No. 15 Utah Visits Iowa State in Big 12 Matchup on FOX
The short version
- No. 15 Utah is a 7.5-point favorite at Iowa State, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, 2:30 p.m. CDT on FOX.
- Jaylen Raynor enters with 544 total yards and 4 TDs this season and a TD pass in five straight games.
- Utah QB Devon Dampier ranks second in the Big 12 in pass efficiency (178.5) with multiple TD passes in nine straight games.
- Both rosters feature Utah natives and former Washington State players with ties across the programs.
The Utes arrive in Ames as 7.5-point favorites for a Saturday afternoon kickoff at Jack Trice Stadium with coverage on FOX and both teams' radio networks.
Iowa State welcomes 15th-ranked Utah on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CDT at MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The venue holds 61,500 fans, and oddsmakers have installed the visiting Utes as 7.5-point favorites.
FOX carries the national television broadcast with Tim Brando handling play-by-play, Devin Gardner providing analysis, and Josh Sims reporting from the sideline. Iowa State fans can listen on the Cyclone Radio Network, where John Walters calls the action, Eric Heft serves as analyst, and Ryan Harklau works the sideline. Utah's radio crew features Bill Riley on play-by-play, Steven Sylvester as the analyst, and Zack Moss on the sideline.
Cyclone quarterback Jaylen Raynor has been productive through three games, totaling 544 yards of offense — 434 through the air and 110 on the ground — with four touchdowns. He sits third among active college players in career total offense at 10,421 yards and fifth in career passing yards with 9,121, and he has thrown a scoring pass in five straight contests.
Running back Aiden Flora paces the Iowa State ground game with 328 yards, averaging 109.3 per game and 8.6 per carry, with three rushing touchdowns. He is also a danger in the return game, having brought back two punts for scores during his career. At receiver, Dominic Overby (100 yards, 25.0 yards per catch) and Omari Hayes (101 yards on six grabs) headline a group known for explosive plays.
Utah's offense runs through quarterback Devon Dampier, who stands second in the Big 12 in passing efficiency at 178.5. He has thrown for 690 yards and seven scores while adding 114 rushing yards and two more touchdowns, and he has tossed multiple touchdown passes in nine consecutive outings going back to last season. Wayshawn Parker, 26th among active FBS players with 1,870 career rushing yards, has 154 yards and three touchdowns on the ground plus 10 catches for 89 yards and three receiving scores this fall. Wideout Braden Pegan, an arrival from Utah State, tops the team with 15 receptions for 235 yards and three touchdowns, including an eight-catch, 122-yard, two-score outing against his old school.
On defense, Iowa State linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen leads the way with 23 total stops, 12 of them solo, plus two tackles for loss and a sack. Carson Willich is second with 19 tackles and paces the squad with four tackles behind the line, while Isaac Terrell, a Utah native, fronts the pass rush with three sacks totaling 38 lost yards and a forced fumble. Safety Drew Surges has 10 tackles and four career forced fumbles, a figure tied for 14th among active FBS players.
Utah counters with linebacker Trey Reynolds, who has a team-best 16 tackles and an interception after setting a personal mark with 10 stops against Utah State. Captain Nate Ritchie follows with 15 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, and interior linemen Jireh Moe and Karson Kaufusi have combined for 14 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks across three non-conference victories. Corners Elijah Davis and James Chenault Jr. have broken up six passes between them.
There is no shortage of connections between the programs. Iowa State carries two Utah natives in Terrell, from Lehi, and Overby, from West Jordan, while Cyclone defensive end Malaki Ta'ase has deep family roots at Utah: his late father, Tunufa'i, lettered at defensive end in 1986 and 1987 wearing No. 98, and his mother, Laurie, played volleyball for the Utes, recording 49 service aces in 1988.
Additional ties include Ta'ase and Utah wideout Matt Clark playing together at Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona, and Iowa State backup center Kingston Fotualii teaming with Utes defensive end Fa Siale at O'Dea High School in Seattle. Parker, meanwhile, played at Washington State with several current Cyclones before entering the transfer portal in 2025, and Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers brought former Cougars Isaac Terrell, Donovan Fitzmaurice, Trevor Bindel and Malaki Ta'ase with him to Ames.
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