'We're not happy': Costly decisions, errors mar Utah's hopes of a win over rival BYU

PROVO — With a yard to go on BYU's 12-yard line as part of Utah's first drive of the game, the road Utes lined up to go for it on fourth down.

It was an easy decision for the coaching staff. The analytics were saying "go," which only added more weight to an already successful season as one of the best teams in the nation in converting fourth downs (80%) coming into the game.

Nobody would blame Utah for attempting to keep the drive moving early instead of settling for a 29-yard field goal.

But when freshman running back Daniel Bray took the handoff on a sweep, he couldn't get downfield and was stopped a yard behind the line of scrimmage by BYU corner Mory Bamba.

No harm, no foul, right?

The turnover on downs turned out to be one of four different times the Utes were stopped on fourth down and the second inside the red zone in a game where Utah lost 24-21 in front of a sellout crowd at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

It turned out to be a 6-point swing that turned the tides for the home Cougars, who extended their win streak over the Utes to three straight.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham remained firm that the analytics said to proceed as an offense and not attempt the kick — even on a later fourth-and-7 attempt in which Utah first tried for a field goal but switched it up after a BYU timeout.

"Unless you tell me to go against the analytics, that's why," the long-term coach emphasized.

Devon Dampier, who finished the game throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-36 passing, said "that's on us."

"I think we've been great on third and fourth downs all season," Dampier said. "Glad that coach Whitt trusts us in those situations. It finally didn't go our way. But yeah, I mean, they're a talented team as well; they can make plays."

BYU's defense certainly made plays, but Utah failed to take control of a game in which it outgained BYU 470 yards to 368 yards. Utah simply couldn't convert in the red zone after being one of the best in the country for the season.

"We're not happy," Dampier said. "We know what our team is capable of. We had aspirations to be undefeated after our first loss, so it hurts us right now."

The fourth-down stops and failed red zone trips weighed heavily on the game, but they were far from the only reasons why Utah found itself on the losing side of another rivalry game.

Utah committed two costly turnovers and finished the game with 12 penalties for 77 yards, some of which Whittingham described as "damaging."

"Yeah, that was, we've been good — really good — penalty wise, except for two football games. ... And so it's just been a couple games where it seems to snowball on us, and tonight was one of those two games," Whittingham said. "And there was some really damaging penalties there."

The first turnover of the night came when punt returner Mana Carvalho attempted to bring down a ball in traffic that fell short. But the freshman returner couldn't get to it quick enough and it went off his chest and into the hands of several BYU defenders, who flipped the script on what was looking to be a momentum shift for the Utes before halftime.

"I talked to Mana and he's very prideful young man and cares tremendously about the team and his role, and he just felt the ball was floating — his exact words, he thought it was coming deeper, and it wasn't," Whittingham said. "It took another dive, he said. Just all of a sudden it just dipped and caught him by surprise and consequently mishandled."

The Cougars then converted on the turnover with a 26-yard field goal to give BYU a 10-7 lead at the halftime break.

Dampier then committed the second turnover of the night in the fourth quarter after BYU had reclaimed a 17-14 lead. The junior quarterback lobbed a pass into traffic to Bray, but BYU safety Tanner Wall made a leaping catch to stop Utah's chance at an equalizer.

"I'm a risk taker," Dampier said of the play. "It was third down. I thought give one of our receivers a chance to go get the ball. (They) made a better play."

BYU then drove 64 yards in eight plays, with BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier delivering a decisive blow as he rushed for 22 yards on third-and-11 up the middle, dragging Utah defenders into the end zone for what turned out to be the game-winning score.

Utah found the end zone again late, but it was too little, too late, and the damage was already done on a night where the Cougars failed to commit a turnover and were limited to five penalties.

And it's another instance this season in which Utah failed to get a win in a "big" game after blowing out every other opponent this season.

"You go from elation to devastation in a seven day period of time and back and forth, but that's what you sign up for," Whittingham said. "I mean, that's the nature of this business."

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