Devon Dampier accounts for every Utah point as No. 3 Utes beat BYU 28-20

Devon Dampier had a hand in all 28 of Utah's points Saturday. The third-ranked Utes beat BYU 28-20 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City and earned their first win over their in-state rival since 2019.

The win moves Utah to 9-0 and ends a three-game losing streak in the series. It was the first Holy War played with both teams ranked in the top 10. After the game, fans flooded the field, and Dampier climbed onto a cart on the Utah sideline for a curtain call while the crowd chanted "Heisman."

The senior completed 14 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 89 yards and two more scores. He even made a catch. On a fourth-and-1 trick play, wide receiver Creed Whittemore threw a 29-yard pass toward the sideline, and Dampier pulled it in despite tight coverage.

"Just like Devon does, he kind of put [the game] on his back," coach Morgan Scalley said. "This guy is a warrior. He wins us football games."

A game that swung twice

Utah scored on its first two possessions, covering 138 yards in seven plays to lead 14-0. Then its offense stalled for the rest of the half. Utah turned the ball over and punted, and BYU's offense found its rhythm. The Cougars scored 20 straight points and led by six at halftime.

"This is a game of momentum, and if you don't have it, you gotta go steal it," Scalley said. "In the second half, we completely flipped the script."

The swing came fast. Four plays into the third quarter, Utah intercepted BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Dampier then led two scoring drives to put the Utes back in front, and the defense shut out the Cougars after halftime.

The defense also made the plays that decided the game. Senior linebacker Trey Reynolds intercepted Bachmeier with BYU in the red zone and threatening to tie. Senior safety Nate Ritchie ended it by picking off a Hail Mary in the final seconds. Utah forced five of the game's six turnovers. Bachmeier came in with four interceptions all season and doubled that total in one afternoon.

That number is the clearest sign of how this game turned. BYU's offense took care of the ball for most of the fall. Utah's defense made Bachmeier look uncomfortable in the stadium where the Cougars most needed him to be steady. A stingy, opportunistic defense has defined Utah's best teams for years. Saturday showed that identity survived the change of coaches.

Scalley's first season and a Heisman push

Scalley took over this season after Kyle Whittingham stepped down. Whittingham led Utah through its rise from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 and on to the Big 12. Replacing a coach that closely tied to a program is usually where things wobble. Scalley has the Utes unbeaten in November instead.

He got emotional discussing the two late interceptions. Both came from seniors who chose to stay through the coaching change. He described them as players committed to the program's development and culture, and he said he was grateful for them.

For Dampier, the win carried personal weight. He said he had been frustrated by last season, when he was not at full health and could not deliver against ranked opponents. "You don't get a lot of moments like that," he said of beating BYU.

The Heisman chants were loud, and his case is real, though it looks different from a typical passing résumé. Fourteen completions will not lead any highlight show. His value is that he gives Utah several ways to move the ball. He threw, ran and caught a pass on fourth down, and every point came through him. In a top-10 rivalry game, that kind of all-around production is what voters tend to remember, especially if Utah keeps winning.

Dampier spread the credit around. "I don't win games. This is a whole team win for sure," he said, pointing to how the team played in the fourth quarter.

The 101st straight sellout crowd at Rice-Eccles got a historic afternoon. Utah has a clear path to the Big 12 championship game and is in strong position for a College Football Playoff berth. For BYU, a loss to a top-10 rival in a game it led at halftime will sting. The four interceptions are the part the Cougars will dwell on.

Scalley, for his part, refused to treat the rivalry win as the finish line. "This is not the final game of the season. This is one game," he said.