Utah Utes Turn Tide in Salt Lake Against BYU

Devon Dampier threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more to lead the Utah Utes past the BYU Cougars, 28-20, on Saturday in Salt Lake City. The victory kept the third-ranked Utes at 9-0 and snapped a three-game losing streak in the Holy War rivalry series. BYU, ranked No. 7, dropped to 7-2 with the loss.

The game remained tight until the third quarter. Utah entered halftime trailing 20-14. The Utes defense then held the Cougars to just 39 yards of offense in that period. Braden Pegan caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dampier to give Utah a 21-20 lead. Dampier added a five-yard rushing touchdown with 12:03 left in the fourth quarter to extend the advantage to 28-20.

Bear Bachmeier, the BYU quarterback, threw for 272 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 59 yards. However, the Cougars offense stalled in critical moments. Bachmeier threw four interceptions in the game. Two of those picks occurred in the fourth quarter. He had thrown only four interceptions in his first eight games of the season.

The Utes defense controlled the late stages of the contest. With 4:39 remaining, Trey Reynolds intercepted a Bachmeier pass after the Cougars had driven to the Utah 2-yard line. In the final seconds, Nate Ritchie picked off another Bachmeier pass in the end zone after BYU reached the Utah 41. These turnovers secured the win for Utah.

Dampier finished with 264 total offensive yards. His performance was the key factor in shifting the momentum from the halftime deficit. The Utes now hold a 6-0 record in the Big 12 Conference. Their win keeps their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

BYU has now lost two of its last three games. The Cougars sit at No. 9 in the CFP rankings after dropping to No. 7 earlier in the week. The loss against Utah further complicates their path toward a playoff berth. They remain 4-2 in conference play.