BYU stays unbeaten as Jake Retzlaff orchestrated two impressive fourth-quarter scoring drives, culminating in Will Ferrin’s clutch 44-yard field goal with just four seconds left, securing a thrilling 22-21 victory over Utah on Saturday night.
The defining moment came when the Cougars’ final drive was prolonged by a defensive holding penalty on fourth down, leaving the record crowd of 54,383 at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium stunned, believing the game was already decided.
Retzlaff completed 15 of 33 passes for 219 yards, connecting with Chase Roberts for 30 yards and Darius Lassiter for 12 yards before Hinckley Ropati’s 14-yard run set up Ferrin’s game-winning kick. This victory keeps BYU (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) as the last undefeated team in the Big 12, positioning them favorably for a shot at the conference championship.
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On the other side, Utah’s Brandon Rose, stepping in as the starting quarterback after injuries sidelined Cam Rising and Isaac Wilson, showcased resilience. He ran for two first downs and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brant Kuithe, capping off a six-play, 64-yard drive early in the second quarter. Kuithe later added a 1-yard touchdown run from the wildcat formation, although he exited the game with a leg injury.
After capitalizing on an interception thrown by Rose in the third quarter, Ferrin added his second field goal of the night. Rose ended the game with 12 completions on 21 attempts for 112 yards, struggling in the second half with only 25 yards on 4 of 11 passing.
Utah’s Zemaiah Vaughn made a pivotal play, stopping Roberts for a 2-yard loss on a crucial fourth-and-1, leading to Rose’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Micah Bernard that put Utah ahead 21-10 at halftime.
Jakob Robinson’s interception in the first quarter set the stage for a 23-yard field goal by Ferrin, while BYU’s Keelan Marion electrified the crowd with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter, marking his second return touchdown of the season.
Historically, Utah had dominated this rivalry, winning nine consecutive matchups before falling to BYU in the 2021 game and again this time.
Takeaways
BYU’s offense struggled early, managing only two field goals before igniting in the fourth quarter. They faced some clock management issues, including an early timeout that led to a 10-second runoff, hindering their scoring chances just before halftime.
Familiar Foes
Notably, five of BYU’s primary coaches have ties to Utah, and longtime Ute coach Kyle Whittingham was a player at BYU during the 1980s, adding an intriguing layer to this rivalry.
Up Next
Next Saturday, BYU will host Kansas, while Utah will travel to face No. 21 Colorado.
