No. 3 Utah beat No. 9 BYU 28-20 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in the 104th edition of the Holy War. Utah stays perfect at 9-0 and holds its place in the top three of the College Football Playoff picture, while BYU falls to 7-2 and is projected to drop four places in the next rankings. The game was a tale of two halves. Utah raced out to a 14-0 lead, BYU answered with 20 unanswered points to lead 20-14 at halftime, and then Utah shut BYU out in the second half to win by eight. It was the first time in the long history of this rivalry that both teams played the game ranked in the top 10.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Final score | Utah 28, BYU 20 |
| Date | Saturday, November 7, 2026 |
| Kickoff | Noon ET |
| TV | ABC |
| Rankings at kickoff | No. 3 Utah, No. 9 BYU |
| Halftime score | BYU 20, Utah 14 |
| Utah record after the game | 9-0 |
| BYU record after the game | 7-2 |
| Rivalry edition | 104th Holy War |
| First time both teams ranked in the top 10 | Yes |
| Utah quarterback | Devon Dampier |
| BYU quarterback | Bear Bachmeier |
| Next CFP rankings release | Tuesday, November 10, 9 p.m. ET |
How Utah Turned a Halftime Deficit Into a Win
Utah could not have asked for a better start. The Utes moved the ball with ease on their first few drives, racking up over 100 yards with just over five minutes of possession and averaging almost 20 yards per play. Before BYU had time to settle, Utah led 14-0 and looked ready to run away with the biggest Holy War in the history of the rivalry.
Then the game flipped. BYU refused to fold after the rough start. The Cougars leaned on their playmakers, took advantage of Utah mistakes, and scored 20 unanswered points. In that stretch, BYU held Utah to just 30 yards.
The second half belonged to Utah. The Utes scored 14 points after the break and held BYU scoreless, turning a six point deficit into an eight point win. In a rivalry game, that kind of response matters as much as talent. Utah showed it could win when things went wrong, and that is exactly the kind of test a playoff team has to pass.
Devon Dampier Did It With His Arm and His Legs
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier was the difference in this game. He finished 14 of 26 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 87 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. That is four touchdowns in total from one player in the biggest game of the season so far.
Dampier even caught a pass in this game, a 29 yard grab thrown by wide receiver Creed Whittemore. It was the kind of creative play that shows how much trust the Utah coaches put in their quarterback.
The early fumble by Dampier gave BYU a short field and helped start the Cougar comeback, so his day was not perfect. But great players answer their own mistakes, and Dampier did that in the second half. When Utah needed drives to take the lead back and then protect it, he delivered with both his arm and his legs.
Bear Bachmeier and the Four Interceptions That Decided It
On the other side, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier had a day he will want to forget, even though he also showed the fight that got BYU back into the game. Bachmeier threw four interceptions, and the last one sealed the result as the clock expired. In a game decided by eight points, four turnovers from the quarterback spot are almost impossible to overcome.
That is not the full story, though. Bachmeier also led the rally that turned a 14-0 hole into a 20-14 halftime lead. With running back L.J. Martin back on the field after an ankle injury, the BYU offense found its rhythm. Martin had not played since October 3, and his return gave the Cougars a proven runner to lean on. He averaged 7.8 yards per attempt this season before the game, and last year he ran for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. His presence changed the way Utah had to defend BYU.
The problem for BYU was that the good moments and the bad moments came from the same place. The offense could move the ball and score in bunches, but the interceptions kept giving Utah extra chances. Against a top three team, those chances add up. Utah did not need to be perfect in this game. It needed to be steady, and it needed BYU to make the bigger mistakes.
A First in 104 Holy War Meetings
The Holy War is one of the oldest rivalries in college football, and this was its 104th meeting. Yet Saturday was a first. Never before had both Utah and BYU played this game ranked in the top 10 at the same time. That fact alone tells you how much this season has meant for both programs and for the state of Utah.
Rivalry games are strange. Records and rankings often matter less once the ball is kicked, because both teams know each other so well and both want the win so badly. This game followed that pattern. Utah was the higher ranked team and the favorite at home, but BYU led at halftime and had every chance to pull off the upset.
For Utah, the win also keeps a remarkable run going. The Utes now hold the longest active winning streak in the FBS at 15 games. Head coach Morgan Scalley is the first Utah coach to start his career with nine straight wins, and he played on the 2004 Utah team that reached a 10-0 start under Urban Meyer. A win in their next game would give Utah a 10-0 start for the first time since that 2004 season, when the Utes became the first non-BCS team to play in a BCS bowl game.
What the Win Means for the Playoff Race
Utah entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and this win should keep the Utes right there. USA Today projected Utah to stay at No. 3 after beating BYU, with the note that the Utes had cemented their spot in the top three. Utah is now one of only three undefeated FBS teams left in the country, and an unbeaten record this late in the season is hard for the selection committee to ignore.
BYU, on the other hand, takes a clear step back. USA Today projected the Cougars to fall four spots to No. 13 after the loss, dropping from 7-1 to 7-2. That does not end BYU’s season, but it makes the road to the playoff much harder. With two losses, BYU will likely need help from other teams and a strong finish to climb back into the 12 team field.
It is important to be clear about what has and has not happened yet. These are projections, not the official rankings. The next College Football Playoff rankings come out on Tuesday, November 10, starting at 9 p.m. ET. Until then, Utah can enjoy the win and BYU can regroup, but neither team will know its exact new ranking until the committee speaks.
Week 10 was full of big games across the country, and Utah against BYU was one of seven ranked against ranked matchups on the day. Texas also won a ranked road game on Saturday, beating Missouri 34-20 behind a late surge, and you can read our full account of that game here: Texas Beats Missouri 34-20 as Longhorns Score 21 Unanswered in Columbia. The NFL had its own quarterback drama on the same day, with Carson Wentz set to start for the Vikings against the Bills while Kyler Murray sat out with a hamstring injury, covered here: Carson Wentz to Start for Vikings Against Bills as Kyler Murray Sits Out With Hamstring. And away from football, Tyson Fury made headlines with strong words about Deontay Wilder, covered here: Tyson Fury Says Deontay Wilder Is Shot to Bits and Should Not Be Anywhere Near a Ring.
For Utah, the path is now simple, even if it is not easy. Keep winning, and the playoff will take care of itself. A 9-0 team with a top 10 rivalry win on its record does not need to argue its case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of Utah against BYU?
Utah beat BYU 28-20 on Saturday, November 7, 2026. BYU led 20-14 at halftime, but Utah scored 14 unanswered points in the second half and held BYU scoreless after the break.
What is Utah’s record after beating BYU?
Utah is 9-0 after the win. The Utes are one of only three undefeated FBS teams left, and they hold the longest active winning streak in the FBS at 15 games.
What is BYU’s record after losing to Utah?
BYU falls to 7-2 after the loss. USA Today projected the Cougars to drop four spots to No. 13 in its live playoff rankings predictions, down from No. 9.
When do the next College Football Playoff rankings come out?
The next College Football Playoff rankings come out on Tuesday, November 10, starting at 9 p.m. ET. The projections that have Utah staying at No. 3 and BYU falling to No. 13 are not official until the committee releases its rankings.
Sources
- NCAA.com, College football Week 10 live updates, scores and CFP rankings
- USA Today, CFP rankings live predictions for Week 10
Final Thoughts
The 104th Holy War gave us everything a rivalry game should: a fast start, a comeback, a halftime lead for the underdog, and a second half answer from the favorite. Utah won 28-20 because it had the best player on the field in Devon Dampier and because its defense gave BYU nothing after halftime.
BYU will look back at four interceptions and wonder what might have been. The Cougars proved they could trade punches with a top three team, and L.J. Martin’s return gives them a real weapon for the rest of the season. But moral victories do not move a team up the rankings, and a two loss team needs more than a good first half.
Utah, meanwhile, keeps its perfect season alive and its playoff hopes firmly in its own hands. Nine wins down, and every game from here gets bigger.
