No. 3 Utah snaps three-game losing streak to No. 7 BYU with 28-20 win over Cougars

SALT LAKE CITY -- Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns, Utah intercepted four Bear Bachmeier passes and the third-ranked Utes remained undefeated with a 28-20 victory over No. 7 BYU on Saturday.

Dampier hurt the Cougars with with his arm and legs, finishing with 264 yards of offense to help the Utes (9-0, 6-0 Big 12, No. 3 CFP) snap a three-game losing streak in the Holy War rivalry series. He threw two touchdown passes to Braden Pegan and ran for two more scores.

Trailing by six at halftime, Utah forced three turnovers and shut out the Cougars (7-2, 4-2, No. 9 CFP) in the second half to keep alive its College Football Playoff hopes. BYU has lost two of three to dampen its CFP chances.

Bachmeier threw for 272 yards and a touchdown and ran for 59 yards, but he had two of his four interceptions in the fourth quarter — both in the end zone. He had four interceptions in BYU's first eight games.

Down 20-14 at halftime, Utah went ahead in the third quarter on Pegan’s 14-yard TD catch while its defense held BYU to 39 yards and had an interception during that stretch. Dampier’s second TD run — this one from 5 yards out — gave Utah a 28-20 lead with 12:03 left.

Bachmeier marched BYU down to the Utah 2 but threw an interception to Trey Reynolds with 4:39 remaining. Nate Ritchie picked off another Bachmeier pass in the end zone in the final seconds after the Cougars had reached the Utah 41.

Utah covered 138 yards and scored two touchdowns over its first seven plays. That helped the Utes go ahead 14-0 less than five minutes into the game.

Dampier was the catalyst for the fast start. He hit Noah Bennee for a 47-yard pass to set up his own 22-yard scoring run on Utah’s first drive. Then, Dampier hit Pegan in stride over the middle for a 46-yard touchdown on the Utes’ second drive.

BYU erased the deficit before halftime after recovering two fumbles and forcing four punts over six second-quarter drives.

The Cougars scored their first touchdown when Bachmeier hit Legend Glasker in stride for a 75-yard pass. Then, BYU took its first lead at 20-14 midway through the second quarter when LJ Martin, back from injury, ran in untouched on a 4-yard TD run.

The Takeaway

BYU allowed 42 total yards in the second quarter and recovered two fumbles, opening the door for the Cougars to rally from an early double-digit deficit. Bachmeier’s three second-half interceptions doomed the comeback.

Utah has outscored opponents 103-9 in the first quarter through nine games. The Utes lead the FBS in first quarter point differential (+94) and fewest points allowed in the first quarter.

Up Next

BYU hosts Baylor on Saturday.

Utah is at Arizona on Saturday.

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