Copyright Salt Lake Tribune
Utah football wanted to break its ESPN “College GameDay” curse. More than that, the Utes needed a win to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive. And they did both on Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium. No. 24 Utah (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) defeated No. 17 Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1) 45-14. Devon Dampier, who returned to Utah’s starting lineup following a one-game absence, finished with 213 passing yards, 78 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. Utah’s rushing offense — the No. 1 running attack in the Big 12 entering the game — accrued 267 total yards. Sophomore Wayshawn Parker led all Ute running backs with 104 yards and a touchdown. Utah’s defense forced three turnovers on the night. Dampier and Utah’s offense struck first on a 34-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Ryan Davis. The score ended a 16-play, 94-yard drive. A drive later, the Bearcats scored on a 22-yard dash from quarterback Brendan Sorsby, which knotted the game at 7-7. Parker took things into his own hands a drive later, juking and sprinting past Cincinnati’s defense for a 39-yard rushing touchdown to give Utah a 14-7 lead. Utah’s defense joined the action in the second quarter, forcing a missed field goal and recovering a fumble. The Utes’ rushing offense continued its onslaught, capitalizing on Cincinnati’s miscues and scoring 10 unanswered points in the final 4:23 in the first half. The Utes stagnated on both ends of the ball to open the third quarter, however. Sorsby found a wide-open Cyrus Allen for an 88-yard touchdown with 10:35 to play in the quarter. Dampier also threw his first interception of the night, which ended a nine-play, 46-yard drive that had the Utes in scoring position. But then Utah rediscovered its spark The Utes eventually responded with a defensive stop, and on the ensuing drive, Dampier found wide receiver Creed Whittemore for an 11-yard touchdown. Punt returner Mana Carvalho essentially iced the game with a 75-yard touchdown, Utah’s first punt return to reach pay dirt since Britain Covey did it in 2020. The play gave the Utes a 38-14 lead entering the final period of the game. Next, Utah will travel to face Baylor on Nov. 15 in Waco, Texas.
