Utah exhibited a dominant performance that encompassed all three areas of offense, defense, and special teams, completely controlling the tempo and setting the tone for how the game was played. The ground forces of the Utes were too strong for the Sun Devils could withstand, and Arizona State was unable to create a steady momentum.
First Half Time
First Quarter
Utah opened the game with authority as Devon Dampier converted a fourth-and-2 with a decisive 12-yard quarterback run, giving the Utes an early 7–0 advantage. Arizona State then returned to the offense with a drive of its own that was equally impressive as it succeeded in converting two fourth downs to get deep into Utah territory.
Nevertheless, the Sun Devils could not complete the drive on the end zone and had to make do with a 38-yard field goal by Jesus Gomez, reducing the gap to 7-3.
Second Quarter
The second quarter was fully under Utah. Dampier would add another score to this, though, finishing off a systematic drive with a 24-yard rushing TD on an option. This gave Utah a 14-3 lead. Arizona State attempted to bridge the gap, but its second field goal was blocked, a pivotal momentum shift that completely swung control in favor of the Utes.
Utah then made a moment of immediate capitalization and set up a sudden 6-play, 75-yard drive to score, with a highlight of a 24-yard run by NaQuari Rogers that advanced the score by half a point to 21 to 3 by halftime. As the first half came to a close, Utah’s offense was operating at full strength, while their defense effectively shut down Arizona State’s attempts to respond.
Second Half Time
Third Quarter
Utah continued its dominance at the end of the break. In the first drive of the third quarter, the Utes marched through the field and again scored to increase the lead to 28-3. Arizona State eventually became alive by mid-quarter when quarterback Jeff Sims orchestrated a 75-yard drive.
It ended with a 4-yard rushing score by wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, which reduced the margin to 28-10. Utah, however, soon squashed any hopes of a comeback as Dampier returned the blow. This time was a 9-yard touchdown run to end the third quarter with Utah well ahead of the score at 35–10.
Fourth Quarter
The last quarter was everything to Utah, controlling time and sealing a superior victory. The offense of Arizona State fumbled, and Sims was sacked three times during a single drive as the defense line of Utah chewed the defense of the Sun Devils.
The Utes tacked on a single point when the backup quarterback, Byrd Ficklin, ran into the end zone with a 4-yard-long run to close out the 42-10 win. At that point, Utah successfully ran out the clock and ended a statement game that portrayed their depth, discipline, and control across all levels of the game.
Key Performances & Statistics
- Devon Dampier (Utah QB) rushed 10 times, 120 yards (12.0 yards per carry), 3 rushing touchdowns (12-yd, 24-yd, 9-yd). He also completed 7-of-12 passes with 104 yards in the meantime. He was the first Utah quarterback to rush more than 100 yards since Travis Wilson in 2015.
- Utah Run Game Statistic (276 total rushing yards and six total rushing scores).
- Arizona State QB Jeff Sims completed 18/38 pass attempts with 124 yards.
- ASU Foul (Utah had pressured the offense and failed to hold drives. Their non-garbage-time recording was just in the third quarter).
- Defense & Line of Scrimmage( The offensive line of Utah created massive holes, as David Washington averaged 6.6 yards per carry during the night. ASU, coming into the game foregoing about 78 yards of rushing per game, was overpowered).
- ASU blocked one field goal, and in general, they did not generate any impact plays during this phase.