Utah Looked Like A Big 12 And Cfp Contender Again In A Beatdown Of Cincinnati

SALT LAKE CITY — Three takeaways from Utah’s 45–14 triumph complete Cincinnati connected Saturday night.

1. The Utes won successful each 3 phases to present different dominating location win, providing much regret complete really they vanished successful their 2 losses.

Rice-Eccles Stadium is usually a ferocious situation for immoderate force but erstwhile there’s cleanable autumn weather, ESPN’s College GameDay is successful municipality and nan prolific “MUSS” student conception is astatine afloat measurement erstwhile Halloween leads into Saturday night, things tin get turned up a fewer notches. Cincinnati understood what it was stepping into, but what it astir apt didn’t count connected was nan location broadside punching it successful nan rima early successful nan first 4th and past leaning connected it nan remainder of nan measurement to lucifer nan teams’ records astatine 7–2 overall.

The Utes scored connected 4 of their first 5 drives successful nan first half, returned a 75-yard punt for a touchdown for nan first clip successful 4 years, positive notched a trio of turnovers acknowledgment to their typically progressive defense. They person scored 67 points earlier halftime successful their past 2 games and very overmuch solidified their clasp connected being nan third-best squad successful nan Big 12 down Texas Tech and BYU. Saturday nighttime only reinforced that sentiment aft different complete effort betwixt nan lines.

Quarterback Devon Dampier, who has been dealing pinch an ankle injury, looked very overmuch for illustration he was backmost to normal arsenic 1 of nan much move dual-threats successful nan game. He threw an ill-advised interception down adjacent nan extremity statement but different threw for 213 yards and a brace of touchdowns while besides rushing for 78 yards. His expertise to make opposing defenses deliberation astir him successful nan tally crippled was intelligibly evident pinch nan measurement he drew an other defender to region conscionable a half 2nd longer than normal erstwhile reference nan play, which helped free up immoderate lanes for Wayshawn Parker (104 yards, 1 TD) and freshman Daniel Bray (43 yards). The discourtesy recorded much first downs (29) than Cincinnati had points and astir doubled up nan clip of possession. 

Throw successful nan emblematic salty defense that caput coach Kyle Whittingham and coordinator Morgan Scalley are known for and this was a one-sided matter crossed each 4 quarters. 

All of which has to make it frustrating for galore of nan 51,672 successful attendance that Utah’s ceiling is truthful evidently tin of being a existent contender successful nan convention but it conscionable truthful happened to return losses—both adjacent games successful nan 2nd half—to nan brace of teams that it will request immoderate superior thief to look again this play (more connected that below). It tin still beryllium a very bully play if nan Utes bounce backmost from past season’s horrors to decorativeness 10–2. If they tally nan table, it will only underscore a spot of regret that they couldn’t get things done astatine location against nan Red Raiders aliases connected nan roadworthy to their bitter rival past month.

2. It was a nary good, very bad roadworthy travel for Cincinnati's usually prolific quarterback. 

Bearcats backmost Brendan Sorsby came into nan time tied for nan astir full touchdowns successful nan country. He near his travel to nan Wasatch Front questioning a batch astir really he played aft completing conscionable 11 passes against Utah (221 yards, 1 touchdown) and throwing an interception successful a dispiriting effort. He managed nan team’s different touchdown connected a scamper up nan mediate but was mostly nan logic nan squad went conscionable 6 of 14 connected 3rd down and grounded to muster overmuch of immoderate threat beyond nan 3rd quarter. 

It was astatine slightest a in installments to his slipperiness successful nan pouch that he avoided taking a sack contempt adjacent changeless pressure, but it was beautiful clear that Sorsby grounded to thief nan squad prehend power of their convention destiny aft carrying nan discourtesy connected their seven-game winning streak. 

Cincinnati backmost Brendan Sorsby completed conscionable 11 passes against Utah connected Saturday. / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Of people it didn’t thief that Cincinnati, which had 4 turnovers coming into Week 10, coughed nan shot up 3 times wide and were very overmuch forced to wantonness a tally crippled that averaged 6.9 yards per carry. There were 2 large plays, a 41-yard tally by Tawee Walker and Cyrus Allen getting down nan defense for an 88-yard touchdown, but location was acold from a accordant effort connected discourtesy to springiness nan squad a chance connected nan road.

3. Utah and Cincinnati some stay successful nan Big 12—and by hold CFP—race, but request immoderate help.

The Big 12 isn’t arsenic convoluted arsenic immoderate of nan different conferences astir nan state but location are arsenic galore arsenic seven teams still live to make it to Arlington, Texas, for nan convention title game—and by hold nan College Football Playoff—with 2 aliases less losses successful nan standings. However, some nan Bearcats and nan Utes will request immoderate thief down nan agelong moreover if they’re correct successful nan heavy of things. That’s simply nan quality of nan tiebreakers successful specified mega-conferences wherever not everybody plays everybody. 

The full state will person a large liking successful adjacent week’s crippled involving BYU astatine Texas Tech, which will spell a agelong measurement successful seeing who has nan limb up to decorativeness atop nan standings and who mightiness beryllium rooting for further losses from retired of obscurity successful nan Big 12. Should nan Red Raiders prevail successful Lubbock, that shifts things guardant to a cardinal crippled betwixt nan Cougars and Bearcats astatine Nippert Stadium successful a fewer weeks. Utah will person a rooting liking successful that 1 arsenic well, not conscionable because it has nan head-to-head triumph complete Cincinnati, but besides because it needs a fewer teams tied astatine 7–2 to cancel retired its ain losses to Tech and BYU.

As was nan lawsuit past year, things are ne'er straightforward successful nan Big 12 and, based connected nan measurement things person transpired successful 2025, that will apt beryllium nan lawsuit erstwhile again.

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