Ames, Iowa • Wayshawn Parker met a small crowd of Utah fans with a celebratory fist bump and a “let’s go!” that could just barely be heard over the Iowa State band.

His Utah-red jersey was stained with brown mud and green grass. His knees and legs? Bruised and bloodied after his 239 total yards and three-touchdown day in No. 15 Utah’s 31-17 win over Iowa State on Saturday.

The junior running back’s emotional cry just before trotting to the locker room seemed like a release — as if he might’ve been holding back something for three hours.

And, well, maybe that was actually the case.

“I have old teammates on that team, so I already knew what their mindset was going to be,” Parker said postgame. “They were trying to come in and try to take me out, but that’s not gonna happen.”

Parker even had to use the counsel of Utah head coach Morgan Scalley to rein in his fiery fervor.

“I have to go out there and prove what I have to prove,” Parker said. “First, they made a couple calls that I didn’t like. I talked to coach Scalley. He told me to calm down and just play the game, and I started there.”

What exactly was Parker referring to?

After a nine-yard run in the first half, Parker fell to the ground, the whistle was blown, and an Iowa State defender toppled onto his body. The Cyclones were called for a 15-yard penalty for a late hit.

But other instances went uncalled, too. After Parker’s touchdown run before halftime — which gave Utah a 24-3 lead — he was shoved by an Iowa State defender. Parker put his hands in the air when the yellow flag wasn’t tossed onto the muddy field.

“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 just at the end of the day,” Scalley said of Parker. “People are going to be physical, and we’re no different.

“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.”

Parker did just that.

His presence was felt in the first 15 seconds of the game. Taking a direct snap on the first play from scrimmage, he dashed and bounced through the Cyclone defense for a 54-yard touchdown.

That’s one way to start a conversation, even if he was shushing the Iowa State crowd with a finger to his facemask as he ran in for the score.

“I want to set the tone every week,” Parker said. “I want to do it. Not anybody else. I’m going to show them that that’s how it’s gonna be. It’s gonna be a physical game for the opponents, and we will rock the ball out.”

Parker didn’t stop there.

He had two more scores and a whole lot of yards after. He finished with 174 on the ground and added 65 more through the air.

In some ways, it felt like this type of performance was coming. Just last week, Parker shot out of a cannon on a 94-yard touchdown against the Aggies before it was called back because of a penalty.

Still, he claimed he didn’t think he was going to put on a show in Ames.

“I did not know,” Parker said when asked if he knew he’d be the feature player in the game plan. “I’m pretty sure [offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven’s] going to give everybody the ball.”

For a moment in the second half, it seemed like Utah’s offense pivoted away from powering up through Parker. He had only two rushes in the third quarter, as the Cyclones crept within seven points with 10:48 left in the game.

The Utes found their swagger a drive later. Or at least refound their feature back.

Parker touched the ball eight times after that, including his game-clinching, 13-yard touchdown reception.

The bell cow had finally returned to the pasture, and the Utes followed him to the barn for their fourth straight win.

“People talking about how they want to be physical,” Parker said. “We can be physical too, and we showed that on the field.”