Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) scrambles out of the pocket against the BYU Cougars during the first half at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Rob Gray-Imagn Images

What Utah players said after loss to BYU

Originally posted on Utah Utes on SI | By Cole Forsman | Last updated Oct 19, 2025 9:15 AM ET

Utah couldn't overcome several self-inflicted miscues and fell short to its in-state rival, BYU, in a 24-21 loss from LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday.

Despite racking up nearly 500 yards of total offense, a pair of unsuccessful fourth down tries in the red zone and two costly turnovers wound up outweighing whatever positives the Utes had on the offensive side of the ball against the Cougars, who picked up their third straight win in the Holy War series behind a memorable performance from freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

Bachmeier took some big hits while standing tall in the pocket, orchestrating back-to-back scoring drives after his team fell behind 14-10 in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-2 Californian even managed to etch his name into the rivalry's lore with a tough 22-yard scamper on third-and-11, in which Bachmeier shook off multiple would-be tacklers before receiving some help from his teammates near the goal line to put BYU up 24-14 with under 10 minutes to play.

The Utes' response was too late to spark a come-from-behind win, as they dropped to 5-2 on the season while having their Big 12 title hopes placed in serious jeopardy.

Here's what Utah's Devon Dampier and Logan Fano had to say after the loss.

Dampier on the team's emotional state following its second loss of the season

"We're not happy. We know what our team is capable of. We had aspirations to be undefeated after our first loss. So, it hurts us right now."

Dampier on the decisions to go for it on fourth down in the red zone

"That's on us. I think we've been great on third and fourth downs all season. I'm glad that coach [Whittingham] trusts us in those situations; sadly, it didn't go our way. They're a talented team as well. They can make plays."

Dampier on how the Utes will put the loss behind them

"We've been in this situation before. We lost a football game before and we bounced back just fine, so, I got full trust in my team still. This game doesn't change that. I think we still got a strong team all around; hopefully we'll show that to the world."

Dampier on his fourth quarter interception

"I'm a risk-taker. It was third down. I thought, give one of our receivers a chance to go get the ball; the DB made a better play."

Fano on the impact of Lander Barton's ejection

"Everybody knows Lander is a big part of our defense, but it's on me. I gotta step as the other captain and I gotta bring the guys along. So that's my fault."

Fano on Bear Bachmeier's performance

"He's a good quarterback. I mean, he's young, but he's a good quarterback; credit goes to him. They had a couple different protections that we should have beat, but; yeah, we should've just made tackles and made plays when they presented themselves."

This article first appeared on Utah Utes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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