GAME RECAP: No. 7 Utah Rolls Past Cincinnati 49-25 as Defense Scores Twice

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Nippert Stadium came in with a 5-1 home record and a Halloween crowd in red and black, and still watched Utah score on offense, defense and everything in between before halftime.

No. 7 Utah left Nippert Stadium with a 49-25 win over Cincinnati, a road result built on 534 total yards and two defensive touchdowns in the first half. The Utes improve to 8-0 and 5-0 in the Big 12. Cincinnati falls to 5-3 and 2-3. It was 42-6 at the half, and the rest was clock.

Cincinnati went three-and-out to start, and Utah answered the way a Morgan Scalley team wants to open a road game. Twelve plays, 78 yards, 6:19 off the clock, and Devon Dampier found Hunter Andrews from four yards out at 6:37 of the first. Dillon Curtis converted. Utah 7, Cincinnati 0.

The Bearcats answered with eight plays, 46 yards, and Stephen Rusnak hit a 47-yard field goal at 4:01. 7-3. Utah needed nine plays, 75 yards, and Wayshawn Parker scored from 13 yards out at 0:14. Curtis made it 14-3.

The second quarter got away from Scott Satterfield’s team fast. Gi’Bran Payne was dropped for a 7-yard loss and fumbled, forced by E. Day, and Rabbit Evans returned it 51 yards for a touchdown at 13:43. Curtis converted. 21-3. Cincinnati drove 58 yards, but Rusnak missed a 35-yard field goal at 10:30. Eight plays, 80 yards, and Daniel Bray ran 30 yards for a touchdown at 6:02. Curtis made it 28-3. Rusnak got three back with a 39-yard field goal at 2:58. 28-6. Six plays, 90 yards, and Dampier found Bray from three yards out at 0:58. Curtis converted. 35-6. Then Elijah Davis intercepted JC French IV and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown at 0:34. 42-6 at the break.

Cincinnati made it interesting on paper in the third. After a turnover on downs, Jacob Finley picked off Dampier and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown at 6:24. Rusnak converted. 42-13. Six plays, 78 yards, and Cole Tabb broke a 48-yard touchdown run at 1:54. The two-point try failed. 42-19. Utah answered in four plays, 75 yards, and Dampier hit Andrews for 59 yards at 0:28. Curtis converted. 49-19.

French ran it in from two yards out at 12:16 of the fourth, and the two-point try failed. 49-25. Patrick Bauer forced and recovered a LaMarcus Bell fumble on the next drive, but Cincinnati turned it over on downs, and Utah ran 6:42 off the clock on a 12-play drive to close it out.

The box score is the part that will travel on Sunday. Utah finished with 534 total yards (266 pass, 268 rush). Cincinnati managed 456 (263 pass, 193 rush). Dampier went 22-of-29 for 260 yards and two touchdowns with one interception and ran nine times for 45 yards. Andrews caught five balls for 112 yards and two scores, and Braden Pegan caught five for 46. Parker carried seven times for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Bray added eight for 75 and a score plus a touchdown catch. Curtis was 7-for-7 on extra points. French went 16-of-30 for 263 yards with an interception and ran for a score. JV Gibson caught five passes for 76 yards, and Tabb carried 14 times for 131 yards and a touchdown. Finley had 10 tackles, a sack and the pick-six.

Nippert Stadium is supposed to be the place where Cincinnati hangs around with anybody. Saturday it was the place where an unbeaten Utah team showed it can win a road game by halftime, and the Utes are still unbeaten heading into November.

Player of the Game: Devon Dampier. Twenty-two completions in 29 attempts for 260 yards and two touchdowns, including the 59-yard strike to Hunter Andrews that answered Cincinnati’s third-quarter push.