No. 20 Utah starts slow, pulls away in 2nd half to defeat Wyoming on the road

LARAMIE, Wyo. — War Memorial Stadium is where opposing teams go to die. Maybe that's what it means when you're put out to pasture.

Utah's return to Laramie for the first time in 15 years didn't go as planned Saturday night — so a typical football game in "Laradise." And while Wyoming put up a valiant effort, it was mostly Utah defeating itself in a multitude of ways.

In the first half alone, there were six penalties for 63 yards, three missed field goal attempts, and a less-than-stellar conversion rate (4-of-10) on third downs. And yet, the Utes outgained the Cowboys 267-78 yards at the halftime break but held just a 3-0 lead.

The biggest issue for the Utes was finishing drives in the first half.

Fortunately for the Utes, the defense held firm and had a great night to keep the team in the game until the offense could get into a rhythm. In the end, Utah pulled away for a 31-6 win on the road to improve to 3-0 on the season.

"It was kind of a weird game," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We had very similar yardage in total (offense) first half and second half, but very different results. (We) just weren't finishing drives in the first half. I've got a lot of respect for that Wyoming team; they're tough players, well coached, and they gave us everything they had."

Out of the halftime break, Utah finally found its rhythm as the team made a concerted effort to finish drives.

Utah went 83 yards on nine plays out of the break, and NaQuari Rogers, who finished with 60 rushing yards on 13 carries, capped off the drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to give the Utes a 10-0 lead.

It wasn't always pretty from then on out, but Utah quickly turned the tide in its favor.

"I think it's a mindset change, especially for the offense," Utah quarterback Devon Dampier said. "Every third down we huddled up, I talked to those boys: 'Let's get this, let's get this third down.' And we got it every time. So I think it's just the mentality that we came out with. And when things start clicking for us, we obviously capitalize on it."

On the next Utah series, Utah suffered three big penalties but still finished with a touchdown on what seemed like an improbable drive.

It took 19 plays and 80 yards over a seven-minute stretch, but Utah got its second touchdown of the night — and it came with some heroics, too.

Dampier took the snap and looked as though he was about to throw the ball, but it slipped out of his hands and he fumbled the ball. The junior quarterback quickly ran to the ball and looked downfield, where he hit receiver Larry Simmons in the front corner of the end zone for a toe-tapping 8-yard score to increase the lead.

"I was looking for a receiver — it kind of just slipped out," Dampier said of the play. "And I trust my O-line that they're holding up, and they were, so I was able to pick the ball up without having to dive on it. And just seeing Larry in the back of end zone; he got wide open for me."

That same drive, Utah faced another steep challenge when the offense got called for back-to-back holding penalties, pushing the team back to midfield. Facing third-and-21, Dampier connected with Dallen Bentley down the sideline, and the veteran tight end bulldozed his way to a 23-yard pickup, setting up the Utes for the eventual score.

It was the start of what ended up being four consecutive touchdown drives to closeout the game. The last came when Hunter Andrews, who lined up in the Wildcat, received the direct snap, split the defenders and sprinted to the end zone for an 11-yard score.

Utah finished the night with 541 total yards of offense against Wyoming, with 311 of those yards coming on the ground from six different players. Dampier led the team with 86 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Wayshawn Parker, who only had two carries going into the halftime break, finished with 80 yards on 10 carries, while Andrews added 62 rushing yards and a touchdown, in addition to 44 receiving yards.

Dampier threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-41 passing in another turnover-free game. His favorite target on the night with fellow New Mexico transfer Ryan Davis, who had a team-high 91 receiving yards on 10 catches.

Wyoming managed its only score of the night with 4:23 left in the game on a fourth-and-1 situation, where Terron Kellman went untouched for a 15-yard rushing touchdown. The ensuing 2-point try was unsuccessful on an incomplete pass in the end zone.

But Utah's defense kept Wyoming boxed in for much of the night, limiting the team to just 229 total yards of offense. It's the third straight game Utah has held an opposing team to under 230 yards of total offense.

Defensive end John Henry Daley had a standout night for the defense, picking up the team's two sacks, while adding a pass breakup, a forced fumble and six total tackles.

"I'm definitely getting more comfortable out there," Daley said. "We've got amazing guys at every position on defense. So we've got so many great players surrounding you. You definitely want to go out there and do some great things. And that's what motivates me."

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