Morgan Scalley — In dream year, he gains bragging rights over dad

Morgan Scalley has great love and respect for his father. So much so that he has worked hard to follow in his footsteps. Bud Scalley played football for the Utes from 1960 to 1962.

"It's a dream I've had ever since I was a kid," said Morgan. "I didn't dream I'd be doing it on defense. It was always a dream to follow up my father and play on the offensive side of the ball."

Though the younger Scalley became Utah's "Mr. Football" while racking up 5,500 all-purpose yards at Highland High, his days on the offensive side of the ball came to an end in college. Returning kicks and defense became his forte.

And it's paid off. The senior was recently named Mountain West Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year.

"It's an honor, but at the same time, I recognize I'm surrounded by guys who are just as deserving," said Scalley, who intercepted six passes in seven league games. He also returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and scored on a school-record 88-yard fumble return.

Scalley's efforts helped the fifth-ranked Utes complete their first 11-0 regular season. On Sunday, they're expected to garner an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl — becoming the first team from an outside conference to make it to the financially lucrative Bowl Championship Series.

"It's been a dream season," said Scalley, who is the Deseret Morning News' November Athlete of the Month. "I wouldn't have asked for anything better."

The run of success also settled some good-natured banter between father and son.

It began in the Liberty Bowl, where Scalley scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 74-yard fumble return. Bud, who crossed the goal line twice in his career, teased Morgan that he still held had one more.

That changed Oct. 23 at Rice-Eccles Stadium when Bo Nagahi fielded the opening kickoff against UNLV. He ran it out to the 10-yard line before handing off to Scalley, who ran down field for a touchdown.

"It was so wide open that I think anybody could have run that distance. It was a fun deal. I saw how open it was, and I couldn't believe it," said Scalley, who noted that UNLV was so surprised that one of its defenders, thinking the play was over, ran onto the field from the sideline during the return. "I was like what's going on? It was like the 'Twilight Zone.'

"I couldn't get a touchdown the right way," he joked. "So we had to fake everyone."