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

Still, Utah failed to score any points in the second half, and the Cougars clawed their way back to ultimately take the win away 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 in fourth place. Utah celebrated like they had won.

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

Here is the penalty that extended the eventual game-winning drive for BYU

This was a 4th down sack to end the game, but this was called defensive holding

Announcers say “really good decision,” but that is highly debatable pic.twitter.com/RGpw9Qy8nA

— Pick six samples (@PickSixPreviews) November 10, 2024

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.

A message from Utah AD Mark Harlan: pic.twitter.com/thI9hNRdbY

— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) November 10, 2024

The last few defensive series

After giving up a touchdown to start the quarter, Utah’s defense got stops that had eluded them in previous games.

On three straight possessions, the Cougars were pinned deep in their own territory, which played a big role in the defense’s success.

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

On the second possession, the Utes got the devastating plays. Zemaiah Vaughn had a big sack and then Karene Reid broke up a pass on third down.

On the final BYU possession of the game, the Cougars restarted on their own 9-yard line.

Snowden had a big pass breakup on first down. Utah was able to pressure Retzlaff on second down and forced him to throw it away. The Utes provided the blitz again, nearly reaching Retzlaff in the end zone and forcing another throw away on third down.

On 4th, Karene Reid reached Retzlaff and had him fired. The crowd erupted and it looked like Utah secured the win…a holding penalty on Utah gave the Cougars their first loss and new life.

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

After chewing the clock, the Cougars had to hit a 44-yard field goal through the uprights. Unfortunately, the defense failed to get the final stop they needed.

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

Zone coverage disruptions

Late in the third quarter, BYU marched nearly the length of the field as Retzlaff found open receiver after open receiver after open receiver. In three completions to three different receivers, BYU went 78 yards and put itself in scoring position to start the half.

These weren’t tough decisions or throws; every receiver was wide open. For the first completion, Retzlaff simply threw to where the blitz came from, attacking the vacated area.

The next two completions were breakdowns in coverage. In the zone, communication is key and these seemed to be issues where passing from one zone defender to another was not communicated properly.

BYU would later punch it into the end zone to make it 21-19.

Utah’s first half

The offense looked great in the first half with Brandon Rose at the helm. There wasn’t a drastic change in the volume of offensive production, but Utah sustained multiple drives. There was some improvement in passing game numbers, but Rose’s use of his legs was a noticeable difference.

Rose first ran 27 yards on a quarterback draw. Later, he escaped pressure in the pocket and picked up 8 yards and another first down. Then another 9 yard gain to set up Utah on 3rd and 1 in the red zone.

Rose attempted just two passes before throwing a dart to Brant Kuithe at the front of the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. It was an impressive throw, especially considering it was his third attempt of the match.

He made contact with Dorian Singer in the middle of the field. He made a confident throw that just snuck past Raider Damuni and Singer reeled it in. He connected with Singer a few more times before throwing to Micah Bernard in the flat and scoring another touchdown. It was a simple finish, but more importantly it was a quick decision with defenders closing in on him and the kind of decision that had been lacking in previous weeks.

He finished the half 8-of-11 for 87 yards and two touchdowns, while also running for 44 yards on 3 carries. It looked like Utah had finally found the offensive answers they needed.

The foul of the 2nd half

The second half was a completely different story. Utah was unable to sustain the advance. Rose threw an interception in the third quarter, leading to a BYU field goal.

Rose was less efficient and decisive. Utah strayed from the run game for a series or two. They generated just 79 yards in 25 plays, and ultimately the offense was unable to mount another scoring drive.

As questionable as the holding penalty was, Utah had 30 minutes in the second half to put a few more points on the board, but they couldn’t.

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

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