SALT LAKE CITY – While the Big Ten and SEC watched several would-be College Football Playoff contenders stumble in damaging road losses, the Big 12 capped a banner day with the most lopsided victory by Utah against an SEC opponent.
In the first home game against a Power conference foe of Morgan Scalley's tenure, the Utes ran through, around and past a rebuilding Arkansas team in a 43-10 rout.
By the final minutes, what remained of Utah's student section, The Muss, mockingly chanted "SEC! SEC! SEC!" as the clock wound down.
On Sunday morning, the Utes were left dreaming about a different chant: "CFP! CFP!"
The Big 12's big
day began earlier when Oklahoma State, led by first-year coach Eric Morris, rebounded from an opening loss to Tulsa and stunned No. 6 Oregon, 39-31, as a 24-point underdog.
It nearly got even better. Iowa State led No. 21 Iowa 13-10 deep into the fourth quarter before the Hawkeyes rallied for a 16-13 win. Arizona State trailed No. 9 Texas A&M by just four points, 24-20, before quarterback Cutter Boley threw a pair of fourth-quarter pick-sixes that turned a competitive game into a comfortable Aggies victory.
Utah made sure the conference finished strong.
After spotting Arkansas an early 3-0 lead, the Utes scored 43 unanswered points, including 22 in a dominant second quarter, to improve Scalley's record to 3-0.
Scalley also coached Utah to last season's 44-22 Las Vegas Bowl victory over Nebraska as the program navigated an awkward transition following Kyle Whittingham's departure.
While Whittingham's first Michigan team upset No. 10 Oklahoma earlier in the day, Scalley's Utes showcased difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
Utah overwhelmed first-year Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield's team in front of the program's 97th consecutive sellout at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The offense averaged 8 yards per play before reserves entered late, while the defense broke up 13 passes, recorded four sacks, intercepted a pass and finished with seven tackles for loss.
The Utes piled up 260 yards of offense in the opening 12½ minutes and had seven different players catch passes in the first half alone.
Running back Wayshawn Parker scored three first-half touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, giving him six touchdowns through Utah's first six quarters of the season. Dynamic quarterback Devon Dampier and all-purpose weapon Byrd Ficklin combined for 375 yards of offense and four touchdowns.
Defensively, Utah smothered Arkansas after an encouraging start. The Razorbacks gained 64 yards on their first 13 snaps, then managed just 236 yards over their next 56 plays.
Utah returns home Saturday against in-state rival Utah State before opening a stretch of nine consecutive Big 12 games on Sept. 26 at Iowa State.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Utah's SEC humbling put an exclamation Point on the Big 12's big day
