Utah's Scalley Keeps Utes Culture Alive While Whittingham Rebuilds at Michigan

After 21 seasons at the helm, former Utah Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham is starting over. He departed the program and eventually landed with the Michigan Wolverines. But nothing changed in Salt Lake City. In fact, Morgan Scalley becoming head coach revamped the Utes' approach.

In July, Scalley addressed the media at Big 12 Football Media Days and made one thing very clear. He had no intention of altering the recipe for success that Utah had previously built. However, he has started to put his own spin on it.

“Utah Football has a brand that's very recognizable,” Scalley said. “It's a physical brand that's very family-oriented. I don't know that I wanna necessarily change that recipe for success.”

Scalley delivers on his promise

Through Utah's three weeks out of conference schedule, Scalley and the Utes have done an incredible job restoring that recipe for success. Dominating each of their first three opponents, including SEC foe Arkansas at home.

Utah is 3-0 with the other two wins over Idaho and Utah State. In those games, the Utes outscored their opponents 142-24. Defensively, the Utes are averaging three sacks per game and have 16 tackles for loss. As a team, they are approaching 200 tackles. Utah also forced five turnovers in those three games.

Utah looks exactly how it should when Scalley was promoted from within. He had simply taken the baton Whittingham carried for so long and ran with it. Early on, Utah was a tough, disciplined team. They are controlling games in the trenches and have not committed more than eight penalties for less than 60 yards in any of their three games.

Utes quarterback Devon Dampier off to an admirable start

Scalley promised more of what Utah fans have come to expect. Could he deliver a team that looks like many of the double-digit winning teams led by Whittingham? Early returns are that he is headed in that direction. A steady rushing attack, a defense that can stop teams and a quarterback who can capitalize on chunk plays.

Utes quarterback Devon Dampier has completed 72 percent of his passes for 804 total yards and nine total touchdowns (7 passing, 2 rushing). On the ground, Wayshawn Parker, Byrd Ficklin and Daniel Bray have combined for 365 yards and five touchdowns. Through the air, Braden Pegan, Noah Bennee and Parker have combined for almost 500 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.

The Utah culture remains unchanged, in Utah at least

After three decades of Whittingham influencing Utah football, the biggest concern has been put to bed. Utah remains the same even without Whittingham. The family-friendly brand remains solid as a rock. The focus on building a team from the trenches outward hasn't changed. Playing tough, disciplined football remains.

Scalley has not altered the culture and tradition of what Utah has been. There have been no public shifts in thinking or policy changes we are aware of. The closest example of that would be the joint effort between Scalley and BYU coach Kalani Sitake. They're trying to return civility to the Holy War rivalry. To be completely fair, it does feel somewhat on brand for Utah. Harkening back to the family-friendly concept.

Whittingham is having a more difficult time improving the culture at Michigan

As reported earlier today by ESPN, the former Utah coach is still working to improve the culture at Michigan. A large reason many speculated that he was hired at Michigan in the first place. After the tenure he had at Utah, he might be exactly who is needed to fix the culture at Michigan following a rough stretch of scandal. Most notably the ones under Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore.

“We're still working on the culture and getting things instilled that way and the expectations,” Whittingham said. “When things get tough, that's when you really need to rise up and up your game and not get a deer-in-the-headlights look type of thing. It's just when things get hard, and you get into difficult situations and face adversity, that's when you need to really rise up with the emotion and the energy and not just put you in a funk, so to speak.”

Whittingham is 3-0 despite a controversial win over neighbor Western Michigan. Michigan will open conference play against No. 17 Iowa, who is allowing the lowest scoring in the FBS.

What's next for Utah and Michigan

Scalley and the Utes set their sights on Iowa State, Kansas and Colorado over the next few weeks to start Big 12 play before welcoming No. 25 Houston to Rice Eccles Stadium on October 24. Two weeks later, they will host No. 9 BYU in the new more polite Holy War rivalry. If Scalley and the Utes continue on this current trajectory, it could be a very good first year under the first-time head coach.