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Rice-Eccles at night once again reminded everyone why there’s nothing like Utah Football under the lights. Devon Dampier proved the doubters wrong, Utah rolled a supposedly “ranked” Cincinnati squad, and I break down why the national media’s obsession with the Kelce's is the only reason the Bearcats were even in the conversation.

Then we pivot south to Provo, where BYU’s entire Big 12 season hangs on an early-morning slugfest with Texas Tech. I’ll explain why it’s the defining game for both BYU and Utah’s playoff paths, and why Cougar fans should be proud no matter what happens next.

We wrap with chaos in the AP Top 25 (Virginia? Louisville? Duke??) and some early men’s basketball previews:

• Utah: rebuilding under Coach Jensen but trending the right way
• Utah State: poised for another Mountain West title run
• BYU: AJ Dybantsa, Richie Saunders, Rob Wright, Keba Keita… this might be the deepest roster in program history — and yes, I said Elite Eight potential

And just when you thought I was done — Logan Cooley gets paid. I’ll touch on why his new deal with the Utah Mammoth is a huge win for the franchise and the fan base.

Hit play, spelunkers. It’s another loaded week inside The Matt Cave.

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In this week’s episode of The Matt Cave Podcast, Matt breaks down a most chaotic weekend in Utah sports.

• BYU Football stuns Iowa State on national TV, led by true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier and a pair of elite game plans from coordinators Jay Hill and Aaron Roderick. Matt dives into how BYU’s defense adapted, why the offensive simplifications worked, and what this means for a possible Big 12 title run.
• Utah Football annihilates Colorado in Salt Lake City, handing Deion Sanders the worst loss of his Colorado tenure. Matt analyzes Kyle Whittingham’s defensive masterpiece, Morgan Scalley’s adjustments, and why Rice-Eccles Stadium at night remains one of college football’s toughest environments.
• Utah State falls flat against New Mexico as the Aggies’ bowl hopes evaporate, with Matt explaining how Bronco Mendenhall’s conservative play-calling has hurt their defense and offensive rhythm.
• On the ice, the Utah Mammoth continue their electric start to the NHL season. Logan Cooley’s natural hat trick, Nick Schmaltz’s heroics, and Clayton Keller’s leadership headline a 7-2 start that has the Mammoth looking like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Matt highlights the team’s blistering speed, defensive maturity, and why Veggie has earned the trust GM Bill Armstrong gave him with his contract extension late last season.
• And yes, there’s a quick look at the Utah Jazz — from their surprising start to better-than-expected jerseys — plus a few trademark Matt Cave rants along the way.

Tune in for deep analysis, local flavor, and passionate commentary from Utah’s most authentic voice in sports and gaming.

🎙️ The Matt Cave Podcast covers Utah sports, BYU football, Utah football, Utah State, Utah Jazz, Utah Mammoth hockey, and more — every Sunday, everywhere you spelunk for podcasts.

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We survived Rivalry Week — and somehow, Real Salt Lake survived the regular season too.

In this week’s episode of The Matt Cave Podcast, I break down:

• The Holy War aftermath: BYU’s physical dominance, Utah’s offensive woes, and what this means for both programs moving forward.
• Real Salt Lake’s wild playoff berth: how a 2–2 draw was enough, and why that “achievement” feels hollow.
• Utah State’s sneaky bowl hopes: Bronco Mendenhall’s Aggies are scrappy, but can they actually sneak into the Mountain West title race?
• Utah Mammoth momentum: Keller’s hat trick, Schmaltz’s breakout, Cooley’s grit, and why the herd is for real.

It’s a loaded Utah sports week, and yes — the sun did come up after the Holy War. Let’s spelunk into it.

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It’s Sunday… and you know what that means. Time to spelunk back into the madness of Utah sports and a little gaming sanity check to wrap it all up.

This week I break down:

• Real Salt Lake’s playoff rollercoaster — win and you’re in, lose and you’re out. Diego Luna’s return might be the spark they need.
• Utah Mammoth’s encouraging start — Cooley and Guenther look like future Olympians, and this young squad might just crash the playoff party.
• Utah State’s ongoing frustrations — Bronco’s defense still can’t stop a nosebleed, and it’s looking like another long season in Logan.
• Utah’s dominance over Arizona State — Whittingham’s team looks like the Big 12 favorite and is rolling into Holy War week in full force.
• BYU’s double-overtime heart attack against Arizona — lucky, scrappy, but still undefeated. Bear Bachmeier’s baptism by fire continues.
• And finally, my review of Borderlands 4 — fun, replayable, and proof that not every game needs to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes fun is enough.

All that and more on this week’s Matt Cave Podcast!

🎧 Listen anywhere you get your podcasts, and remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share with just one friend who loves Utah sports (or hates bad officiating as much as I do).

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This week, BYU wins but looks banged-up doing it. Bear Bachmeier flashed brilliance, Kalani Sitake’s team racked up penalties, and the Cougars’ defense limped into the toughest stretch of their Big 12 schedule.

Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake pulled out a gritty 1-0 win over Colorado to stay alive in the playoff race (yes, really), and the Utah Jazz continue to prove that “rebuild” is just code for “eternal mediocrity.” Nepotism, busted draft picks, and confusing messaging — Matt’s got thoughts.

No game review this week, but next Sunday brings a full Borderlands 4 review. Until then, buckle up for another week of Utah sports chaos.

 #TheMattCave #UtahSports #BYUFootball #RealSaltLake #UtahJazz #SportsPodcast #Big12 #CollegeFootball #SportsTalk #PodcastEpisode #UtahUtes #UtahState #NBA #MLS 

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Three out of four Utah teams came away with wins this weekend — and you know I’ve got takes.

I start with Utah State, who looked surprisingly competitive against Vanderbilt before SEC depth wore them down. But with Bryson Barnes settling in and John Miller anchoring the defense, the Aggies may have more juice this season than expected.

Then it’s over to Salt Lake City’s big boys: the Utes absolutely suffocated West Virginia on the road, though Devin Dampier’s turnover issues still loom large. The defense looks legit, but I’m still ranting about two-way players and risky play-calling.

BYU fans, rejoice. I thought the Cougars were in trouble against Colorado, but Bear Bachmeier and Aaron Roderick dialed up a creative game plan that turned the tide. Huge credit to linebackers Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker for wrecking Colorado’s rhythm.

RSL? It’s complicated. After back-to-back nightmares against LAFC, the Claret and Cobalt bounced back with a strong win over Austin FC — but the playoff math still looks grim.

And I close the cave this week with a dive into free gaming. With $70+ price tags becoming the norm, there are plenty of free (and actually fun) options to keep you gaming without draining your wallet — from The Finals and Marvel Rivals to MMORPG trials and card games.

Thanks as always for spelunking with me. Hit like, share with one friend, and I’ll see you next Sunday in The Matt Cave.

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This week inside The Matt Cave, it’s a full Utah football rundown:

• The Utes got thrashed at home by Texas Tech — is Kyle Whittingham’s offense officially broken?
• Utah State cruised past McNeese, but Bronco Mendenhall’s philosophy is already raising red flags.
• BYU’s defense looks Big 12-ready, but can the Cougars’ offense keep up as Colorado looms?

Plus, a quick look at the Utah Mammoth’s brand-new world-class practice facility as preseason gets rolling, and I close the show with a public service announcement for arena shooter players everywhere. (Spoiler: you’re not going pro. Calm down and play support once in a while.)

We’re closing in on six years of spelunking together — thank you all for being here. Share this episode with just one person who’d enjoy it, and let’s keep growing The Matt Cave!

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Three wins in Utah this week and a whole lot to talk about.

I break down Utah’s gritty road win at Wyoming—dominant defense (hello, John Henry Daly), red-zone hiccups, and a freshman kicking game that has me chewing nails—then pivot to a huge Texas Tech at Utah preview with Big Noon Kickoff in town. After that, it’s Utah State shocking Air Force behind Bryson Barnes’ five touchdowns and why bowl eligibility suddenly feels real in Year 1 under Bronco. We jump back into MLS with Real Salt Lake 2–1 Sporting KC—Diego Luna back on the sheet, playoff math, and why I still don’t trust the defense. Then it’s the Utah Mammoth rookie camp/showcase takeaways: why I’m bullish on the top-end prospects, what the bottom-six/bottom-four battles might look like, and how this front office is building with purpose. I close with early Borderlands 4 impressions (story/writing >>> BL3, fun gunplay, PC launch warts and all).

If you enjoy the show, share it with one friend who’d vibe with Utah sports and games. It helps more than you know. 💙

Topics

• Utes at Wyoming: elite defense, red-zone woes, freshman kicker nerves
• Texas Tech preview: strength-on-strength at Rice-Eccles
• Utah State 49–30 Air Force: Barnes’ breakout, Aggie path to a bowl
• RSL 2–1 SKC: Luna’s spark, play-in chase, defensive doubts
• Utah Mammoth rookies: top-heavy prospect pool, roster battles, year-one expectations
• Borderlands 4: first-look thumbs up (full review next week)

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This week on The Matt Cave, Utah college football takes center stage. 🏈

• BYU vs. Stanford: The Cougars’ defense dominated with sacks, turnovers, and shutdown play, but offensive play-calling remains a concern.
• Utah vs. Cal Poly: A blowout win revealed little, though questions linger about two-way players and receiver depth.
• Utah State vs. Texas A&M: Bronco Mendenhall’s Aggies showed fight but were ultimately outclassed in a tough paycheck game.

Beyond football, the show covers the Utah Mammoth’s rookie camp at their brand-new Sandy facility, Lauri Markkanen leading Finland past Serbia in international play, and Diego Luna with the USMNT in a tough loss to South Korea.

On the gaming side, Matt delivers his Borderlands franchise rankings while previewing Borderlands 4 and highlights why The Finals might be the most underrated free-to-play shooter out right now. 🎮

From college football breakdowns to NHL expansion buzz, NBA international updates, soccer struggles, and gaming hype, this episode delivers a full dive into sports and pop culture from a Utah perspective.

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🚨 New Episode Alert! 🚨

Week 1 of college football is in the books — and for once, we’ve got a Utah hat trick 🎩⚡ All three teams (Utah, BYU, Utah State) came away with wins… though some looked a whole lot prettier than others 👀

🏈 Utah’s defense embarrassed UCLA while Dampier took care of the ball
 🏈 Utah State found stability (and some weird helmets) in Bronco Mendenhall’s debut
 🏈 BYU’s true freshman QB Bear Bachmeier didn’t just survive — he thrived in a 69–0 demolition

Plus, I wrap things up with my hype check on Borderlands 4 (Sept 12) and Battlefield 6 (Oct 10) — the two biggest releases left this year (sorry, Call of Duty). 🎮

Grab your Diet Coke, settle in, and let’s spelunk into the madness. 🎙️

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