Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes

Devon Dampier throws 2 TD passes, Daniel Bray adds TD run as No. 17 Utah beats Utah State 33-0

Braden Pegan had a season-high 122 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches, and Daniel Bray added 82 yards and a score on the ground, helping the Utes (3-0) pile up 480 yards against their rival. Utah averaged 6.5 yards per play.

“I felt very confident with the way our receivers are playing, the play calls being made, the way our offense was blocking,” Dampier said. “I feel like the game is slowing a little bit for me mentally and I’m just able to make better decisions as I’m out there.”

Grady Brosterhous threw for 130 yards with an interception for the Aggies (0-3), who suffered a fourth straight loss in their rivalry series with Utah. Utah State has dropped 16 of 17 to the Utes dating to the 1998 season.

“We knew this would be a tough game, but I’d like to see more growth and progress than I saw today,” Aggies coach Bronco Mendenhall said.

Utah limited Utah State to 58 rushing yard, piled up four sacks and allowed just one rushing first down — all just a week after allowing Arkansas to gain only 61 yards on the ground. The Utes are allowing 2.3 yards per carry over their last two games.

“We’re pretty tight on coverage,” Utes coach Morgan Scalley said. “You really want to be able to make teams one-dimensional, particularly if you know that’s their strength. Force them into longer-yard situations where they have to throw the ball.”

The Utes scored on four straight first-half drives and took a 26-0 lead into the locker room, capped by Pegan’s 37-yard scoring grab with 33 seconds left. Utah churned out 301 yards and 16 first downs over the first 30 minutes alone.

Rabbit Evans snagged an interception in the end zone in the second half to stop Utah State’s first drive into the red zone. The pick set up Bray’s 63-yard sprint four plays later, which boosted Utah’s lead to 33-0 with 5:16 left in the third quarter.

The takeaway Utah State: Generating offense is still a problem for the Aggies, who mustered just 85 yards before halftime.

Utah: The Utes dominated on both sides of the ball again. They’ve outscored opponents 142-24 in nonconference play.

Aggies star injured Utah State’s leading tackler, Harrison Taggart, was taken in an ambulance to the University of Utah Hospital after taking a knee to the head while making a tackle on Bray in the first half. Taggart was put in concussion protocol and suffered a neck injury.

He had a team-high 13 tackles through Utah State’s first two games and had five stops on Saturday before getting injured.

“He is who we want our team to be,” Mendenhall said. “I don’t have a scale that I can turn enough to relay his impact.”

Off to a quick start Pegan caught three passes on Utah’s opening drive, culminating in a 28-yard toss when Dampier found him wide open in the end zone. It highlighted a productive first half that saw the senior haul in seven catches for 113 yards and two scores.

“If you’re going to play him one-on-one, that’s kind of what’s going to happen,” Dampier said. “The ball is going to find him and plays are going to be made.”

Pegan had totaled 113 yards and a TD on seven catches through his first two contests with the Utes.

Up Next Utah State: Hosts Troy on Saturday.

Utah: Visits Iowa State on Saturday.

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