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Utah freshman QB Byrd Ficklin gets his first start — and a highlight-reel touchdown

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Utah freshman QB Byrd Ficklin gets his first start — and a highlight-reel touchdown


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.”

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Vejmelka, Utah Shutout Golden Knights in Vegas | Utah Mammoth

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Vejmelka, Utah Shutout Golden Knights in Vegas | Utah Mammoth


“I just tried to help the team to get points as much as I can, and it’s a big team win tonight,” Vejmelka shared. “We need every point now. It’s a huge two points.”

After Vegas opened the game with five shots in the first 1:45, Captain Clayton Keller’s goal a minute later shifted momentum to the visitors. 3:18 after his first goal, Keller added his second of the game and doubled the Mammoth’s lead. Keller has found the scoresheet in six of the team’s last seven road games in March (3G, 5A).

“He was ready, his line played really good, especially in the first period,” Tourigny said of Keller. “I’m not saying they fade down after, I’m just saying they were more dynamic in the first. I think it was great to have that offensive production and like I said, three great goals in the first that give us a good lead.”

“Just being around the net,” Keller said of his goals. “Heck of a play by (John Marino) on one, and (a) fortunate bounce. I think when you’re around the net, (the) puck’s going to find you eventually. I think I’ve had a lot of chances lately and just bearing down and it’s good to see them go in.”

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Two minutes after the Captain put Utah up 2-0, Jack McBain scored his eighth of the season and increased the Mammoth’s lead to 3-0. McBain has scored in two straight games and continued to bring a high level of physicality with a team-leading seven hits. Tourigny complimented McBain’s line with Barrett Hayton and Michael Carcone.

“I think that line is playing rock solid,” Tourigny shared. “I think it’s night after night. They grind, they compete, they play both sides of the puck. They make plays with the puck, but they make safe plays as well. Really like what they bring.”

The Mammoth picked up all four possible points on this two-game road trip and will continue to push for a post-season berth. However, it’s a quick turnaround as the team travels back to Salt Lake City to host the Anaheim Ducks Friday night. 

“We know the schedule, so every game matters now,” Vejmelka said. “We have another big challenge tomorrow. We need to reset pretty quick and get ready for tomorrow.”

Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)

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  • This marks Utah’s second straight shutout win at T-Mobile Arena, after earning a 6-0 victory in the second road matchup with Vegas in 2024-25.
  • Mikhail Sergachev has now earned points in four of his last five games (1G, 3A).
  • Keller’s two goals came over the opening 6:05 of regulation, marking the second-fastest two goals by any player from the start of a game in franchise history.



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One more bad day and the Prop. 4 repeal misses the ballot

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One more bad day and the Prop. 4 repeal misses the ballot


Utah’s Prop. 4 repeal is hanging by a thread. A steady drip of signature removals has the Republican-led effort to undo the state’s voter-approved anti-gerrymandering law on the edge of missing November’s ballot.

Utahns for Representative Government (UFRG) wants voters to repeal Prop. 4, the 2018 ballot initiative that created an independent redistricting commission and outlawed partisan gerrymandering. To qualify the repeal for the ballot, organizers had to collect signatures equal to 8% of active voters statewide and also reach that 8% target in 26 of Utah’s 29 Senate districts.

Utah also lets voters who signed a petition remove their signature within a specified window. Opponents of the repeal effort have been taking advantage of that window, contacting signers and urging them to rescind their signatures.

As of Thursday morning, updated totals show another 118 signatures removed in Senate District 15, shrinking the cushion to a paper-thin 114 above the threshold. One more day like this, and SD15 fails, taking the repeal’s ballot hopes with it.

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Other districts are also eroding, but not quite as rapidly:

  • SD12: 460 surplus signatures (12 removals today)
  • SD17: 577 surplus signatures (33 removals today)
  • SD10: 590 surplus signatures (6 removals today)
  • SD8: 652 surplus signatures (8 removals today)

In 2018, the Count My Vote initiative, which sought to shift Utah’s elections from the caucus/convention system for nominating candidates to a direct primary election, initially submitted more than 132,000 signatures—enough to qualify the measure for the ballot. The initiative was knocked off the ballot after opponents peeled off just enough names in two Senate districts. The Utah Supreme Court later upheld the state’s removal process.

Voters have 45 days from when their name is posted online to pull their signature off a petition. In SD15 alone, nearly 3,400 names are still within that window—about 29 times the size of the district’s current 114-signature surplus.

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Black Utah license plates will soon double in price

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Black Utah license plates will soon double in price


Soon, there will be a new price for those trendy black license plates.

The price is increasing from $25 to $50 thanks to a new bill.

MORE | Gov. Cox signs 60 more bills of 2026 Leislative Session into law

Previously, when you would buy a plate, some of that money went to the Utah State Historical Society. Now, it’s going into three different funds.

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  • $5.50 into the Cultural and Community Engagement Foundation Fund
  • $23 into the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005
  • $21.50 into the Olympic and Paralympic Venues Grant Fund

There’s a reason why the plates are so popular.

“Looks cooler,” Carson Mac said.

Mac already has one and is getting a second one for his other car.

“Nobody else had them, and Utah’s were a little colorful, so I was like ‘eh nah,’” he said. “As soon as the black ones came out, I was like ‘yeah, I’m going to get that.’”

The plates came out in May 2023 and have been $25 since then, but the new bill changes that starting in January 2027.

“Why are they charging more for something that costs the exact same?” Mac asked. “If it’s something for Olympic venues, where’s our taxes going?”

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Senator Chris Wilson sponsored the bill and wasn’t available for an interview.

However, Senate spokesperson Aundrea Peterson sent 2News the following statement:

“Utah is known for consistently delivering tax relief to citizens and families while planning for long-term growth. With growing transportation demands, a strong arts community and the 2034 Olympics on the horizon, we are making responsible investments in the foundation our state depends on. The black license plate is a voluntary user-based option that supports priorities without raising taxes. It’s a practical approach that keeps Utah moving forward.”

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