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...
Utahs Coaching Transition Suddenly Looks Bigger Than Fans Expected
Kyle Whittinghams move toward handing the program over to Morgan Scalley has made Utahs coaching transition feel a little more real, and a little bigger, than it did when the conversation was mostly theoretical. The timing is notable, too, coming on the heels of Utahs win over BYU, a result that mattered not just in the standings but in the way it reinforced the programs usual edge in a rivalry game.
For Utah fans, the bigger question now is how smoothly that next chapter comes together while the season keeps moving. The broader college football picture has already shown how quickly expectations can wobble, with Nebraska underperforming despite lofty rankings and Texas getting a major lift from Arch Manning against Missouri, so Utahs own transition is no small subplot. The Utes have momentum, but the real test is whether it carries cleanly into the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Put BYUs Dream Season In Serious Trouble
A rivalry game with Big 12 and playoff implications turned sharply in Utahs favor on Saturday, as the Utes beat BYU 28-20 and dealt a major blow to the Cougars dream season. Devon Dampier powered the turnaround with two second-half touchdowns, giving Utah the kind of response it needed in a game that carried far more than bragging rights.
Utahs defense did the rest, blanking BYU after halftime and forcing the Cougars into mistakes they could not overcome. Bear Bachmeier was intercepted four times, and one late takeaway helped close the door on a BYU rally that had once looked capable of changing the league race. [Read more 🡒]
Utah Just Gave Utes Fans New Rivalry Bragging Rights
Devon Dampier and Utah turned a rivalry game into another statement night at Rice-Eccles Stadium, leaning on a defense that kept BYU off the board in the second half and came away with four interceptions. The Utes had plenty to celebrate after the latest chapter in a matchup that always carries extra weight, and this one brought a fresh wave of reaction from national media and former players alike.
For Morgan Scalley, the victory carried a different kind of significance in his first chance to guide Utah through this rivalry from the top spot. The win only adds to the momentum around a team that has handled pressure well all season, and it also gives Utes fans another talking point the next time the BYU conversation comes up. [Read more 🡒]