The Utah BYU Holy War delivered everything its billing promised on Saturday night, and No. 4 Utah walked out of Rice-Eccles Stadium with a 28-20 win over No. 8 BYU that kept the Utes unbeaten and put them firmly in charge of the Big 12 race. Utah improved to 9-0 on November 7, 2026, while BYU fell to 7-2, and the Cougars' path to the College Football Playoff narrowed sharply on a night when their quarterback threw four interceptions. The winner took the inside track to the Big 12 championship game and the automatic playoff place that comes with it.

Key Points

• No. 4 Utah beat No. 8 BYU 28-20 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, staying unbeaten at 9-0 while BYU fell to 7-2.
• Utah led 14-0 after just 4:29, BYU rallied to lead 20-14 at half-time, and Utah's defence shut BYU out in the second half.
• Utah quarterback Devon Dampier threw for 177 yards, ran for 87 more and caught a pass for 29 yards, accounting for four total touchdowns.
• BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier threw four interceptions, including a red-zone pick with under five minutes left and the final one with two seconds remaining.
• The win snapped BYU's three-game Holy War winning streak, including last year's 24-21 win in Provo, and extended Utah's overall winning streak to 15 games.

What Happened

Utah could not have scripted a better start. On a three-play, 75-yard opening drive, Dampier ran 22 yards for a touchdown, and moments later he hit Braden Pegan on a 46-yard touchdown pass. With 4:29 gone in the first quarter it was 14-0, and BYU looked shell-shocked in the biggest game of a loaded Week 10 slate.

But BYU did not fold. The Cougars answered with a 75-yard touchdown catch by Legend Glasker, and a four-yard touchdown run by LJ Martin completed the comeback. By half-time, BYU led 20-14, and the momentum had swung completely.

The second half belonged to Utah's defence. The Utes gave up nothing after the break. Dampier found Pegan again for a 14-yard touchdown with 1:50 left in the third quarter, making it 21-20, and then scrambled three yards for a touchdown with 12:03 left in the fourth, making it 28-20. Bachmeier's red-zone interception with under five minutes left killed BYU's best chance, and his final throw, from Utah's 41 with two seconds on the clock, was picked off as he aimed for the end zone.

Background and Context

This was the biggest Holy War in years. Utah arrived ranked No. 4, BYU No. 8, and both teams were chasing the same prize: the inside track to the Big 12 championship game and the automatic College Football Playoff berth that comes with it. Utah had won its first eight games, including a 49-25 win at Cincinnati a week earlier, while BYU had lost only once, a 27-20 win over Arizona State setting up this trip to Salt Lake City. BYU had won the last three meetings, including a 24-21 win in Provo last season.

Utah BYU Holy War: Dampier Does It All as Utah Stays Perfect

The story of the Utah BYU Holy War was Devon Dampier doing a little bit of everything. The Utah quarterback threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 87 yards and another score, and even caught a pass for 29 yards. His four total touchdowns came in every way a quarterback can produce them, and his scrambling touchdown in the fourth quarter proved to be the winner. When Utah needed a play, Dampier made it, whether with his arm, his legs or, remarkably, as a receiver.

On the other side, the story was Bachmeier's four interceptions. The BYU quarterback had carried his team all season, but on Saturday every mistake was punished. The red-zone interception with under five minutes left came just as BYU was driving to tie the game, and the final pick, with two seconds left, ended it. Pegan caught two touchdown passes for Utah, while Glasker's 75-yard catch and Martin's four-yard run had given BYU its half-time lead. The Cougars scored nothing after the break.

Reactions and Quotes

No post-game player or coach quotations were carried in the wire reports checked for this article, so none are reproduced here. What the night made plain was the contrast in the two sidelines as the clock hit zero: Utah's players celebrating a 15th straight win in front of a home crowd that had waited three years to beat BYU again, and BYU's players walking off a field where four interceptions had undone a comeback that had briefly given them the lead. The result also reshaped the Big 12 race in a single evening: Utah now controls its own path to the conference title game, while BYU needs help.

Why It Matters

For Utah, this win is the biggest of the season so far. At 9-0, the Utes are one of the few unbeaten teams left in the country, and they now hold the tiebreaker over their closest Big 12 challenger. A conference championship would bring an automatic playoff berth, and Utah is now the favourite to get there.

For BYU, the defeat does not end the season, but it changes it. At 7-2, the Cougars can still win out and hope for help, but they no longer control their own fate. The four interceptions will be the talking point all week, and the question for BYU is whether Bachmeier can bounce back from the worst game of his season. The rivalry loss stings most of all: three straight wins over Utah are gone, and the Utes have the bragging rights back.

What Happens Next

Utah will look to keep its perfect season alive next week, with the Big 12 title game now the clear target. BYU, meanwhile, must regroup quickly. The Cougars still have plenty to play for, but their path to the playoff now runs through other teams' results as well as their own.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Utah vs BYU?
Utah beat BYU 28-20 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

How many interceptions did Bear Bachmeier throw?
Four. The last came from Utah's 41-yard line with two seconds left, and another came in the red zone with under five minutes remaining.

What is Utah's record after the win?
Utah improved to 9-0, and the win was the Utes' 15th in a row overall. BYU fell to 7-2.

Who starred for Utah?
Quarterback Devon Dampier, with 177 passing yards, 87 rushing yards, 29 receiving yards and four total touchdowns. Braden Pegan caught two touchdown passes.

What does the win mean for the Big 12 race?
Utah now holds the inside track to the Big 12 championship game and the automatic College Football Playoff berth that comes with it, while BYU's path has narrowed.

For more college football, read how Utah stayed unbeaten with a 49-25 win at Cincinnati, how BYU held off Arizona State 27-20 to set up the Holy War, and how Miami topped the first College Football Playoff rankings ahead of Georgia and Utah.