Utah football sought to break its ESPN “College GameDay” curse and, more importantly, secure a crucial win to keep its Big 12 title hopes alive. On Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Utes accomplished both.
No. 24 Utah (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) dominated No. 17 Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1) with a convincing 45-14 victory. Quarterback Devon Dampier, returning to the starting lineup after missing one game, put up impressive numbers with 213 passing yards, 78 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns.
Utah’s rushing attack, ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 entering the game, racked up 267 total yards. Sophomore running back Wayshawn Parker led the ground game with 104 yards and a touchdown.
The Utes’ defense played a pivotal role, forcing three turnovers throughout the night.
The scoring opened early as Dampier connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Ryan Davis, capping off a 16-play, 94-yard drive. Cincinnati quickly responded with a 22-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Brendan Sorsby to tie the game at 7-7.
Utah reclaimed the lead on the following drive when Parker broke free for a 39-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Utes ahead 14-7.
In the second quarter, Utah’s defense intensified, forcing a missed field goal and recovering a key fumble. Capitalizing on these mistakes, the Utes’ ground game continued to dominate, scoring 10 unanswered points in the final 4:23 of the half.
The third quarter started sluggishly for Utah’s offense and defense alike. Cincinnati’s Sorsby found wide receiver Cyrus Allen wide open for an 88-yard touchdown with 10:35 remaining in the quarter, cutting Utah’s lead. Shortly after, Dampier threw his first interception of the game, ending a promising nine-play, 46-yard drive.
However, Utah soon regained momentum. A crucial defensive stop helped set up an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dampier to wide receiver Creed Whittemore.
To seal the victory, punt returner Mana Carvalho electrified the crowd with a 75-yard punt return touchdown—Utah’s first punt return score since Britain Covey in 2020. This highlight gave the Utes a commanding 38-14 lead going into the final quarter.
Looking ahead, Utah will travel to Waco, Texas, to face Baylor on November 15.
https://www.sltrib.com/sports/utah-utes/2025/11/01/how-utah-football-earned-marquee/