Analysis: No. 15 BYU steals, legally and with no complaining this time, another rivalry win over No. 23 Utah

BYU stole Saturday night’s rivalry game against the rival University of Utah like Yogi Bear steals picnic lunches.

Legally, hungrily, for the entire world to see, and with no apology needed this time — from either side.

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Leading the way, of course, was the Cougars’ own Bear, the true freshman with B. Bachmeier on the back of his jersey and, now, the whole of Cougar Nation in the pocket covering his ample back side.

The 19-year-old from Southern California added to his ever-growing legend in his seventh career game in front of 64,794 delirious fans at LaVell Edwards Stadium — sans the thousand or so dressed in red — helping BYU grind out its third-straight win in the series with Utah for the first time since 1992.

Utah won in the stats column, for the most part, but the Cougars won on the scoreboard by a count of 24-21 with a national television audience (Fox) and the biggest crowd at LES since BYU played Notre Dame in 2004.

“It was exhilarating. There were a lot of emotions,” said Bachmeier, in his typical low-key style. “It was good to get the win.”

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For the No. 15 Cougars (7-0, 4-0), one of only two unbeaten teams left in the Big 12 and one of only six unbeatens in the Football Bowl Subdivision, it was a bit similar to last year, when a few late breaks went their way in a 22-21 victory over the Utes in Salt Lake City. That, of course, prompted Utah athletic director Mark Harlan to host an impromptu news conference to complain about the officiating, which earned him a hefty fine from the Big 12.

For the No. 23 Utes (5-2, 2-2), it was also a painful reminder of last year’s meltdown at Rice-Eccles — only this time Utah can only blame itself and not the officiating. Utah racked up 470 yards — to BYU’s 368 — but committed two incredibly costly turnovers and sputtered in the red zone like those days in 2015 and 2016 that cost then co-offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick his job.

Said Roderick, BYU’s OC, as he entered the press box elevator on his way to the field to join the field storming and celebrate what will go down in the books as an “upset” because Utah was favored by a field goal:

“Three games is officially a win streak.”

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Head coach Kalani Sitake was a bit more humble, using the bulk of his opening statement at the postgame news conference to praise losing coach Kyle Whittingham, who just might have coached his last game at the stadium in which he played.

“A great game, and glad we got the victory, obviously, but really excited about just the overall performance in all three phases,” Sitake said. “The guys played their butts off, and the fans were amazing tonight in the stadium. You could feel it — the energy.

“I am glad that we were able to make the plays. We knew that it would take all three phases to do this, and we knew that it would be a fight to the end. And you have to give a lot of credit to Utah for their performance.”

The Cougars won this game because they took care of the ball — they caught a huge break when Utah’s Jackson Bennee picked off Bachmeier, but a defensive holding penalty on a teammate negated the interception — and were able to physically wear down the Utes in the trenches.

And, of course, Bachmeier was simply phenomenal, most notably on a 22-yard touchdown run that gave BYU a 24-14 lead with 4:22 remaining. There were some anxious moments for the blue team and its fans thereafter, but that was essentially the biggest play of the game.

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“The man, the myth, the legend,” said receiver Chase Roberts as Bachmeier stepped up to the podium at the postgame presser.

And who’s to argue? What the 19-year-old who was with Stanford last spring has done the past few months is simply unbelievable, and that carried on Saturday, a week after he almost singlehandedly led BYU to that 33-27 win in double overtime at Arizona.

“We wanted to put it on his shoulder, and it paid off,” Sitake said.

New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier was almost as good for Utah in his first rivalry game, finishing with 15 carries for 64 yards on the ground and passing for 244 yards and two TDs. Dampier’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Larry Simmons with 1:24 left cut BYU’s lead to 24-21, but Utah’s ensuing onside kick didn’t work as a Ute was flagged for illegally touching the ball before it traveled 10 yards.

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“Dampier is a great athlete; he makes people miss,” said Sitake.

Bachmeier makes them look silly, at times, then struggles to find ways to describe his life the past three months. He completed 13 of 22 passes for 166 yards, including the 17-yard touchdown strike to Chase Roberts to open the scoring.

Roberts said he and Bachmeier spent 30-35 minutes after practice this week working on that back-shoulder throw, getting the timing just right.

“It has been a crazy kind of roller coaster (ride),” Bachmeier said. “… We have been here before and we just gotta keep it rolling.”

Senior safety Tanner Wall, a former walk-on who said he has been cheering for BYU over Utah since he “came out of the womb,” made the fifth interception of his career, then ranked it as the best yet “because it came in the Holy War.”

With Utah on the move after Parker Kingston’s 12-yard TD run gave BYU a 17-14 lead — a play after Ute stud Lander Barton was ejected for targeting Bachmeier on a vicious hit as Bachmeier was delivering a 26-yard pass to former Ute Carsen Ryan — Wall outjumped Utah’s Daniel Bray for the pigskin.

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“We lost the turnover margin 2-0, tough to do that against a team that is 6-0, a highly ranked team,” said Whittingham. “It is tough to do that.”

Bray had given Utah its first lead, 14-10, with a 49-yard run, untouched, to the end zone with 14:11 remaining in the contest. The TD got the Utah crowd back into the game, and put BYU fans on their seats. Big mo was wearing red.

But credit BYU and Bachmeier for answering quickly with one of their best drives of the season. Kingston’s TD capped an 81-yard drive in five plays.

“It was a back and forth game,” said Sitake. “We maybe made a few more plays than they did. … The hair on my arms just stands up thinking about it.”

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A case could be made that BYU stole the game from the Utes in the first half, as Utah picked up 238 yards in the first 30 minutes, but had just seven points to show for it as BYU’s defense turned the Utes over on downs twice in the first half.

The Utes were in control late in the first half after knotting the score 7-7 with an 11-yard Ryan Davis TD reception, and then forcing a three-and-out. But returner Mana Carvalho muffed Sam Vander Haar’s short punt, and BYU’s Talan Alfrey jumped on it.

Alfrey, Roberts, reserve tight end Ethan Erickson and Wall are the only players remaining on the BYU team that ended Utah’s nine-game winning streak in the series with the 26-17 win in 2021.

“To be 3-0 against them, it is pretty special and something I will cherish for the rest of my life, for sure,” Roberts said.

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The way the half ended was maddening for the Cougars, although they regained the lead on a 26-yard field goal by Will Ferrin. BYU had the ball at the Utah 11 after Bachmeier’s 3-yard run on fourth-and-1, but Roderick called two running plays when the Cougars were out of timeouts. Bachmeier had to spike the football on third down to stop the clock and give BYU a chance to get its field goal team on the field.

Bachmeier’s explanation: “We got the field goal, and we won by three. That was pretty important.”

Indeed it was.