No. 10 Utah held off No. 14 Houston 21-13 on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, maintaining an undefeated record and extending its winning streak to 13 games—the longest active streak in college football.
Utah (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) trailed 10-0 early but mounted a second-half comeback led by quarterback Devon Dampier. Dampier completed 18 of 26 passes for 204 yards with two interceptions, but made his impact primarily with his rushing, posting a season-high 150 yards on the ground with two touchdowns.
After Utah fell behind, Dampier told coach Morgan Scalley not to worry. “He’s our guy and I’m so proud of his fight in the second half,” Scalley said. “We’re down but he’s just got all the confidence in the world and that’s what you want.”
Utah’s Wayshawn Parker scored on a direct snap for a 2-yard touchdown to give the Utes their first lead at 14-13 with 11:57 remaining in the game. With 2:15 left, Jackson Bennee sacked Houston’s Conner Weigman, and Jireh Moe recovered the fumble on the Houston 9-yard line. Dampier then scampered into the end zone on the next play to extend the lead to 20-13.
Houston (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) kept pace through the third quarter. The Cougars drove downfield in the opening second-half drive, capped by Makhi Hughes scoring a 2-yard touchdown to make it 10-7. Earlier, Jonathan Dimas had made a 47-yard field goal to put Houston up 10-0. Weigman went 19 for 35 for 282 yards but struggled in the fourth quarter, completing only 4 of 12 passes in that period and throwing four straight incompletions late in the game.
Utah’s defense was crucial late in the contest. Latreveon McCutchin intercepted Dampier’s pass at the Houston 34-yard line, and the Utes forced a three-and-out to secure the win.
With the victory, Utah joined Miami and UCLA as the only undefeated teams remaining in college football. Houston’s loss came after a narrow defeat to Texas Tech, leaving the Cougars just a few plays away from contention atop the Big 12.
Key facts
- Utah improved to 7-0 (4-0 Big 12) with its 13th consecutive victory
- Devon Dampier rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns despite throwing two interceptions
- Utah trailed 10-0 before rallying in the second half
- Houston’s Conner Weigman completed 19 of 35 passes for 282 yards
- Utah, Miami, and UCLA remain the only undefeated teams in college football