SALT LAKE CITY - Utah came out firing, BYU finished fighting, and the Utes had the last word in a rivalry game that swung hard in both directions before settling at 28-20.
No. 3 Utah needed just seven total plays to jump ahead 14-0 and light up a sellout crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium in the opening minutes.
Then the game flipped. BYU answered with 20 straight points in a second quarter that turned the momentum and handed the Cougars a 6-point lead at halftime.
Utah steadied itself after the break and shut the door from there, scoring 14 unanswered points while holding BYU scoreless in the second half. The win snapped a three-game skid and pushed the Utes to 9-0 on the season and 15th straight victory dating back to last season. Their last loss was to BYU in 2025.
The finish came on defense, with Trey Reynolds coming up with a goal-line interception to seal the comeback. BYU had one more shot to tie it, but Bear Bachmeier threw his third interception at the goal line to end the Cougars’ best chance to score.
Utah then ran down the clock before giving the ball back with under a minute left, and with time slipping away, Bachmeier was forced into another hurried throw. Nate Ritchie made the play and hauled in Utah’s second pick of the closing sequence.
The game had the full rivalry package: turnovers, dropped passes, bad penalties and explosive plays. It also had one of the more memorable trickier moments of the night, when Utah wide receiver Creed Whittemore threw a deep, contested pass to quarterback Devon Dampier, who rose between defenders to secure the ball on a key fourth-and-1.
Dampier did plenty of damage beyond that play. He threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 14-of-26 passing, and he added 87 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. It was also his second career reception.
Bachmeier had his moments early for BYU, but Utah’s pressure changed the game in the second half. The sophomore finished his second rivalry game with 272 passing yards, one touchdown and four interceptions on 21-of-35 passing, and he added 59 rushing yards on eight carries.
In Other News...
Bear Bachmeiers Collapse Turned BYUs Best Chance Against Utah
Bear Bachmeier gave BYU just enough early spark to make the rivalry feel manageable, and for a while the Cougars had the kind of offensive rhythm that can change a game in a hurry. His 75-yard touchdown pass helped set the tone in a first half that suggested BYU might have found the right answers against Utah, even as the matchup tightened into the kind of physical, possession-by-possession fight these games usually become.
Then the second half turned into a different story, and the turnovers piled up at the worst possible time. Bachmeier finished with four interceptions, and each one chipped away at BYUs chances to build on its early momentum or recover once Utahs defense started dictating the pace. In a 28-20 loss, the Cougars were left to wonder how different the night might have looked if their quarterbacks best stretch had lasted a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Big 12 Path Just Got A Lot Tougher After Utah Loss
The loss in Salt Lake City did more than sting in the moment. It tightened the road ahead for BYU in the Big 12 race, with Utahs 28-20 win leaving the Cougars at 7-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play, a mark that now puts a premium on every remaining league game. For a team that had been trying to stay in the thick of the title picture, the margin for error is suddenly a lot thinner.
Utah, meanwhile, kept rolling and is now sitting at 9-0 overall and 6-0 in conference play, which is why the Utes have suddenly become such a heavy favorite in the league chase. ESPNs projections reflect that shift, giving Utah a 93% chance to reach the Big 12 Championship Game and a 90% chance to make the College Football Playoff, a reminder of how quickly one rivalry result can reshape the path for both teams. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Heads To Utah With Playoff Pressure And One Huge Concern
Saturdays trip to Rice-Eccles Stadium has turned into one of the biggest games on BYUs schedule, with the Cougars heading into a Big 12 showdown that carries real weight in both the conference race and the College Football Playoff picture. Utah arrives unbeaten and sitting atop the league, while BYU comes in with one loss and a No. 9 ranking in the CFP standings, leaving little margin for error as the season tightens.
The Cougars do have some encouraging news on offense, with LJ Martin expected to play despite dealing with an injury. The bigger concern may be on the other side of the ball, where BYU is managing defensive absences at a time when every possession matters against a Utah team that has been hard to knock off balance. [Read more 🡒]