‘Do our talking with our pads’: Morgan Scalley proud of Utes’ ‘self-constraint’ in after-the-whistle extracurriculars at Iowa State

AMES, Iowa — Utah players had to keep their composure after the whistle on multiple occasions in Saturday’s win at Iowa State.

Cyclone players engaged in some extracurricular pushing and shoving after the referee blew the play dead multiple times during the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Ute receiver Braden Pegan, who had 29 yards and a touchdown on two catches, also intercepted Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor on an end-of-the-first half Hail Mary after he was inserted on defense.

After Pegan’s interception, Cyclone receiver Omari Hayes grabbed Pegan’s head and shoved it to the turf, but the referee didn’t see it and no flag was thrown.

After-the-whistle extracurriculars are sometimes part of football, but Utah players quickly grew frustrated dealing with them after just one personal foul and one roughing the passer penalty was called on Iowa State Saturday.

Like Pegan, running back Wayshawn Parker also was on the wrong end of some of these situations, although he was somewhat expecting it.

Parker transferred from Washington State to Utah after the 2024 season, and new Cyclones head coach Jimmy Rogers was the Cougars’ head coach for the 2025 season, so naturally several WSU players joined him in Ames for this season.

“Personally, I got old teammates on that team, so I already knew what their mindset was — come in and try to take me out, but that’s not going to happen,” Parker said.

“... Refs didn’t make a couple calls that I didn’t like. I talked to coach (Morgan) Scalley. He told me to calm down and just play the game, and that’s what I did.”

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In a few moments on Saturday when Utah’s players could have retaliated, which might have drawn a flag, they stayed composed, thanks in part to Scalley’s coaching.

“Well, it can be very easy to make it a personal battle and to get flags, and I’m really proud that he showed some self-constraint,” Scalley said of Parker.

“At the end of the day, people are going to be physical and we’re no different. We’re physical and you have to leave it up to the refs, but I don’t want to be the one to get the flag. He understands it’s a team game and I’m so proud of him (and) the way those guys handled that.”

While the Utes avoided any personal foul penalties that would have set the team back, Scalley did say they weren’t clean enough overall in comparison to their first three games of the season.

“Nine penalties, I believe, on the night — pass interferences and false starts, so we got to be cleaner there,” Scalley said.

“But in terms of the extracurricular stuff, that’s up to the referees and it’s just on us to make sure that we’re not making it a personal battle and to do our talking with our pads.”