12) will also be the site for ESPN’s College GameDay pregame show, setting both teams up with an opportunity to gain national relevance and improve their standing in the Big 12 with a win in prime time.
Heading into Saturday’s 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff from Rice-Eccles Stadium, FanDuel Sportsbook established Utah as a 7.5-point favorite over Cincinnati in its opening betting lines for Week 10.
That line was set less than 24 hours after the Utes put together their most thorough performance of the season, crushing Colorado, 53-7, while dominating all three phases of the game to earn their sixth win of the 2025 campaign. After Morgan Scalley’s defense stifled the Buffaloes in the first half, holding them to -18 total yards while recording five sacks, an interception, a safety and a blocked punt, Utah finished with 422 rushing yards — the second-most by a Kyle Whittingham-coached team — behind true freshman Byrd Ficklin’s 151 yards on the ground.
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In place of Devon Dampier, Ficklin also threw for 140 yards and tallied 3 total touchdowns in his first collegiate start. Dampier had been upgraded to probable prior to kickoff, though the Utes opted to play it safe and start the former three-star recruit instead.
Dampier’s health status didn’t have much of an impact on the point spread last week, though it could over the course of the next six days as his squad prepares to face a defense that just held one of the country’s top offenses through the air to a season-low in passing yards.
Cincinnati brings a seven-game win streak into the matchup, with its latest victory coming against Baylor in a game where the Bearcats thwarted a late rally by the Bears with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of a 41-20 final. Despite engineering three consecutive scoring drives to make it a 3-point game after trailing 24-0, Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson never found his usual groove, finishing with just 137 passing yards while being sacked twice in his team’s fourth loss of the season.
The win kept Cincinnati in a first-place tie with BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) atop the league standings. Sitting two games back, Utah has a chance to shake up the leaderboard with its first top-25 win of the season on Saturday.
Spread:
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Moneyline:
Total: 56.5 (Over -115/Under -105)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Utah
Cincinnati
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Devon Dampier was listed as probable in Utah’s Friday availability report.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes quarterback Byrd Ficklin (15) runs the ball as Utah hosts Cal Poly, NCAA football in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.
Utah freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin made his first career start on Saturday night.
And it took him less than a minute to find paydirt.
On the second play from scrimmage, Ficklin kept the ball and broke off a 63-yard touchdown run to put the Utes up early.
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Despite being listed as probable on Friday’s availability report, junior quarterback Devon Dampier will only be available in an “emergency situation,” ESPN reported just before kickoff.
It’s the first time the junior has not started in a game for Utes this season.
This season, Dampier has completed 68.7% of his passes for 1,375 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also has 80 carries, 442 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Before making his first official career start, Ficklin had appeared in six games, tallying nine completions for 138 passing yards and one touchdown. The freshman had also made an impact on the ground, entering the contest with 17 rushes for 111 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
“Byrd Ficklin, we have a ton of confidence in [him] every time he’s entered a game,” head coach Kyle Whittingham said this week. “So far this year, he’s done positive things. If we end up going that route based on health, then we have the confidence he can get it done.”
