The Utah Utes dropped their third straight rivalry game to BYU, falling 24-21 on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium. While the game was statistically close, critical red-zone failures on fourth down cost Utah a chance to regain control.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham acknowledged that the team’s decision-making on those key plays proved costly, though he stood by the calls. “Analytics there said to go for it,” Whittingham said after the loss. “We were going to kick it initially, then had a change of heart. We just couldn’t finish in the red zone.”
Utah (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) moved the ball well, outgaining BYU (7-0, 4-0) 470 to 368 yards, but left points on the field. The Utes were 2-for-4 in the red zone, failing twice on fourth-down runs.
The first missed opportunity came in the opening quarter when Daniel Bray, who led the team with 121 rushing yards and a touchdown, was stopped for a 1-yard loss on a jet sweep. Later, in the third quarter, quarterback Devon Dampier was stuffed one yard short on a fourth-and-3 scramble.
“That’s on us,” Dampier said. “Coach trusted us to get it done, and we didn’t execute. We’ve been good on fourth downs all season, but tonight it didn’t go our way.”
Despite outpassing BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier 244 to 166 yards, Dampier’s night was marred by two costly turnovers: a fourth-quarter interception and a muffed punt by Mana Caravalho earlier in the game, which BYU converted into 10 points. “I’m a risk taker,” Dampier admitted. “I thought our receiver had a chance, but the defender made a better play.”
Whittingham refused to criticize his offensive coordinator, saying, “I’ve got no issue with the play calling. We just didn’t execute when it mattered most.”
Defensively, Utah struggled with discipline, recording 12 penalties for 77 yards. Senior linebacker Lander Barton was ejected for targeting, a loss that weakened the defensive front. Team captain Logan Fano took responsibility for keeping the defense together: “Everybody knows Lander’s a big part of what we do. I’ve got to step up and lead when things like that happen.”
Adding to the adversity, Dampier appeared to injure his ankle late in the game but continued playing, finishing with 64 rushing yards on 15 carries. “Yeah, I’m solid,” he said afterward, downplaying the injury.
Even with turnovers, penalties, and missed opportunities, Utah remained within striking distance until the final minutes. But in a rivalry where every possession counts, two failed fourth downs made all the difference.
