Utah Beats BYU, Stays Perfect
Devon Dampier's four touchdowns powered the third-ranked Utes to a 28-20 win over seventh-seeded BYU in Salt Lake City.
By Renata Mehta ·
The third-ranked Utah Utes ended a three-game losing streak in the Holy War rivalry on Saturday, defeating the seventh-seeded BYU Cougars 28-20 at home in Salt Lake City. The victory keeps Utah undefeated with a 9-0 record, including a 6-0 mark in the Big 12 Conference.
Devon Dampier led the offense with 266 total yards and four touchdowns. He threw two scoring passes and ran for two more. The dual-threat performance helped the Utes overcome a halftime deficit to secure the win.
Utah trailed by six points at the break. In the second half, the Utes defense forced three turnovers and held BYU scoreless. This defensive surge allowed Utah to take control of the game and protect its College Football Playoff positioning.
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw for 272 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 59 yards. However, he was intercepted four times. Two of those interceptions occurred in the fourth quarter, both inside the Utah end zone.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake acknowledged the high number of giveaways. He stated that the turnovers were not the typical way to win this specific rivalry. The Cougars had only thrown four interceptions in their first eight games of the season.
Utah built an early lead with explosive plays. Dampier completed a 47-yard pass to Noah Bennee and later ran for 22 yards on the first drive. On the second drive, he threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Braden Pegan. The Utes led 14-0 with less than five minutes elapsed.
BYU responded in the second quarter after recovering two fumbles. Legend Glasker caught a 75-yard pass for a touchdown, and LJ Martin ran for a four-yard score to give the Cougars a 20-14 lead midway through the half.
The momentum shifted back to Utah in the third quarter. Pegan caught a 14-yard touchdown pass to give the Utes the lead again. Dampier then ran for a three-yard score with 12:03 remaining in the game, extending the lead to 28-20.
BYU's final drive stalled when Trey Reynolds intercepted a Bachmeier pass on the Utah two-yard line with 4:39 left. Nate Ritchie picked off another pass in the end zone in the final seconds to seal the victory.
Dampier also recorded his first career reception at Utah, catching a 29-yard sideline pass from Creed Whittemore in the third quarter. He said he told Whittemore to throw the ball regardless of coverage, and he was happy it resulted in a catch.
