Devon Dampier runs for 152 yards as No. 10 Utah rallies past No. 14 Houston 21-13 to stay unbeaten

No. 10 Utah stayed perfect on Saturday night, Oct. 24, rallying from a 10-0 deficit to beat No. 14 Houston 21-13 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Quarterback Devon Dampier ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns, including the clinching score after a late strip-sack, according to the Associated Press.

Utah improved to 7-0 (4-0 Big 12) and extended the longest active winning streak in college football to 13 games, the AP reported. Houston fell to 6-2 (3-2).

Houston vs. Utah final score

Utah 21, Houston 13. Houston led 3-0 at halftime and 10-0 early in the third quarter before Utah scored three unanswered touchdowns.

With No. 2 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech both losing earlier in the day, KSL.com noted, the win left Utah as the Big 12’s only team without a conference loss. The AP said Utah joined Miami and UCLA as the only teams in the country without a loss.

How Utah came back

Houston controlled the first half. The Cougars were stopped on fourth-and-goal in the first quarter, but Jonathan Dimas kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead, and Utah’s best drive ended at halftime when Dillon Curtis missed a 34-yard try after a sloppy snap and hold, the AP reported. It was Utah’s first scoreless first half since a loss to TCU in October 2024.

Houston opened the second half with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that took 8:14, capped by Makhi Hughes’ 2-yard touchdown run. Dimas later added a 47-yard field goal, and Dampier answered with a 22-yard touchdown run, accounting for all 75 yards of that drive with three runs and two completions, per the AP.

Wayshawn Parker took a direct snap and ran 5 yards for a touchdown to give Utah its first lead, 14-13, with 11:57 left.

The strip-sack that decided it

With Houston backed up deep in its own territory, Jackson Bennee came free and sacked quarterback Conner Weigman, and Jireh Moe recovered the fumble at the Houston 9 with 2:15 left. On the next play, Dampier ran into the end zone untouched, KSL.com reported.

Weigman drove Houston to the Utah 23 in the final two minutes, but threw four straight incompletions. He finished 19 of 35 for 282 yards and was 4 of 12 in the fourth quarter, the AP said.

Key stats

Utah finished with 438 total yards, split roughly evenly between passing and rushing, according to KSL.com. Dampier’s two interceptions, including one by Latreveon McCutchin late in the game, kept Houston alive, but his rushing night moved him into second place on Utah’s career list for quarterbacks, passing Tyler Huntley, KSL.com reported.

College GameDay and Dalton Kincaid

The game was the centerpiece of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” which broadcast from Salt Lake City for a second straight week, KSL Sports reported. The guest picker was former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid, now with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, who picked the Utes: “It’s go Utes every single day, all day,” he said.

Kincaid was a key part of Utah’s back-to-back Pac-12 championship teams and was a first-round pick of the Bills in 2023, according to the Deseret News. The GameDay panel was split: Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Kincaid took Utah, while Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee picked Houston, per KSL Sports.

What it means

The AP wrote that Houston “stood toe-to-toe with Utah until the fourth quarter,” and that its lone turnover was a backbreaker. Combined with a close loss to Texas Tech, the Cougars are only a few plays from the top of the Big 12. Utah won in front of its 100th straight sellout, the AP said, and hosts BYU on Nov. 7.

FAQ