Utah routs Colorado as Byrd Ficklin shines, reaches bowl eligibility

SALT LAKE CITY — True freshman Byrd Ficklin sprinted into the spotlight and the Utah Utes routed the Colorado Buffaloes 53-7 on Saturday night at Rice Eccles Stadium, a victory that pushed Utah toward bowl eligibility and left Colorado facing a steeper climb to reach postseason contention.

Ficklin, starting in place of injured starter Devon Dampier, opened his collegiate debut with a 63-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage and finished with 291 yards of total offense, completing 10 of 22 passes for 140 yards and two touchdown throws while rushing for 151 yards and another score. Utah piled up 587 yards overall, including a season-high 422 rushing yards, and led 43-0 at halftime after dominating all three phases.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham praised Ficklin’s readiness. "Byrd Ficklin, we have a ton of confidence in him every time he's entered a game," Whittingham said. "So far this year, he's done positive things." Running back Wayshawn Parker added 145 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, and the Utes turned sustained drives into points on five of nine first-half possessions.

Colorado, coming off a bye after a win over ranked Iowa State two weeks earlier, was...