Utah turns the Holy War into a playoff statement originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Utah didn’t need a perfect afternoon to beat BYU. It needed the kind of response that can keep an unbeaten season alive.
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The third-ranked Utes overcame a halftime deficit and defeated No. 9 BYU, 28-20, on Saturday to move to 9-0. Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns, while Utah’s defense intercepted Bear Bachmeier four times and shut out the Cougars in the second half.
That combination made the 104th Holy War a reminder that Utah can win in more than one way. The offense had to work through a difficult first half. The defense made sure BYU could not build on its lead after the break.
Bachmeier had thrown only four interceptions in BYU’s first eight games. Utah matched that total in one afternoon, repeatedly turning the Cougars’ drives into chances for the Utes to take control.
The final interception carried the biggest weight. BYU drove to the Utah 2-yard line with a chance to make one last push, but Trey Reynolds picked off Bachmeier with 4:39 remaining. Instead of a potential tying touchdown, Utah took possession and protected its lead.
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The sequence was a crushing ending for BYU, but it also showed the resilience of a Utah defense that had to keep answering after the offense failed to pull away. The Utes made the stops that mattered most when the game tightened.
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Dampier supplied the other half of the winning formula. He threw two touchdown passes to Braden Pegan and ran for two more scores, giving the Utes a reliable option even when the game’s momentum shifted.
The result keeps Utah’s playoff case straightforward: the Utes are still unbeaten, and they just beat a ranked rival in a game that tested them for four quarters. The challenge now is to carry that discipline into the closing stretch, when every remaining opponent will see an opportunity to spoil a perfect record.
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For BYU, the loss is about more than rivalry bragging rights. Four interceptions are difficult to overcome against anyone, especially a Utah team that can turn defensive stops into points. The Cougars still have time to respond, but they will have to clean up the mistakes that let the Holy War slip away.
