SALT LAKE CITY — In a thrilling finish on Saturday night, the No. 9 ranked BYU Cougars managed to maintain their perfect season with a narrow 22-21 victory over Utah. Jake Retzlaff guided the team through two crucial scoring drives in the fourth quarter, culminating with a 44-yard field goal from Will Ferrin just seconds before the final whistle.

The intense matchup drew a record crowd at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium, with 54,383 fans on hand who were led to believe the game had reached its conclusion when a defensive holding penalty on fourth down allowed BYU to continue their final drive. Retzlaff completed 15 of 33 passes for 219 yards, highlighted by a 30-yard throw to Chase Roberts and a subsequent 12-yard pass to Darius Lassiter. Following a 14-yard rushing attempt by Hinckley Ropati, the Cougars positioned themselves perfectly for Ferrin’s decisive kick.

With this victory, BYU remains the only unbeaten team in the Big 12 Conference and is setting itself up favorably for a potential spot in the conference championship game. Retzlaff had previously put the Cougars on the board with a one-yard touchdown sneak early in the fourth quarter, representing a significant nine-play, 95-yard drive where the offense returned to its high-scoring form. However, a 2-point conversion attempt was thwarted, keeping Utah slightly ahead at 21-19.

For Utah, Brandon Rose stepped into the role of starting quarterback for the first time in his career, following injuries to Cam Rising and Isaac Wilson. He made a mark early, leading a six-play, 64-yard drive to throw a 20-yard touchdown to Brant Kuithe. Kuithe, however, suffered a leg injury later in the game after scoring a one-yard touchdown himself out of a wildcat formation.

The momentum shifted when Rose threw an interception in the third quarter, allowing Ferrin to convert another field goal. Throughout the game, Rose completed 12 of 21 passes for 112 yards, but struggled in the latter half, managing only 25 yards on 4 of 11 attempts.

Defensively, Utah’s Zemaiah Vaughn made a key play by stopping Roberts for a loss, which helped set up Rose’s touchdown pass to Micah Bernard, bringing the halftime score to 21-10. Earlier in the game, Jakob Robinson’s interception led to BYU’s first field goal of the night, while Keelan Marion electrified the fans with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

This match was significant, as it marked the first time in several years that BYU has triumphed over Utah, ending a nine-game losing streak in the rivalry that had persisted since the last victory in 2021.

Key takeaways from the match include BYU’s initially subdued offense, which managed only two field goals before finding its rhythm in the final moments. The team faced challenges with clock management and a premature timeout. On the other hand, Utah’s Bernard emerged as a standout player, achieving over 2,000 career rushing yards, although the team has now lost five consecutive games, all by 13 points or fewer.

Looking ahead, BYU is set to host Kansas in their next outing next Saturday, while Utah will face No. 21 Colorado in another challenging matchup.