Photo by: Anna Fuder/Utah Athletics
10/31/2026 6:04 PM | Football
Postgame Quotes
No. 6 Utah 49, (at) Cincinnati 25
Cincinnati, Ohio (Nippert Stadium)
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026
Kick: 3:50 p.m. ET | End: 7:12 p.m. ET
Attendance: 36,487
Â
Utah Quotes
Head Coach Morgan Scalley
Opening Statement…
"Really proud of our guys to come on the road after a big win against Houston, to stay focused. Really proud of the coaches and the players for buying into one game at a time, focusing on not letting the last game take over what we needed to do today. This is a very good Cincinnati team and coach Satterfield did a really good job. Their guys did not quit or give up and we sure did our part in helping make it somewhat of a game in the second half. We need to finish better, but I'm so proud of our guys. The way we started, both on defense, getting a stop early, and then on offense, just continuing to go in Utah's favor. Takeaways, huge, got our 23rd pick-six in a row. That was awesome. We got a scoop and score from Rabbit Evans, so fantastic job on Swan's Halloween birthday, so good for Swan to get a couple touchdowns. Offensively, Devon was fantastic. In this game, he set the all-time rush record for quarterbacks at the University of Utah, so congratulations to Devon Dampier. I also thought he threw the ball very well, was very efficient outside of the second half, bad decision on the bubble screen, but that's a kid whose ultra-competitive who's not pleased with how he played against Houston in terms of throwing the ball but man, did he step up big. We rushed the ball very efficiently, 6.4 yards per rush, so a lot of good stuff that went on in this game. The takeaways, obviously, giving us a short field and our ability to capitalize on that, 3-of-5 in the red zone in terms of touchdowns. I wish we would've punched that last one in but didn't do it, so on to next week, but very proud of our guys. We're going to celebrate this one and then, obviously, have to go 1-0 next week."
Â
On if that was as perfect a first half as he's seen at Utah…
"I don't know. It was really good. I think the Vegas Bowl against BYU, five takeaways in the first five series, it's hard to beat that one, but they came back too, so again, we have to finish, but that was a really good first half. That's what happens. When you take the ball away, it's such a huge, huge momentum shifter, changer. It takes the crowd out of the game. The ability to capitalize on that, which is what the offense did, scoring twice on our own on the defensive side of the ball, that's why the emphasis is there. Ballhawks is part of our culture. You practice the heck out of it, every aspect of taking the ball away, from the strip to the scoop and score, it needs to be a part of what you do every day or else stuff like that doesn't happen. We work an interception drill, heading to the nearest sideline, securing the ball, no blocks behind the back. It's stuff that coach Swan and the defensive staff harp on every day so it's not like a big surprise when that stuff happens, but it was awesome."
Â
On what it's like when the offense is rolling like they were in the first quarter…
"It feels great. It doesn't always happen that way. I thought Kevin and his staff did such a nice job of really dissecting how to attack this defense. They're very opportunistic. They were opportunistic today as well in terms of trying to rip the ball out and get two takeaways of their own, but I thought they did a really nice job of spreading the ball around, running the ball efficiently, pulling it on the RPO game when we needed to. Really good decision making by Devon all first half.
Â
On the day that Hunter Andrews had and what it was like seeing him battle through the last few weeks…
"It's another guy that you just root for and here we are again, another guy on offense stepping up and having a day. We have a very unselfish group that understands it's all about the team. It's not about me, the individual. Hunter has been nothing but, like you watch clips of him the past seven weeks, it's just blocking, blocking, blocking, getting out in front, blocking for people and now it's his turn. The football gods were shining on him today because of that effort, so super proud of him. His parents were here to see it too. That's awesome."
Senior Quarterback Devon Dampier
On what the first half was like…
"Man, it was crazy. [The defense] was keeping us off the field, but they were putting up points as well. It was a big mindset for us, coming out of last week. We were very upset about having zero points going into halftime, so there's a big focus in starting our practices faster, continuing to start with more energy and I felt like we were able to showcase that."
Â
On how much emphasis was placed on getting off to a good start…
"Huge emphasis, especially in team football. Last week, we saw the defense go out there and go ball in the first half and, again, we felt some type of way about it. There was a lot of energy coming out this week that we're going to make sure this is a full team effort when we come out of here and as you can see, both sides. The defense was making plays and, honestly, that gives us a boost as well. We can't do it without the other side."
 Â
Fifth Year Cornerback Elijah Davis
On how important it was to keep the pick-six streak going…
"It was definitely important. We talk about that all year and for it to finally happen, I give myself a pat on the back."
Â
On what he saw on his pick-six…
"We knew all week from film, he likes field-side flats, so we were really just waiting for the right call and we got the right call and it happened."
Â
Senior Safety Nate Ritchie
On what it does for the team when the defense is making plays like the two touchdowns they scored…
"I think it just boosts morale. Any time somebody makes a big play, we have such a big family here that everybody is pumped up for them. It effects everybody, whether that's offense, defense, special teams, even the coaches. Everyone is a little bit more jazzed up and ready to go."
Â
On his touchdown-saving tackle that led to a Cincinnati missed field goal…
"I think it's really just how our culture shows. I was fortunate that I was in that position, but you can see guys, in every single game where somebody is hawking someone down or making a play, so it's just in our culture to be relentless and never give up. I was fortunate to be in that position today where I didn't give up and that's going to continue to happen going forward. People just don't give up and we're relentless after that football and on defense, not letting them get in the end zone."
Â
No. 6 Utah 49, (at) Cincinnati 25
Cincinnati, Ohio (Nippert Stadium)
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026
Kick: 3:50 p.m. ET | End: 7:12 p.m. ET
Attendance: 36,487
Â
Utah Quotes
Head Coach Morgan Scalley
Opening Statement…
"Really proud of our guys to come on the road after a big win against Houston, to stay focused. Really proud of the coaches and the players for buying into one game at a time, focusing on not letting the last game take over what we needed to do today. This is a very good Cincinnati team and coach Satterfield did a really good job. Their guys did not quit or give up and we sure did our part in helping make it somewhat of a game in the second half. We need to finish better, but I'm so proud of our guys. The way we started, both on defense, getting a stop early, and then on offense, just continuing to go in Utah's favor. Takeaways, huge, got our 23rd pick-six in a row. That was awesome. We got a scoop and score from Rabbit Evans, so fantastic job on Swan's Halloween birthday, so good for Swan to get a couple touchdowns. Offensively, Devon was fantastic. In this game, he set the all-time rush record for quarterbacks at the University of Utah, so congratulations to Devon Dampier. I also thought he threw the ball very well, was very efficient outside of the second half, bad decision on the bubble screen, but that's a kid whose ultra-competitive who's not pleased with how he played against Houston in terms of throwing the ball but man, did he step up big. We rushed the ball very efficiently, 6.4 yards per rush, so a lot of good stuff that went on in this game. The takeaways, obviously, giving us a short field and our ability to capitalize on that, 3-of-5 in the red zone in terms of touchdowns. I wish we would've punched that last one in but didn't do it, so on to next week, but very proud of our guys. We're going to celebrate this one and then, obviously, have to go 1-0 next week."
Â
On if that was as perfect a first half as he's seen at Utah…
"I don't know. It was really good. I think the Vegas Bowl against BYU, five takeaways in the first five series, it's hard to beat that one, but they came back too, so again, we have to finish, but that was a really good first half. That's what happens. When you take the ball away, it's such a huge, huge momentum shifter, changer. It takes the crowd out of the game. The ability to capitalize on that, which is what the offense did, scoring twice on our own on the defensive side of the ball, that's why the emphasis is there. Ballhawks is part of our culture. You practice the heck out of it, every aspect of taking the ball away, from the strip to the scoop and score, it needs to be a part of what you do every day or else stuff like that doesn't happen. We work an interception drill, heading to the nearest sideline, securing the ball, no blocks behind the back. It's stuff that coach Swan and the defensive staff harp on every day so it's not like a big surprise when that stuff happens, but it was awesome."
Â
On what it's like when the offense is rolling like they were in the first quarter…
"It feels great. It doesn't always happen that way. I thought Kevin and his staff did such a nice job of really dissecting how to attack this defense. They're very opportunistic. They were opportunistic today as well in terms of trying to rip the ball out and get two takeaways of their own, but I thought they did a really nice job of spreading the ball around, running the ball efficiently, pulling it on the RPO game when we needed to. Really good decision making by Devon all first half.
Â
On the day that Hunter Andrews had and what it was like seeing him battle through the last few weeks…
"It's another guy that you just root for and here we are again, another guy on offense stepping up and having a day. We have a very unselfish group that understands it's all about the team. It's not about me, the individual. Hunter has been nothing but, like you watch clips of him the past seven weeks, it's just blocking, blocking, blocking, getting out in front, blocking for people and now it's his turn. The football gods were shining on him today because of that effort, so super proud of him. His parents were here to see it too. That's awesome."
Senior Quarterback Devon Dampier
On what the first half was like…
"Man, it was crazy. [The defense] was keeping us off the field, but they were putting up points as well. It was a big mindset for us, coming out of last week. We were very upset about having zero points going into halftime, so there's a big focus in starting our practices faster, continuing to start with more energy and I felt like we were able to showcase that."
Â
On how much emphasis was placed on getting off to a good start…
"Huge emphasis, especially in team football. Last week, we saw the defense go out there and go ball in the first half and, again, we felt some type of way about it. There was a lot of energy coming out this week that we're going to make sure this is a full team effort when we come out of here and as you can see, both sides. The defense was making plays and, honestly, that gives us a boost as well. We can't do it without the other side."
 Â
Fifth Year Cornerback Elijah Davis
On how important it was to keep the pick-six streak going…
"It was definitely important. We talk about that all year and for it to finally happen, I give myself a pat on the back."
Â
On what he saw on his pick-six…
"We knew all week from film, he likes field-side flats, so we were really just waiting for the right call and we got the right call and it happened."
Â
Senior Safety Nate Ritchie
On what it does for the team when the defense is making plays like the two touchdowns they scored…
"I think it just boosts morale. Any time somebody makes a big play, we have such a big family here that everybody is pumped up for them. It effects everybody, whether that's offense, defense, special teams, even the coaches. Everyone is a little bit more jazzed up and ready to go."
Â
On his touchdown-saving tackle that led to a Cincinnati missed field goal…
"I think it's really just how our culture shows. I was fortunate that I was in that position, but you can see guys, in every single game where somebody is hawking someone down or making a play, so it's just in our culture to be relentless and never give up. I was fortunate to be in that position today where I didn't give up and that's going to continue to happen going forward. People just don't give up and we're relentless after that football and on defense, not letting them get in the end zone."
Â
Players Mentioned
TE
/ Football
QB
/ Football
CB
/ Football
S
/ Football
S
/ Football No videos available.
