TicketsSALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The No. 17/16-ranked Cincinnati football team fell to No. 24 Utah, 45-14, on Saturday night inside Rice-Eccles Stadium.
With ESPN College GameDay in town and a late 10:15 p.m. ET / 8:15 p.m. MT kickoff time, the sold-out crowd wearing all black made for the toughest road environment since the season-opener against Nebraska at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Bearcats dropped to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12 – in a tie for second place in the league. The Utes improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the conference.
Behind the dynamic play of junior quarterback Devon Dampier – back after missing last week with an injury – the Utes jumped out to a 24-7 halftime lead as the Bearcats had two turnovers and missed a field goal in the second quarter.
Cincinnati fought back in the third quarter to make it a game.
UC forced a Utah punt on the first possession of the second half and then Sorsby connected with senior receiver Cyrus Allen on an 88-yard touchdown pass at the 10:35 mark in the third quarter to make the score 24-14.
On Utah’s next possession, Dampier threw an interception to Cincinnati safety Christian Harrison.
The Bearcats could not capitalize and were forced to punt.
Utah added to its lead with 2:26 remaining in the third when Dampier completed a short pass to Creed Whittemore who broke a couple tackles en route to the end zone to make the score 31-14.
Mana Carvalho returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown with 1:36 to go in the third quarter to make the score 38-14.
Cincinnati had 244 total yards before halftime, but were only able to come away with seven points on a 22-yard rushing score by Sorsby. Senior kicker Stephen Rusnak missed his first field goal of the season – a 42-yard attempt to start the second quarter, while Sorsby committed his first fumble of the season from the Utes’ 24-yard line. Later in the second quarter, Sorsby’s pass was tipped and it was intercepted by Snow Snowden, but the Utah defensive back fumbled it back to the Bearcats.
Sorsby finished 11-of-33 for 221 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He finished with 28 yards rushing on four carries with one touchdown.
Allen had a season-high 133 yards on two receptions.
Punter Max Fletcher punted a season-high six times for a 46.2 average, including three punts of more than 50 yards and two inside the 20-yard line.
Dampier finished with 213 yards passing and 78 yards rushing. He threw two touchdown passes and was intercepted once.
First Quarter
Cincinnati received the opening kick-off and was forced to punt after a three-and-out. Fletcher boomed a 59-yard punt that pinned Utah back at its own 6-yard line. However, the Utes drove 94 yards over 16 plays, converting a pair of fourth downs with Dampier scrambling for 21 yards over the course of the drive before zipping a 34-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ryan Davis to put the home team on the board first, 7-0, at the 7:05 mark in the first quarter.
On the Bearcats’ second drive, sophomore running back Manny Covery took an option pitch from Sorsby for two first downs over a three-play stretch to bring Cincinnati on the cusp of the redzone to set up Sorsby’s 22-yard touchdown rush that tied the game 7-7 with 3:53 remaining in the first quarter.
A 39-yard touchdown run by running back Wayshawn Parker on a direct snap put the Utes back in front, 14-7, with 1:01 left in the opening frame.
Second Quarter
A season-long 41-yard run by senior running back Tawee Walker ended the first quarter, giving the Bearcats the ball at the Utah 22 to start the second, but Rusnak missed a 42-yard kick wide left less than a minute later. He had been perfect in 2024 and 2025, making 22 straight.
Sorsby began the game 1 for 8 passing, but uncorked a pair of outstanding throws after Utah punted for the first time. He threw a 12-yard first down to junior receiver Caleb Goodie off his back foot while being flushed out of the pocket, and then dropped a 45-yard bomb into the hands of Allen to bring UC to the Utah 24-yard line. The star quarterback committed just his second turnover of the season on the next play, though. Sorsby kept the ball on an option run and Utah linebacker Johnathan Hall punched the ball out giving the Utes the ball back.
Utah kicker Dillon Curtis made a 33-yarder to put the home team in front, 17-7, with 4:23 left in the first half.
The Utes moved in front 24-7 on a 1-yard touchdown plunge by running back NaQuari Rogers to cap a six-play, 70-yard drive with 1:19 left in the first half.
Goodie jumped on a fumble after Nebraska’s Snowden lost the ball following his interception of a tipped pass by Sorsby – just the second pick thrown by Cincinnati’s quarterback all season.
The Bearcats quickly drove to midfield but were unable to add more points on the board before halftime.
Third Quarter
The Bearcats forced a punt on the Ute’s opening possession of the second half.
On Cincinnati’s second play after halftime, Sorsby zipped an 88-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Cyrus Allen to make the score 24-14 at the 10:35 mark in the third quarter.
Utah drove into the red zone on its next possession, but Cincinnati senior defensive tackle Jalen Hunt blew up a double reverse for a 9-yard loss to force 3rd-and-19 for the Utes. On the next play, junior safety Christian Harrison intercepted Dampier to bring life to the Bearcats.
The Utes scored two quick touchdowns in the final minutes of the third quarter to extend their lead to 38-14. An 11-yard TD toss from Dampier to Creed Whittemore was quickly followed by a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown by Mana Carvalho, turning a two-possession game into a 24-point deficit by the end of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Both team punted twice apiece in the fourth quarter before Covey fumbled to setup Utah backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin’s 2-yard rushing score that made the score, 45-14 with 3:25 left. That would hold as the final score.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati has a bye weekend before hosting Arizona on Nov. 15 at Historic Nippert Stadium. The kickoff time and television information is still to be determined. UC will host No. 10 BYU for Senior Day on Nov. 22.
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