The Utah Utes stand alone at the top of the Big 12 Conference.
On a wild Saturday that saw No. 2 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech both lose, No. 10 Utah delivered a 21-13 statement win over the No. 14 Houston Cougars in front of the 100th straight sellout crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Quarterback Devon Dampier overcame a goose egg in the first half — along with two interceptions on the night — to lead the Utes to their biggest victory of the season, finishing with 354 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
Through the first six games of Utah’s season, it felt as if offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven and Dampier himself were holding back a bit on Dampier’s full rushing ability, especially tucking the ball and running it when receivers weren’t open.
Dampier admitted that part of that was by design to make sure he could stay healthy. As Utah entered the toughest part of its schedule, both its offensive coordinator and Dampier knew it was time to unlock his full skillset, especially against a Houston defense that was giving the Ute quarterback lanes to run.
“I think this year I’ve obviously tried to stay on the healthier side of things. That was a conversation I had with my coaches before the season even started, just finding ways to protect myself, finding ways to be healthy,” Dampier said. “We have tremendous receivers. We have great tight ends and running backs (that) I’m able to check the ball down to instead of me taking those hits.
“Today was one of those games where I think my legs were needed, just the way they play defense and I’m never scared to tilt the rock if that’s what I got to do to win the game for my team.”
After Utah went scoreless in the first half for the first time this season, including an end-of-half drive that featured a bad hold by punter Orion Phillips that led to a missed Dillon Curtis field goal from 34 yards out, there was no panic in the Ute locker room despite the zero on the scoreboard.
“Defense came to our side, they’re letting us know they got our back regardless. Just bringing the offense together, we know what we’re capable of,” Dampier said.
“Let’s go out there and let’s do what we do. That was just kind of the conversation. No need to panic. We know we’re capable of.”
Utah drove deep into Houston territory twice, but a Dampier interception and the missed field goal kept the Utes off the scoreboard despite them outgaining the Cougars, 194-188.
“I was really proud of Kevin and those guys at halftime talking through it. I’ve seen locker rooms where there’s panic and people start freaking out at each other and it was awesome. It was just a really good example of talking things through and seeing things for what they are,” said coach Morgan Scalley.
Houston scored on its first possession of the third quarter, which took 8:14, to go up 10-0. Down by double digits with under 22 minutes of game time left, Utah couldn’t afford to have the next drive come up empty.
Dampier would not be denied on the Utes’ first possession of the second half, needing just four plays to get his team in the end zone for the first time Saturday night.
Utah’s quarterback connected with Braden Pegan for 14 yards and Creed Whittemore for 11, but also had rushes of 16 and 12 yards to get the Utes to the Cougar 22-yard line.
Dampier dropped back to pass on first and 10 but saw a rushing lane and took it, evading a would-be Houston tackler and beating defensive back Javion White to the end zone.
Game on.
“We always take what the defense gives us,” Dampier said. “Just watching film, there was a lot of running lanes, quarterback lanes during dropback passes. (Coaches) just emphasized, ‘Devon, if you see it, go take it.’”
Dampier and the Utah offense would respond once again after Houston kicked a field goal to go up 13-7, driving 80 yards in 10 plays. Utah got contributions from everyone on the drive, including the first reception by Larry Simmons in four games and a direct snap to Daniel Bray that went for 21 yards.
Wayshawn Parker punched in the third-and-1 direct snap to give the Utes back a 14-13 lead.
The fear that Utah’s defense would give up big plays against Cougar quarterback Conner Weigman and Houston’s talented offense wasn’t unfounded. Weigman had three passes of 41 or more yards that drove the Cougars deep into Ute territory again and again.
Though Utah’s run defense was once again excellent, holding one of the nation’s most lethal rushing attacks to just 86 rushing yards, the Utes allowed some chunk plays through the air.
“I thought they were very stout when Houston wanted to run the ball. They got some things on us in some combo beaters in man coverage, got some chunk yardage plays,” Scalley said.
When the Cougars got down to the red zone, Utah buckled down, as it has time and time again.
The Utes set the tone for the evening on Houston’s second drive of the game, punishing the Cougars for the decision to go for it on fourth and 1 from the Utah three-yard line when cornerback James Chenault broke up Weigman’s pass.
Three other drives went deep into Utah territory, but either ended with field goals or a turnover on downs, with Houston scoring a touchdown on just one of three red-zone attempts.
“I’m really proud of our guys, the way we battled in tough situations. We were in some pretty hard situations there and I’m really proud of our guys and the way they responded,” said linebacker Trey Reynolds.
It was the ultimate embodiment of the “bend but don’t break” defense.
“They’ve been playing really good red zone defense all season long and it didn’t stop … Our guys just kept fighting. We got to the quarterback. I know he’s hobbled — you could tell he was kind of hobbled, but what a competitor that kid is — and just great job by our guys of fighting to the finish,” Scalley said.
Throughout much of the game, as has been the case all season, Utah struggled to get to the quarterback, but that changed in the red zone. The Utes were able to get to Weigman a couple of times to force key incompletions.
On the most important drive of the game — Houston ball down one, starting at its own 20-yard line with 2:20 remaining — defensive coordinator Colton Swan reached into Utah’s history for the play call.
“It was a pressure that’s been here since the beginning of time and Kyle Whittingham calls it the ‘unblockable blitz,’ but people have blocked it before,” Scalley said.
The name was very apt, as no one blocked cornerback Jackson Bennee, who looked like he was shot out of a cannon. Coming from his blindside, Bennee rocked Weigman, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Jireh Moe.
“It was very timely. It’s something that we haven’t dialed up in a little bit and then we brought something from the boundary that looked the same as that,” Scalley said.
“That’s what you’re trying to do, is set things up and timely by coach Swan, for sure. Jackson, heck of a blitz.”
Dampier was in the end zone on a 9-yard keeper on the next play. Utah elected to kick the PAT to extend the lead to eight instead of going for two and the win, which set up an important final drive for a defense that had already done so much to keep Utah in the game.
Utah pressured Weigman often on the game’s deciding drive, and the Houston quarterback made a great throw to Koby Young, who got behind Utah’s defense, for a 41-yard gain that set Houston up at the Ute 23-yard line.
Utah hadn’t put the game to bed just yet.
Unfazed, Swan kept dialing up the pressure to great success as the Ute defense was in Weigman’s face on four consecutive plays, including the game-deciding fourth down pass that fell incomplete.
“Got some really good pressure on the quarterback, some good hits on the quarterback. I thought coach Swan was really timely with his pressures and switching up zone pressure to man pressure,” Scalley said.
Though Weigman didn’t look to be at 100% healthwise, what Utah did in limiting him — especially in key moments — will go down as one of the great defensive performances of this young season.
Weigman completed just 54% of his passes, 14 points below his season average of 68%.
Utah passed its first real test of the season with flying colors and claimed its spot at the top of the Big 12 Conference with a big-time, gutsy win over a top 15 opponent.
“We definitely came out here and it was the game we had to prove ourselves,” Dampier said.
Prove themselves, they did.
The Utes are 7-0 for the first time in 16 years.