No. 3 Utah beats No. 9 BYU 28-20 to maintain undefeated season

No. 3 Utah maintains undefeated season with 28-20 win over BYU

The No. 3 Utah Utes extended their winning streak to 15 games on Saturday, defeating No. 9 BYU 28-20 in a high-stakes edition of the Holy War at Rice-Eccles Stadium. According to reports from FOX News and Yahoo Sports, the victory keeps Utah undefeated at 9-0 and places them firmly in contention for both the Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The win serves as a massive pivot point for the season. For Utah, it represents the longest active winning streak in college football and snaps a three-game losing streak against their rivals. Conversely, the loss deals a significant blow to BYU’s postseason aspirations, threatening their paths toward the Big 12 title and the national playoff bracket.

Devon Dampier fuels Utah’s early dominance

Utah appeared to be running away with the game within the first five minutes of play. As reported by FOX News, the Utes scored their eighth opening touchdown drive of the season at 10:10 a.m. local time, when quarterback Devon Dampier orchestrated a 22-yard rushing touchdown to make it 7-0. Shortly after forcing a BYU three-and-out, Dampier connected with wide receiver Braden Pegan for a 46-yard touchdown pass, quickly establishing a 14-0 lead.

This early surge marked Utah’s first double-digit lead over BYU since 2019. However, the momentum shifted dramatically during the remainder of the first half. BYU responded with field goals and a 75-yard touchdown pass from Bear Bachmeier to Legend Glasker, cutting the deficit to 14-13. The Cougars eventually took a 20-14 lead following a 4-yard touchdown run by LJ Martin, capitalizing on a fumble by Pegan.

The complexion of the game changed just before halftime. While BYU appeared poised to extend their lead following a fumble by Dampier, the Utah defense responded with a crucial interception by James Chenault Jr. after Bachmeier overthrew a receiver. This defensive stand prevented BYU from turning their first-half momentum into a multi-score advantage.

Second-half defensive stands decide the Holy War

The second half saw a volatile exchange of momentum. Utah’s defense struck first in the third quarter when Lance Holtzclaw intercepted Bachmeier. Despite this, the Utah offense struggled with consistency, failing to convert a fourth-and-1 opportunity and missing a 29-yard field goal attempt by Dillon Curtis.

Utah eventually reclaimed the lead late in the third quarter through a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dampier to Pegan. The Utes then extended their lead to 28-20 following a pass-interference penalty by BYU’s Jayven Williams and a subsequent 3-yard touchdown run by Dampier. The defense secured the victory on a critical third-and-goal play when linebacker Trey Reynolds intercepted a Bachmeier pass attempt on a slant route.

No. 3 Utah beats No. 9 BYU 28-20 to maintain undefeated season — Photo: sports.yahoo.com

The final minutes saw a desperate BYU attempt to salvage the game. After a poor 18-yard punt by Utah’s Orion Phillips, BYU began a drive from their own 48-yard line with less than a minute remaining. The comeback attempt ended when Bachmeier’s deep pass was intercepted for the fourth time in the game by Utah safety Nate Ritchie.

The statistical contrast between the two quarterbacks defined the outcome. While Dampier’s performance vaulted him into Heisman Trophy conversations, Bachmeier struggled with ball security under the Utah pressure.

Player	Team	Passing Stats	Rushing Stats	Turnovers
Devon Dampier	Utah	14 of 26, 177 yards, 2 TD	87 yards, 2 TD	0 INT
Bear Bachmeier	BYU	21 of 35, 272 yards, 1 TD	59 yards	4 INT

Looking ahead to next week’s matchups

The implications of this result extend into next week’s schedule for both programs. Utah will attempt to keep their undefeated streak intact when they face No. 22 Arizona next Saturday. BYU will look to recover from this loss in their upcoming matchup against Baylor.