No. 3 Utah moved to a 9-0 record following a 28-20 rivalry victory over No. 9 BYU on Saturday, November 7. Playing before 52,901 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Utes utilized four touchdowns from Devon Dampier and four defensive interceptions to secure the win.
Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns during the contest, finishing with 177 passing yards, two touchdown passes, 89 rushing yards, and two rushing scores. He also recorded a 29-yard reception on a 4th-and-1 play in the third quarter. Braden Pegan was a primary target for Dampier, totaling 86 receiving yards on five receptions, including two touchdowns.
After taking an early 14-0 lead, Utah trailed 20-14 at halftime. The Utes regained momentum in the second half behind interceptions from James Chenault and Lance Holtzclaw. The defense added crucial plays in the fourth quarter, including a red zone interception by Trey Reynolds and a final interception by Nate Ritchie to end BYU's last scoring attempt.
The victory leaves Utah with a 6-0 conference record and in first place in the Big 12. The Utes remain one of only three unbeaten teams in the FBS. This win extends Utah's winning streak to 15 games, which is the team's longest since a 16-game streak spanning from Dec. 20, 2007, to Sept. 12, 2009.
BYU fell to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in conference play. The four interceptions recorded by the Utah defense were the most the team has seen in a single game since Oct. 1, 2022, against Oregon State. These interceptions also represented the most career interceptions thrown by BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier.
Defensive leaders for Utah included Johnathan Hall, who recorded nine tackles, and Trey Reynolds, who finished with eight tackles. BYU recorded 391 total yards compared to Utah's 330. BYU's scoring included a field goal by Matthias Dunn, a 75-yard touchdown pass from Bear Bachmeier to Legend Glasker, and a 4-yard run by LJ Martin.
Utah is scheduled to play at No. 22 Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 14. The game time and broadcast details for that matchup have yet to be announced.
