The No. 14 University of Houston Cougars lost control during the second half of Saturday's game in Salt Lake City, falling 21-13 to No. 10 Utah. The loss prevented Houston from securing its first top-10 road win since 2009.
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier accounted for 354 yards of total offense and all three touchdowns in the victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Dampier ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns, while Wayshawn Parker added a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Utes their first lead of the game. Amare Thomas finished with five catches for 133 yards.
Houston entered the game with a star tight end, Patrick Overmyer, but he was forced to leave the game after suffering an upper-body injury on the opening drive. UH quarterback Conner Weigman, who played with a noticeable limp, finished 19-of-34 for 282 yards without a touchdown. The Cougars' final scoring threat ended with four incomplete passes, the last being a 23-yard attempt to Koby Young in the end zone.
The game featured a defensive struggle in the first half, with both teams combining for only three points. Houston's Jonathan Dimas provided the only scoring in the first half with a 24-yard field goal. The Cougars took a 10-0 lead in the second half following a 75-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Makhi Hughes.
Utah's momentum shifted late in the game after Jackson Bennee blitzed and knocked the ball loose from Weigman at the UH 10-yard line. The Utes capitalized on the fumble with a touchdown run by Dampier. Houston's defense had previously recorded two momentum-swinging plays: an interception by safety Kentrell Webb in the end zone and a pick by McCutchin deep in UH territory.
The result leaves the Houston Cougars with a 6-2 record and 3-2 in the Big 12, while Utah moves to 7-0 and 4-0 in the conference, taking sole possession of first place. The Big 12 entered the day with three unbeaten teams but ended with only one after Cincinnati defeated No. 8 Texas Tech and UCF knocked off No. 2 BYU in double overtime.
