Utah
Utah football: Previewing the 2026 schedule with a look at Utah State, Iowa State – East Idaho News
SALT LAKE CITY (KSL.com) — It’s officially under 100 days until Utah football kicks off its 2026 season.
Last week, we highlighted the first two games of the schedule, Idaho and Arkansas, and now we’ll continue the schedule series with a look at the last nonconference game, Utah State, and the first game of conference play, Iowa State.
As a reminder, the early part of the schedule lays out nicely for Utah to gradually build upon before hitting the toughest part of its schedule (at least on paper). As mentioned last week, there are challenges early in the schedule and no guarantees; but if Utah really is a Big 12 title contender, then the early part of the schedule should be manageable.
The early sportsbooks have Utah leading the conference (with BYU) with 8.5 wins. And Utah’s next two opponents are projected at or near the bottom of their respective conferences, which bodes well for the potential to pick up two early wins.
Let’s continue our look into the schedule with Game 3 and 4: Utah State and Iowa State.
To see a more thorough breakdown of these games, click on the YouTube video below.
Utah State Aggies
Date: Thursday, Sept. 19 (1:30 p.m. MT, FOX)
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT
2025 record: 6-7 (4-4 MWC)
Final AP ranking: N/A
Last meeting: Sept. 14, 2024 (Utah win, 38-21)
Preseason win projection: 4.5 wins (Bovada)
The “Battle of the Brothers” hasn’t had as much animosity over the years as a certain other rival in the state. But that doesn’t mean either in-state rival will want to give up any ground early in the season.
Utah last played Utah State during its miserable 2024 season, where the Aggies served as just one of Utah’s five wins that season in a come-from-behind victory in Logan. The circumstances of this year’s squad should be better than what Utah encountered in 2024, but the game comes a week after what could be a physical test against Arkansas.
On paper, Utah is the better team, but Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall has prepped enough against the Utes over the years to provide some intrigue in Utah’s final nonconference game of the season. And if the week prior went poorly for Utah, the Aggies will be eager to pounce.
The Aggies have a fair amount of returners to build on from last season but lose several top contributors to make it a challenge — including leading receiver Braden Pagen and offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven to … Utah.
Mendenhall brought back a familiar face in Robert Anae to his coaching staff as the team’s offensive coordinator. The two have been together for more than 15 years over several stops, and that familiarity will certainly help provide some much-needed consistency.
But the Aggies will have to get it done without starting quarterback Bryson Barnes under center. As his replacement, Mendenhall brought back McCae Hillstead to Logan, where he was previously as a freshman before transferring to BYU.
Hillstead hasn’t seen much of the field since leaving Utah State, but will likely be tabbed as the team’s starter. In 2023, Hillstead threw for 1,062 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions on a 59.5% completion percentage for the Aggies. A lot has changed since then, and can Hillstead be the heir apparent to lift the Aggies to new heights under Mendenhall?
Hillstead benefits from three starting interior offensive lineman returning, but will have a fresh set of talent around him, including transfer receivers Javon Robinson (Georgia State), Rex Haynes (Arizona) and Eli Wood (Oklahoma State). Robinson has the most production and will likely be the focal point to Anae’s offense.
To pair the passing attack, senior running back Javen Jacobs returns to lead the charge after rushing for 429 yards and five touchdowns on 65 carries. He also had 379 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season to be an additional threat in Anae’s quick-passing attack.
On defense, the Aggies have at least one veteran player at each level returning, which should provide some consistency from last season; however, the defense was a bit of a liability at times and gave up too much. But could a rebound be in order?
An improved defense with a potent Anae offense could spell trouble if Utah isn’t ready. There’s still enough questions surrounding the makeup of the team to predict an improved season, but Mendenhall is known for getting the most of his teams, especially in rivalry games.
Iowa State Cyclones
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26 (TBA)
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT
2025 record: 8-4 (5-4 Big 12)
Final AP ranking: N/A
Last meeting: Nov. 23, 2024 (Iowa State win, 31-28)
Preseason win projection: 5.5 wins (Bovada)
Flip a coin and that will have better odds than trying to predict what this year’s Iowa State team will do. The Cyclones were completely gutted after head coach Matt Campbell left Ames, Iowa, after a decade to take the same job at Penn State.
As such, 55 players — including starting quarterback Rocco Becht — entered the portal following Campbell’s departure. Of those, 23 transferred to Penn State, 11 went to different Big Ten schools and three others went to different Power Four conferences.
No starting player at Iowa State last season is on this year’s roster — hence the prediction from many that Iowa State will finish last in the Big 12 this season.
Iowa State turned to up-and-coming talent Jimmy Rogers as its next head coach, pulling him away after just one season at Washington State. Rogers, though, has limited experience at the FBS level after serving as head coach at South Dakota State from 2023-24, where he was defensive coordinator previously since 2019.
Joining him from Washington State is defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit, who helped the Cougars to the 15th best defense in FBS last season. At offensive coordinator, Rogers pulled Tyler Roehl away from the Detroit Lions after spending one season as the team’s tight ends coach.
Roehl previously spent one season at Iowa State as the team’s running back coach — his only FBS coaching experience — and has only been an offensive coordinator at North Dakota State from 2019-23.
So it’s a coaching staff in the infancy of their FBS tenure, which could provide new blood to the sport as up-and-coming talents or they could be in over their heads. It’s anyone’s guess at this venture — even with sustained success at the FCS level.
To compound the problems, Iowa State is turning over a roster that will have a new face at every position on both sides of the ball. Don’t expect an Indiana-like glow-up in Year 1 for Rogers.
Iowa State did well to recruit quality talent — including projected starting quarterback Jaylen Raynor (Arkansas State) and defensive end Isaac Terrell (Washington State) — but it’s a tall task to strike gold at every position in the first season.
Expect the defense to be further along than the offense early on, due mostly to the three defensive lineman who followed the coaching staff from Washington State. If Bobbit can create anything similar to the success he had last season, the defense may be good enough to keep Iowa State around long enough to do some damage.
But trying to project how it will all shake out for Iowa State is a fool’s errand.
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THE GEM STATE — Growing up in a family with Cache Valley roots, southeastern Idaho simply felt like an extension of our neighborhood. Some of my dad’s favorite fishing streams were in Franklin County, and we’d bump into friends who lived in Preston and the surrounding area.
In 1983, my dad started a job that required frequent trips to Rexburg. He’d often bring us kids along, and if we were lucky, he’d extend the visit to take us fishing on Henry’s Lake or rafting on the Snake River. The further north we ventured into Idaho, the more we loved it.
But even after all those trips to Rexburg, my experience in the state was limited. Forget the panhandle … I’d barely seen the pan.
So when my own kids set an audacious goal to explore all 50 states, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to venture into the northernmost regions of the Gem State. Here are some highlights from the route that took us from Lehi all the way up near the Canadian border:
Stanley
After a brief stop in Ketchum, our road trip properly kicked off in this mountain town. We rafted on the Salmon River and hiked kid-friendly trails, all under the imposing gaze of the Sawtooth Range. And even though Stanley’s population is barely in the triple digits, it still boasts some great restaurants. I ordered bison meatloaf at one place that was mind-blowing.
Our highlight of the Stanley area was definitely Redfish Lake. After hearing people rave about it for years, I finally understand why. It’s absolutely gorgeous and offers so many adventures for kids. We did the Lily Pond hike at the south end of the lake, and it was the right level of intensity for our four-year-old. And if you head up the trail a few minutes past the pond, you come to a nice waterfall.
There are several incredible campgrounds to choose from around Redfish Lake. And, if that’s not your style, cabins are available at the Redfish Lake Lodge.
Coeur d’Alene
From Stanley, we headed north to Coeur d’Alene. The eight-hour drive eroded the good vibes we’d created in Stanley, so we pulled into town with some grumpy kids. But the lake is a gem, and they quickly forgot their car-bound sorrows as we played on the beach. We could’ve simply spent our entire three-day stay exploring the beaches of Lake Coeur d’Alene and everyone would’ve been happy. It’s that expansive and beautiful.
Of course, there are lots of free family activities in Coeur d’Alene beyond just playing on the beach. You can watch live performances at the Art on the Green festival or enjoy the music at the Riverstone Summer Concert Series. And at certain times of year, this is the nation’s best place to see migrating bald eagles. If you want to venture even further northward toward the Canadian border, Priest Lake is about an hour and a half away and is absolutely worth the drive.
Since Coeur d’Alene is a resort town, there are hundreds of lodging options. We actually stayed in the neighboring town of Hayden at a place called Triple Play Resort, since it has a big waterpark and several amusement-park rides, and we knew our kids would be stir-crazy from the long drive. Seemed like a good call because they loved it.
McCall
The drive from Coeur d’Alene down to McCall takes about five hours. This was our best wildlife day of the trip, and we saw oodles of elk, pronghorn and deer along the way. Upon arrival, we hit up a Mexican restaurant in town, and it was one of our favorite meals of the entire trip.
The main attraction here is Payette Lake, which rests in a basin carved out by a two-mile-wide glacier some 10,000 years ago. But the violence of that process is long forgotten. Our days in Ponderosa State Park were so tranquil that we sometimes wondered if anyone else was even around (it helped that the summer season wasn’t yet in full swing). And there are multiple hot springs in the area, making it the perfect place for a relaxing soak after a day of hiking.
You can choose from an array of campsites and RV campgrounds in Ponderosa State Park. There are also cabins available to rent.
Boise
We made our final stop in the capital city before heading home. My kids love zoos, so we immediately hit up Zoo Boise. It’s smaller than Hogle Zoo but has some excellent exhibits. And I was intrigued to see some of their unique offerings, such as a boat cruise to observe monkeys in the trees and overnight sleepovers at their safari camp.
If you’re looking for a free activity for the kids downtown, stop by the JUMP campus. They have some epic slides that amazed my kids. The MK Nature Center, located within the Boise River Greenbelt, is another excellent no-cost option. One last highlight was taking my sons out to the Schwartz Sturgeon Pond in Parma. I’ve caught sturgeon on the Snake River before, but it’s not very kid-friendly. So it was fun to sit comfortably at the pond watching the kids catch and release 25 fish in just a couple of hours.
For lodging in Boise, we decided to stay somewhere the kids could really spread out after so much time spent in the car. There are lots of great options in town, but we chose the Element Boise Downtown because the rooms are brand-new and include kitchenettes. We actually got our best night’s sleep here, which was greatly appreciated before we embarked on the five-hour drive home.
EUREKA, Utah (KUTV) — Firefighters protected threatened homes in Eureka as the Iron Fire burned overnight, reporting that no structures were lost.
Officials with the Santaquin City Fire Department said firefighters focused their Saturday night efforts on protecting property from the wildfire after it spread over thousands of acres in Juab County. They released an update at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, saying no structures had been lost during the first part of the night.
“We can all let out a cautious sigh of relief for now. Because of the fire conditions and intensity of this fire, resources were focused mainly on structure protection. Those excellent efforts were successful in protecting the homes in Eureka,” fire officials said.
MORE | Iron Fire:
However, the noted that while the structures survived the night, the fire is still burning and 0% contained.
The human-caused fire was discovered Friday just west of Eureka, on the border of Juab, Tooele and Utah Counties. Since then, it has grown to over 13,000 acres, prompting evacuations for the Town of Eureka and the ranches nearby.
Officials plan to brief the public at 8:30 a.m. on all new developments.
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Helicopters and planes were seen dumping water on the fire and flying low over the campus Saturday evening.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A fire breaks out above the University of Utah on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
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