Utah didn’t just survive Saturday’s showdown with BYU. The Utes took the punch, absorbed the pressure, and owned the stretch that mattered most in a 28-20 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
No. 9 BYU made it interesting after Utah raced to a 14-0 lead in just seven plays, ripping off 20 straight points to flip the game and grab a 20-14 edge in the third quarter.
But from there, the Cougars went silent. Utah controlled the final 35 minutes, and BYU never scored again.
That finish gives No. 3 Utah a strong hold on the Big 12 and a clean path to either stay put or climb in the CFP rankings.
It also strengthens the case for first-year coach Morgan Scalley to enter the national coach of the year conversation. At 9-0, the Utes are in command.
For BYU, the loss leaves the Cougars at 7-2 and waiting on help. Their best route now is to win out and hope the league’s tiebreaker chaos breaks in their favor if other Big 12 teams pile up two losses.
Utah won this game with two clear advantages. The first was Devon Dampier, whose big-play ability kept showing up at the biggest moments. The senior quarterback, one of college football’s best running QBs, delivered again the way he did in Utah’s win over Houston and kept the Utes moving when they needed answers.
The second was the Utah defense, which finally got to Bear Bachmeier in a way no other team has this season. BYU’s offensive line had not been stressed like this since the two losses to Texas Tech, and the pressure eventually turned into a turnover avalanche.
Utah intercepted Bachmeier four times. He had only thrown four picks in the first eight games. Those takeaways came from defensive end Lance Holtzclaw, corner James Chenault, linebacker Trey Reynolds, and safety Nate Ritchie, with each interception intended for Kyler Kasper.
The result was a second-half shutout for Utah, the first time BYU has been blanked after halftime in four years. After the Cougars led by six, their final seven possessions went like this: punt, interception, interception, punt, punt, interception, interception.
BYU’s problems looked familiar. The same issues that hurt the Cougars in the loss at UCF showed up again - untimely turnovers, penalties, sloppy tackling, questionable play calls and missed chances to finish the game.
The tackling issue was especially costly. Even after two weeks of emphasizing fundamentals, BYU defenders, including veteran linebacker Isaiah Glasker, kept going high on Dampier instead of bringing him down low. Dampier kept slipping free and turning broken plays into big gains and third-and-long conversions.
The numbers tell one story, but not the one that decided the game. BYU actually outgained Utah 391 to 328, threw for more yards 272 to 206, and held the edge in time of possession, 31:52 to 28:08. The Cougars also had 11 tackles for loss to Utah’s zero, and they recovered two Utah fumbles.
Still, the turnovers landed at the worst possible times. Utah’s four interceptions all came when BYU was in scoring position, including the final snap of the game. Instead of turning those chances into 12 points with four field goals, the Cougars came away with nothing.
That was the difference. Utah scored when it counted.
BYU didn’t. And in a rivalry where turnovers have long been the deciding factor, Saturday followed the same script.
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Utah Just Gave Utes Fans New Rivalry Bragging Rights
Devon Dampier helped Utah take control of the latest edition of the Holy War, and the Utes defense did the rest in a 28-20 win over BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Dampier accounted for four touchdowns, while Utahs secondary came up with four interceptions and the defense held BYU scoreless in the second half, a combination that gave the home crowd plenty to celebrate in a game that carried the usual rivalry edge.
The result also carried extra weight beyond the standings, drawing reaction from national media and former players who know what this matchup means around the program. For Utah, it was the kind of performance that can resonate well past one Saturday night, especially with the Utes sitting in a strong spot in conference play and the rivalry win adding another layer to the seasons momentum. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Let A Rivalry Statement Slip Away In The Worst Way
Utah finally got the kind of night it had been chasing in this rivalry, turning a fast start into a 28-20 win over BYU at Rice-Eccles Stadium and snapping a three-game skid against its biggest in-state foe. The Utes had the early edge, lost some of their grip in the second quarter, then settled back in after halftime with the kind of defensive edge that has long defined this matchup when it tilts Utahs way.
Devon Dampier was at the center of it, giving Utah production as a passer, runner and even as a receiver while helping keep the offense moving when the game tightened. For a team that had been waiting to reassert itself in this series, the victory carried more than just one win in the standings. It also left BYU with the frustration of a statement game slipping away after Utah took control again in the second half. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Week Brings Out Everything Utah Fans Love About This Rivalry
Before the latest BYU-Utah meeting, the scene around the stadium looked like a familiar celebration of everything this rivalry has come to mean. Fans showed up early to tailgate, trade barbs and soak in the kind of school pride and tradition that has defined this matchup for generations, with both sides treating the day like more than just another game on the schedule.
The atmosphere carried the weight of a rivalry that always seems to bring out the most invested version of each fan base, and this one was no different. Utah had the edge when the teams finally took the field, but the bigger story was the buildup itself, a reminder that this annual clash still delivers the kind of energy and anticipation that makes it stand apart on the college football calendar. [Read more 🡒]