SALT LAKE CITY - Utah’s 28-20 win over BYU didn’t just keep the Utes unbeaten. It lit up college football’s social feeds from start to finish.
No. 3 Utah rallied past No.
9 BYU on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium to move to 9-0 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 play. Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns, and Utah’s defense came up with four interceptions while blanking the Cougars after halftime.
Morgan Scalley’s first rivalry win as head coach gave the internet plenty to chew on, from Utah’s playoff case to the postgame celebration.
Former Ute Logan Fano was quick to celebrate the result.
WE’VE BEEN AVENGED! I LOVE THIS TEAM!! 🤣🤣
GO UTES!!!!!!! https://t.co/DJdm44buQV
Former Utes Demari Simpkins and Terrell Burgess also joined in on the celebration.
W❗️🔴 #GoUtes https://t.co/hKEvhOfiIP
The national conversation quickly turned to where Utah might land in the rankings. Ben Portnoy floated the idea that the Utes could rise all the way to No. 1.
Utah has a legitimate case to be No. 1 in the country after winning the Holiest of Holy Wars.
The other kicker? That the Utes have undoubtedly won the Kyle Whittingham divorce.
The College Football Playoff’s official account made sure to spotlight Utah’s unbeaten run.
THE UTES STAY UNBEATEN ‼️
#CFP x @Utah_Football https://t.co/ielEzzu9yE
Robert Griffin III shifted the focus to what Utah could mean for the Big 12’s playoff picture.
The Big 12 needs Utah to have an undefeated regular season to get 2 teams into the CFP.
Dampier’s performance drew plenty of attention, especially in the quarterback battle with Bear Bachmeier. Shehan Jeyarajah framed the matchup around who played better when it mattered most.
BYU beat Notre Dame primarily because Bear Bachmeier outplayed CJ Carr
BYU’s going to lose to Utah primarily because Devon Dampier outplayed Bear Bachmeier
One of the game’s biggest highlights was Dampier’s fourth-down catch on a pass from Creed Whittemore, which even caught SportsCenter’s eye.
Devon Dampier, are you serious?!
What a catch from the QB 😱 https://t.co/rXEEZFR9qw
Utah’s protection up front got a nod too, with Bussin’ With The Boys praising Wayshawn Parker.
Every quarterback needs a guy like Wayshawn Parker on their blind side https://t.co/WJg9fUUdy8
The back-and-forth nature of the game had Josh Pate imagining how it must have looked to a newcomer watching college football for the first time.
Someone is watching their first CFB game today
And it’s BYU-Utah
And they’ve felt every emotion known to man in the first hour
Tom Fornelli offered a line that mixed football and history in one shot.
Worst decision in a Holy War since Barbarossa went for a swim in the Saleph River. https://t.co/DO9sQ3gRMO
Will Compton kept his reaction simple.
UTAH!!!
The scene inside Rice-Eccles Stadium also made the rounds, with ESPN College Football posting the crowd of red in the stands.
A sea of red at Rice-Eccles Stadium 🔴 https://t.co/ZsOvv2Yrge
Dave Portnoy declared the end of #ProvoDave after the result.
RIP #provodave Cougs are effectively eliminated
Pat Forde pointed to Utah’s four interceptions and unbeaten record while calling Morgan Scalley’s first season unreal.
Utah picks off Bear Bachmaier four times, wins the Holy War, stays undefeated. Morgan Scalley debut season has been unreal.
Geoff Schwartz saw the second half as the separator and said Utah looks like a playoff team.
BYU with zero second half points and will lose to Utah. Utah will be a Big12 playoff team. They won the divorce with Whit
And J.D. PicKell closed with a warning for anyone thinking about facing the Utes in December.
With that dude at QB, I wouldn’t want to play Utah in the playoff. https://t.co/j5PczwlByM
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 🡒]
Miami Heads Into Notre Dame With A No. 1 Test Fans Feared
College footballs latest shake-up has only made the next stretch feel even more volatile, and Miami is walking into the center of it. The No. 1 Hurricanes head to Notre Dame after a weekend that reminded everyone how fragile the top of the rankings can be, with No. 2 Ohio State falling to unranked USC and other contenders suddenly looking a little less secure.
For Utah fans, the ripple effects are easy to feel, especially with the sport headed into another high-stakes Saturday. The Utes and BYU are set for a rivalry game with both teams sitting inside the top 10, while Miami has its own concern to manage after star wide receiver Malachi Toney was expected to miss the rest of the regular season. It is the kind of late-season test that can reshape the national picture in a hurry, and the margin for error is getting thinner by the week. [Read more 🡒]