Utah Holds Off Houston, Rips Cincinnati Next as FBS Undefeated
The Utes beat No. 14 Houston 24-10 behind Devon Dampier's legs before facing Cincinnati, which just upset Texas Tech 37-24.
By Camila Herrera ·
Devon Dampier ran for 150 yards on 15 carries and Utah's defense forced a late fumble to beat No. 14 Houston 24-10, keeping the Utes unbeaten at 8-0. The game played out at Rice-Eccles Stadium in front of ESPN's College GameDay, marking the venue's 100th consecutive sellout.
The two teams combined for 798 yards but traded punts early, and Houston led 10-0 into the third quarter. Dampier broke a 22-yard touchdown run late in the third to make it 10-7. Houston's Conner Weigman then fumbled under pressure from Utah safety Jackson Bennee with about two minutes left, and Utah recovered before Dampier scored on the next snap. Utah has now won 13 straight, the longest streak in the FBS, and stands with Miami and UCLA as the only unbeaten teams left.
Utah visits Cincinnati on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. Mountain time on ESPN. The Bearcats enter off a 37-24 win over Texas Tech, the defending Big 12 champions, a result head coach Scott Satterfield called a signature victory in his fourth season at UC. That upset, plus a BYU loss to UCF in double overtime, left Utah as the only unbeaten team left in the Big 12.
Pick Six Previews' Game Grader, which adjusts for opponent strength, rates Utah's offense 16th among the 68 Power Four teams and Cincinnati's defense 55th. Cincinnati's pass defense has allowed 598 yards to West Virginia and 522 to Arizona. Against Houston, Utah held the Cougars, who entered averaging more than 200 rushing yards per game, to 86 on the ground, 2.8 per carry.
The other side of the matchup is tighter. Cincinnati's offense ranks 13th of 68 Power Four teams, and Utah's defense ranks 42nd. The Bearcats' offensive line, a Joe Moore Award semifinalist last season, brought back Joe Cotton, Evan Tengesdahl and Taran Tyo for 2026. That unit ranks second in yards per carry and fifth in run push.
Utah's man coverage ranks second in completion rate and fifth in opposing quarterback rating, which matters on third-and-long. Dampier threw a forced interception in the fourth quarter against Houston, and Braden Pegan has emerged as a target for him downfield. Cincinnati has lost five straight to close each of the past two seasons and carries the second-worst recruiting ranking in the Big 12.
Pick Six Previews projects Utah to win 31-20. The publication's preseason magazine picked Utah third in the Big 12 and No. 22 overall; the Utes now sit at No. 9 and lead the conference. Utah has not scored 30 points in either of its last two games after holding the nation's longest streak of 30-point outings.
