Kansas State will travel to take on one of the best teams in the country. Here’s our scouting report and prediction for this week’s game at Utah.
MANHATTAN — Kansas State football has an opportunity to create a major shakeup in the College Football Playoff rankings when it travels to No. 12 Utah on Saturday, Nov. 22.
The Wildcats and Utes will face off in Salt Lake City at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
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Utah (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) is currently the second team out of the CFP bracket. The Utes are in the mix to make the Big 12 Championship, but would require a Texas Tech or BYU loss over the next two weeks while winning out.
Kansas State (5-5, 4-3 Big 12) is one win away from gaining bowl eligibility, needing to beat either Utah or Colorado to reach postseason play.
Kansas State vs Utah prediction
Utah has been one of the best teams in the country this season and provides a hostile environment for the Wildcats. The Utes have been mostly dominant, with their best win of the season a 45-14 victory over then-No. 17 Cincinnati, while their two losses have come to No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU.
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What separates Utah is its offensive line play. The Utes have a group graded by Pro Football Focus as a top-10 team in both pass and run blocking. Only Iowa and Miami (Florida) can say the same thing.
This has led the Utes to rank No. 2 in the country in rushing offense, averaging 278.4 yards per game. At the same time, they’re allowing less than a sack per game, ranking seventh in all of college football. Running back Wayshawn Parker is averaging 7.2 yards per carry.
What makes the Utes unique is their two-quarterback approach, using junior Devon Dampier and true freshman Byrd Ficklin. Dampier has missed some time with a lower-body injury and remains banged up, while Ficklin has proven to be an explosive runner. Both played in last week’s 55-28 win at Baylor, with Dampier doing the majority of the throwing and Ficklin breaking loose for touchdown runs of 67 and 74 yards.
Defensively, the Utes’ pass rush is ranked second in the Big 12 by PFF. They haven’t been the best tackling team in 2025, but their ability to get after the quarterback has led to 2.7 sacks per game, ranking 16th in the country. They’re allowing just 15.6 points per game, holding everyone except Texas Tech to under 30 points this season.
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Kansas State vs Utah scouting report
Why Kansas State has an advantage: Chris Klieman is 4-3 straight-up when the Wildcats are double-digit underdogs, and there aren’t many expecting them to come out on top in this one. Maybe the “nothing to lose” and underdog mindset could inspire the Wildcats to their best performance of the season.
K-State wasn’t impressive in its win over Oklahoma State, except in its ability to create turnovers, something the Wildcats have done all season. When the Utes have turned the ball over more than once, they’re 1-2, which included a four-turnover performance against Texas Tech. The Wildcats are fourth in college football in creating turnovers.
Why Utah has an advantage: The Utes will be plenty motivated, knowing they’re in the mix for a CFP appearance. A letdown against a disappointing Kansas State team isn’t something they can afford.
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The Utes have been great on both sides of the ball all season, have taken care of the ball and created plenty of explosive plays, which is an area the Wildcats struggle in. Kansas State seems way too banged up on both sides of the ball to keep up in this one.
Kansas State vs Utah score prediction
Utah 37, Kansas State 17
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State vs Utah football scouting report, pick for Big 12 game
Source: Utah News