Nationwide and West Coast reactions pour in after UCLA throttles Utah, changes Pac-12 race

UCLA 42, Utah 32. The result turned a lot of heads in the #Pac12 and across the nation. See how the public, and the two fan bases, reacted to the eye-opening result.

Utah versus UCLA was one of the biggest games of the weekend and easily the most intriguing game on the Pac-12 slate.

Utah, the reigning Pac-12 champions, faced UCLA, which entered the weekend undefeated and playing at home — this had all the buzz.

Chip Kelly’s team answered the call in every way possible, defeating Utah 42-32. Dorian Thompson-Robinson was electric all game long, finishing with 299 yards and four touchdowns through the air with another score on the ground.

Zach Charbonnet gashed the Utah defense, running for 198 yards and a score, and the Bruins moved to 6-0 with their eyes on a massive matchup with Oregon in two weeks.

Here is how everybody reacted following UCLA’s huge victory over Utah on Saturday, and Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley definitely got ripped apart by fans.

Utah football coach retained but salary, status cut because of racist text

Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley admitted that he had “made a terrible mistake.” It will cost him future salary and status.

The University of Utah has reinstated its football team’s defensive coordinator, Morgan Scalley, following an investigation into a racial slur he used in a text to a recruit in 2013.

Scalley, who was suspended from the team for a month, admitted using the slur, and in a statement admitted that he used the word and had “made a terrible mistake.” He added, “It was offensive and hurtful to not only the African-American community, but to all.

“I am also heartbroken over the potential breach of trust with my fellow coaches, and with the young men in our program, both past and present,” he said at the time. “I am truly sorry, and I own up to the hurtful effects of my choice.”

Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan made the decision official Wednesday.

“We have thoroughly evaluated all of the information available to us to determine the most appropriate conclusion and path forward,” Harlan and Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said in a letter. “The racist language used by coach Scalley is inexcusable and harmful to all, particularly to those communities identified in the report.”

As a result of the investigation, Utah will keep Scalley, but will cut his salary in half (scheduled to be $1.1 million this season) in addition to rescinding his head coach-in-waiting status.

Before this, Scalley was viewed as the heir apparent to Whittingham’s head coaching job when he retires, was named a 2019 Broyles Award finalist after leading the Utes to a No. 2 national ranking in total defense last season.

UNLV Reportedly Looking at Utah DC Morgan Scalley, Oregon OC Marcus Arroyo

Will the Rebels take a coordinator from Utah or Oregon?

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UNLV Reportedly Looking at Utah DC Morgan Scalley, Oregon OC Marcus Arroyo

Pac-12 title game could feature the future UNLV head coach.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Rebels are looking for an up and coming coach.

The UNLV coaching search is underway but UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois is in no rush to pick the next coach. The Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that the search will likely go through late next week.

The Las Vegas-based paper has a few names to report on as well and they are young coordinators on ranked teams. Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley and Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo.

The reports say there is at least some level of mutual interest between Scalley and Arroyo; neither has been a head coach. This should make some UNLV fans more interested in tuning into the Pac-12 title game this Friday night as it is the Ducks vs. the Utes.

Scalley has been a mainstay at Utah ever since he was a player where he played safety where was named Mountain West co-defensive player of the year in 2004, the same year the Utes busted the BCS.

He is known as a great recruiter and was Utah’s recruiting coordinator from 2009 through 2016. Scalley was a big reason the Utes got talent from Texas as that was one of his primary areas in recruitment.

This year the Utes defense is one of the best in the FBS and is third in scoring defense at 11.3-points per game allowed, fourth in yards per play allowed and first in rushing yards per play allowed.

As for Arroyo, he also is the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach in addition to running the Oregon offense. Being the quarterback’s coach has to be alluring for UNLV as he is going to have a first-round, if not a top-10, quarterback selected in the upcoming NFL Draft in Justin Herbert.

In his senior year, Herbert has thrown for 3,140 yards, 31 touchdowns, only five interceptions, and is completing 67.5 percent of his passes. The Rebels could use that kind of output under center since this year saw UNLV play multiple quarterbacks with neither having overwhelming success.

Arroyo also has ties to the conference as he played quarterback at San Jose State and ultimately became its offensive coordinator and he held that same position with Wyoming for two years. He also has a year of NFL experience as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback coach in 2014.

With these two coaches involved in the Pac-12 title game, this Friday night do not expect a hire to be made.

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