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The victory was snatched away from Utah, with BYU losing 22-21

SALT LAKE CITY — After holding the lead for most of the game, a questionable holding penalty ultimately cost the Utes the win.

Still, Utah couldn't score any points in the second half, and the Cougars battled back and eventually snatched the win from the Utes.

The Cougars leave Rice-Eccles Stadium with a 22-21 victory after Utah went into halftime with a 21-10 lead.

A holding penalty?

Karene Reid sacked Jake Retzlaff on 4th down. Utah celebrated like they had won.

Then a penalty was pronounced. Sticking with Zemaiah Vaughn. The call was questionable to say the least and preserved BYU's chance at a comeback.

It was the kind of punishment that sent Utah athletic director Mark Harlan to the podium with a message to the Big 12 and its commissioner.

The last defensive series

After giving up a touchdown early in the quarter, Utah's defense got stops that had eluded it in previous games.

On three consecutive possessions, the Cougars were trapped deep in their own territory, which played a big role in the defense's success.

One possession included an incompletion error with Smith Snowden in tight coverage, a tackle by Lander Barton for loss, and a bad snap that resulted in a loss of 10 yards.

The Utes got the devastating plays on their second possession. Zemaiah Vaughn had a big sack and then Karene Reid broke up a pass on 3rd down.

On BYU's final possession of the game, the Cougars again started at their own 9-yard line.

Snowden had a big pass breakup on 1st down. Utah was able to pressure Retzlaff on 2nd down and forced him to throw the ball away. The Utes brought out the blitz again, nearly reaching Retzlaff in the end zone and forcing another throw on third down.

On 4th down, Karene Reid reached Retzlaff and sacked him. The crowd erupted and it seemed like Utah had secured the win, but a holding penalty against Utah gave the Cougars a 1st down and new life.

After a few incompletions, Retzlaff completed two big passes to move the Cougars into Utah territory. Another run got them to the 25-yard line before a false start set up 1st-and-10 at the 30-yard line.

After checking the clock, the Cougars were scheduled to kick a 44-yard field goal through the uprights. Unfortunately, the defense was unable to get the final stop needed.

The holding penalty on 4th down sack will be a play that will come back to haunt Utah.

Failures in zone coverage

Late in the third quarter, BYU marched almost the entire field as Retzlaff found one open receiver after another. BYU gained 78 yards on three completions to three different receivers and put itself in scoring position at the start of the half.

These weren't difficult decisions or throws; Every receiver was wide open. For the first completion, Retzlaff simply threw to where the lightning came from, attacking the vacated area.

The next two deals were failures in reporting. Communication is crucial in the zone and these appeared to be issues where handoffs from one zone defender to another were not communicated properly.

BYU later hit the end zone to make the score 21-19.

Utah's offense in the first half

The offense looked fantastic in the first half with Brandon Rose leading the way. There wasn't a drastic change in the amount of offensive production, but Utah maintained several offenses. There was some improvement in passing numbers, but Rose's use of his legs was a noticeable difference.

Rose initially ran 27 yards on a quarterback draw. He later escaped the pressure in the pocket and gained 8 yards and another first down. Then another 9-yard gain to put Utah in the red zone on 3rd-and-1.

Rose attempted only two passes before throwing a dart to Brant Kuithe in front of the end zone for the game's first touchdown. It was an impressive shot, especially considering it was his third attempt of the game.

He connected with Dorian Singer in the middle of the field. He threw a confident throw that narrowly snuck past Raider Damuni and Singer caught up with him. He hit Singer a few more times before throwing to Micah Bernard in the flat for another touchdown. It was a simple finish, but more importantly, it was a quick decision with defenders pressing him and the type of decision that had been missing in recent weeks.

He finished the half 8 of 11 for 87 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 44 yards on three carries. It seemed like Utah had finally found the offensive answers they needed.

The offensive in the 2nd half

The second half was a completely different story. Utah was unable to sustain the drives. Rose threw an interception in the 3rd quarter that led to a BYU field goal.

Rose was less efficient and decisive. Utah deviated from the run game for a series or two. They only gained 79 yards on 25 plays, and in the end the offense was unable to score again.

As questionable as the holding penalty may have been, Utah had 30 minutes in the second half to put a few more points on the board and failed to do so.

Steve Bartle is the Utah insider for KSL Sports. He hosts the Utah Blockcast (SUBSCRIBE) and appears on KSL Sports Zone to beat the Utes. You can follow him on X for the latest Utah updates and game analysis.

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