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BYU beats Notre Dame and then turns around and lays an absolute egg against UCF. Sound familiar, Cougar fans?

Matt is back with another week of Utah sports talk, and there's plenty to unpack. BYU's stunning collapse against Central Florida takes center stage, with some pointed criticism of Aaron Roderick, Kelly Poppinga, and a coaching staff that simply wasn't prepared for the moment. The officiating gets its share of criticism, too, but Matt isn't buying it as an excuse for the loss.

There's also a look at Utah's late-game escape against Houston, Devin Dampier putting the team on his shoulders, and what lies ahead for the Utes during a critical stretch of their season.

Elsewhere, Utah State disappoints against Texas State, the Jazz stumble out of the gate, and Real Salt Lake suddenly has a legitimate opportunity to make something happen before the season ends.

And then there's the Utah Mammoth. The power play is rolling, the team is sitting near the top of the Central Division, and Matt is firmly planted on the Zammoth. The defensive concerns are real, but this is a team worth getting excited about.

It's another week of Utah sports, questionable decisions, high blood pressure, and plenty of reasons to keep spelunking.

Topics covered:

• BYU's embarrassing loss to Central Florida and coaching concerns
• Utah survives Houston behind Devin Dampier
• Utah State's offensive identity crisis
• Utah Jazz season-opening struggles
• Real Salt Lake's playoff possibilities
• Utah Mammoth's hot start, power play, and defensive concerns

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BYU took down No. 2 Notre Dame, Utah nearly let one slip against Colorado, Real Salt Lake finally remembered how to win, and the Utah Mammoth have a goaltending (coaching?) problem worth discussing.

Matt is back in the Matt Cave, fighting through an illness to break down one of the biggest weekends of the college football season.

The main event? BYU's historic rank-defining victory over Notre Dame. Matt explains why this win matters for the Cougars, where it ranks among the biggest victories in program history, and why Bear Bachmeier, Kalani Sitake, and Kelly Poppinga deserve their flowers. After years of waiting, BYU fans finally have a moment worth savoring.

Meanwhile, Utah escaped Colorado after a disastrous third quarter nearly turned a comfortable lead into a loss. With Houston looming, the Utes have some serious issues to clean up before the competition gets tougher.

Matt also discusses Real Salt Lake's 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City, the frustration of MLS playoff expansion, and why the Utah Mammoth need to trust their other goaltenders before Karel Vejmelka gets run into the ground.

Plus, an argument against expanding the college football playoff, a look at Utah's defensive adjustments, and plenty of unfiltered Utah sports talk.

Topics covered:

• BYU defeats No. 2 Notre Dame and makes a statement nationally
• Where the Notre Dame victory ranks in BYU history
• Bear Bachmeier, Kalani Sitake, and BYU's defensive standouts
• Utah survives Colorado and looks ahead to Houston
• Real Salt Lake finally gets a win
• Why too many playoff teams diminish the regular season
• Utah Mammoth goaltending, Karel Vejmelka's workload, and the defensive adjustments ahead

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Matt is back in The Matt Cave, and there is a lot to unpack in Utah sports this week. The Utah Mammoth are off to a strong start, BYU has a massive showdown with Notre Dame on deck, and Utah State somehow found a way to win a game that was anything but pretty.

The Utah Mammoth have looked like a legitimate force through the opening stretch of the NHL season. Matt breaks down the road trip against the Rangers, Devils, Bruins, and Sabres, examines the team's offensive firepower, and explains why Utah is starting to look like a wagon. But can this speed-driven team adjust when opponents manage to muck things up? And what should fans make of Karel Vejmelka's early-season performance?

On the college football side, Utah State escaped Washington State with a 17-16 win after a dominant defensive second half. Matt looks at what went right, what still needs work, and what awaits the Aggies down the road.

BYU picked up an impressive win over Iowa State, with Bear Bachmeier delivering a standout performance. But Matt has some questions about fourth-down decisions, punt returns, and the Cougars' passing offense as they prepare to face a highly ranked Notre Dame team. Can BYU pull off the upset, or are Cougar fans in for a long night?

Finally, Matt breaks down Utah's dominant performance against Kansas, the Utes' remaining schedule, and why the upcoming matchup with Houston could tell us a lot about how serious this team is as a contender. With the Holy War looming for both programs, the next few weeks could reshape the Big 12 race.

Plus, a quick look at Real Salt Lake's playoff outlook, because apparently the soccer gods aren't done testing everyone's patience.

Grab a seat, spelunkers. It's time to talk Utah sports.

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Matt is back in the Matt Cave for another week of Utah sports, breaking down a rough night for Utah State, an ugly but important BYU win over TCU, and an absolutely electric start to the Utah Mammoth season.

Utah State got handled by Boise State, raising more questions about the Aggies' quarterback situation and whether Grady Brosterhous needs to be the unquestioned starter moving forward. Matt also looks ahead at Utah State's remaining schedule and whether a 6-6 season is still within reach.

BYU survived a sloppy, weather-soaked battle with TCU, but Matt has plenty of questions about the offense, the team's preparation coming out of a bye, and what happened when LJ Martin left the game with an injury. The defense, however, continues to impress, and Matt gives Kelly Poppinga plenty of credit for what the unit is doing up front.

Then there's the Utah Mammoth.

Two games into the season, Utah has outscored its opponents 10-1, Karel Vejmelka has a shutout, the power play and penalty kill are both clicking, and the Mammoth have shown a willingness to throw their weight around. Matt breaks down Dylan Guenther, Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, the new additions, the team's physicality, and why this group has him very excited about what's ahead.

Plus, a quick look at the latest AP Top 25 rankings before Matt heads back into the Matt Cave for another week.

The Matt Cave Podcast covers Utah sports, gaming, and whatever else is worth talking about. Thanks for spelunking by.

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Matt is back with another episode of The Matt Cave Podcast, breaking down a busy Week 4 in Utah sports.

Utah is 4-0 after a 31-17 win over Iowa State, but the victory came with plenty to talk about, including questionable officiating, Utah's strong defensive performance, a turnover-free offense, and what the Utes' upcoming schedule looks like.

Utah State finally found the win column with a victory over Troy, and Matt takes a closer look at Grady Brosterhous' continued development at quarterback, the Aggies' suddenly productive rushing attack, and a Utah State defense that forced three turnovers.

Then it is time for the big one: a full Utah Mammoth season preview.

Matt breaks down the Mammoth's expectations for the upcoming season, the team's depth at center, the additions of Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee, Daniil But's NHL readiness, Clayton Keller's potential to reach 100 points, Logan Cooley's importance to the team's playoff hopes, Dylan Guenther's scoring potential, and the biggest question mark on the roster: defensive depth.

Matt also looks around the Central Division and the rest of the Western Conference to see where Utah could fit in the playoff picture.

The hopes are high. The expectations are a little more measured. But after last season's playoff appearance, Matt believes the next step for the Utah Mammoth is making the playoffs and showing that they can win a postseason series.

More Utah Mammoth coverage can also be found on Utah Mammoth Daily on YouTube.

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Matt is back in the Matt Cave to break down a busy week of Utah sports, starting with college football.

He reacts to Utah's dominant 33-0 win over Utah State, including Devon Dampier's performance, Utah's suffocating defense, the Aggies' struggles running the football, and the frightening injury to Harrison Taggart. Matt also looks ahead at what's next for both Utah and Utah State and why he still believes the Aggies have a path to a bowl game.

Then it's on to BYU's 38-7 win over Colorado State. Matt breaks down LJ Martin's ridiculous rushing performance, the strength of BYU's offensive line, Bear Bachmeier's performance, the BYU defense, and the biggest question marks facing the Cougars as they head into a bye week.

The episode also includes a look at the latest AP Poll, where BYU sits at No. 9 and Utah at No. 15, before Matt turns his attention to the Utah Jazz and Keyonte George's five-year, $157.5 million extension.

Matt explains why the George extension makes sense for the Jazz, how it fits alongside the team's young core, and why the pairing of George and Darryn Peterson could create a dynamic backcourt as Utah looks to become competitive again.

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Week 2 of the college football season is in the books, and Matt has plenty to talk about.

Utah absolutely dismantled Arkansas 43-10, with the defense shutting down the Razorbacks and the offense continuing to show just how dynamic this Utes team can be. Matt breaks down the running game, Devon Dampier, Wayshawn Parker, Byrd Ficklin and a Utah defense that has allowed just 24 points through two games.

Utah State was the surprise of the week. Matt expected Washington to run away with this one, but the Aggies hung around until the very end and nearly pulled off the upset. Three turnovers ultimately doomed Utah State, but the performance gave Matt even more reason to believe in his bowl-eligibility prediction.

BYU also impressed against Arizona. After a shaky first half defensively, the Cougars made major adjustments at halftime and completely shut down the Wildcats in the second half. Matt breaks down the changes from Kelley Poppinga, the pressure on Noah Fifita, Bear Bachmeier's performance and why this BYU team is starting to look like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.

Then Matt takes a look at the latest AP Poll, where BYU jumped to No. 11 and Utah climbed to No. 17.

To wrap things up, Matt gives a quick update on the Utah Mammoth rookie showcase, including the team's 3-0 win over Vegas and the status of Tij Iginla and Caleb Desnoyers heading into main training camp.

It's another week of Utah sports, college football reactions and a little bit of AP Poll skepticism from the man cave.

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Matt breaks down a busy Week 1 for Utah college football, including impressive performances from Utah and BYU and a rough opening loss for Utah State against Idaho State.

Utah looked dominant against Idaho, with Devon Dampier, the offense, and the defense providing plenty of reasons for optimism. Matt also looks at the areas the Utes still need to clean up before Big 12 play ramps up.

BYU opened the season with a strong performance against Utah Tech, with Bear Bachmeier, Legend Glasker, and the Cougars' tight ends standing out. Matt also examines BYU's special teams and pass rush concerns ahead of the Arizona game.

Utah State, meanwhile, suffered a disappointing 29-17 home loss to Idaho State. Matt explains why the Aggies' offense, turnovers, kicking game, and upcoming schedule should have fans concerned, while also arguing that it's still far too early to abandon his preseason prediction.

The episode then shifts to Real Salt Lake, who remain winless since the end of May after a 2-2 draw with LAFC. Matt breaks down RSL's defensive problems, injuries, tactical issues, and the challenges facing the club as the MLS playoff race continues.

It's Week 1, so there is still plenty of time for Utah, BYU, Utah State, and Real Salt Lake to figure things out.

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Matt wraps up his 2026 college football previews with a look at the Utah State Aggies.

After a six-win season in 2025, Utah State enters a new-look Pac-12 with plenty of questions. The Aggies lost several key contributors, including their quarterback, offensive coordinator, Ike Taylor and John Miller, but Matt sees enough returning and incoming talent to believe Bronco Mendenhall can outperform expectations once again.

Matt breaks down Utah State's schedule, the transition to the Pac-12, the importance of the Washington State game, and the Aggies' chances of reaching bowl eligibility — and potentially backing their way into the Pac-12 Championship Game.

He also identifies the players who could determine Utah State's season, including quarterback McCae Hillstead, wide receiver Javon Robinson, running back Javen Jacobs, defensive back Brevin Hamblin, edge Adonis Jackson and linebacker Harrison Taggart.

The final prediction?

6-6, another bowl game, and a legitimate chance to finish in the top four of the Pac-12.

That might be considerably more optimistic than the preseason expectations, but Matt isn't exactly backing away from it.

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Matt breaks down the University of Utah's 2026 football season, from the transition away from Kyle Whittingham to Morgan Scalley's first season as head coach.

Coming off an 11-2 season that included a dominant 44-22 bowl victory over Nebraska, Utah returns plenty of talent, including quarterback Devin Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker, while facing major questions along both the offensive and defensive lines.

Matt breaks down the schedule, the biggest position-group concerns, the quarterback and running back rooms, the new-look offensive line, the defensive front, special teams and the players who could determine how far the Utes go.

The schedule may be one of the biggest advantages Utah has in 2026. Matt sees Idaho, Arkansas, Utah State, Iowa State, Kansas, Colorado and Cincinnati as wins, with Houston and BYU representing the biggest tests of the regular season.

And then there's the prediction.

Matt believes Utah's floor is 10-2, sees an undefeated season as the ceiling and ultimately predicts an 11-1 record with a loss to BYU.

Could the Utes make a run at the College Football Playoff? Could Utah and BYU meet again in the Big 12 Championship Game?

Matt breaks it all down before looking ahead to the players and storylines that could define Utah's 2026 season.

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