Completed Event: Football at Kansas on November 28, 2025 , Win , 31, to, 21
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Football
31
at Kansas
21
The University of Utah Athletics
Postgame Notes: No. 13 Utah at Kansas
11/28/2025 3:10 PM | Football
Postgame Notes
No. 13 Utah 31, (at) Kansas 21
Lawrence, Kan. (David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium)
Friday, Nov. 28, 2025
Kick: 11:02 a.m. CT | End: 2:24 p.m.
Attendance: 32,811
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General
Offense
Defense
Special Teams
First Quarter Breakdown
Kansas won the toss and chose to receive, getting deep into Utah territory on the opening drive. On 3rd-and-9, Smith Snowden nabbed his second interception of the season to give the Utes possession. Utah has now intercepted a pass in nine games this year, tied for the best mark in the Big 12.
Wayshawn Parker got the Utes across midfield on the first play of the ensuing drive, breaking free for a 34-yard rush. Utah's drive stalled after a bobbled snap on third down, but Dillon Curtis connected on a 34-yard field goal to give the Utes a 3-0 lead with 8:39 left in the quarter.
Kansas got into the red zone on its next drive, but a PBU by Tao Johnson on third down took away a touchdown and brought out the field goal unit. The Jayhawks were flagged on the 31-yard try for a false start, which proved significant when the 36-yard attempt flew wide right and kept the Utah lead at three. The Utes could not capitalize on the miss, however, and were forced to punt after just three plays.
The Jayhawks picked up one first down and were just shy of midfield when the clock hit zeroes.
Second Quarter Breakdown
Kansas capped an eight-play, 73-yard drive with the first touchdown of the day to take a 7-3 lead with 12:03 remaining in the half. Utah responded with a quick scoring drive of its own to retake the lead, needing just six plays to go 75 yards. On 3rd-and-3 from just behind the 50-yard line, Devon Dampier sold the run to draw the defense in and connected with JJ Buchanan over the top for a 59-yard score.Â
Utah kept the Jayhawks out of its own territory on the following drive, the first time the defense did so on Friday, and forced a punt, taking over on its own 10-yard line. Utah put together a 13-play, 61-yard drive but was unable to put points on the board after a failed fourth-down try. The Utes forced a Kansas three-and-out, but ran just one play to take a 10-7 lead into the half.
After being outgained 127-54, the Utes flipped the script in the second quarter, putting up 153 yards of offense while holding the Jayhawks to just 47.
Third Quarter Breakdown
Utah got into Kansas territory on the opening drive of the half, but another failed fourth-down try gave possession back to the Jayhawks. Kansas put together an eight-play, 67-yard touchdown drive in response to take a 14-10 lead with 8:15 remaining. On the first play of the drive, Kansas forced a fumble and recovered it to take possession at the Utes' 43-yard line. Utah's defense came up clutch, however, as the Utes stopped the Jayhawks on four plays, including a diving PBU by Blake Cotton on fourth down to give the ball back to the offense.
Utah was forced to punt after JJ Buchanan nearly made a highlight-reel catch on third down but was ruled incomplete after review. Orion Phillips pinned Kansas at the 10-yard line, but the Jayhawks were moving the ball as the quarter ended.
Fourth Quarter Breakdown
On 2nd-and-goal from the 12, Kansas lobbed a pass into the corner of the end zone that was intercepted by Jackson Bennee, giving Utah possession at the 20-yard line. After Dampier connected with Wayshawn Parker for 32 yards, the quarterback found Larry Simmons 28 yards down the sideline for the touchdown. With 12:26 to play, Utah took a 17-14 lead.
Kansas drove down deep into Utah territory once again, but on 3rd-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Elijah Davis slipped in front of the KU receiver and nabbed the interception, returning it 97 yards to give the Utes a 24-14 edge.Â
Kansas responded with a touchdown drive to cut the lead back to three, 24-21, with 5:32 left, but Utah responded with an eight-play, 85-yard touchdown drive of its own. Utah ran the ball seven times in a row and got out to the KU 48-yard line before Dampier found an open Simmons after another successful RPO to give the Utes a 10-point edge with 2:14 left to play.
Utah forced three-straight incompletions on the following drive before Logan Fano and Johnathan Hall logged Utah's first sack of the day to bring the offense back out in victory formation.
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No. 13 Utah 31, (at) Kansas 21
Lawrence, Kan. (David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium)
Friday, Nov. 28, 2025
Kick: 11:02 a.m. CT | End: 2:24 p.m.
Attendance: 32,811
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General
- Utah is now 10-2 on the season and finished the conference slate with a 7-2 mark. Utah last won seven league games in 2022. The Utes have won 10 or more games in eight seasons under Kyle Whittingham (2008-10, '15, '19, '21, '22, '25) and last won 10 regular season games in 2019.
- Utah is 3-2 all-time against Kansas and has won each of the last three matchups (1993, '96, 2025).
- Per Stats Perform, today's game was the first time on the road since Nov. 12, 1988 that Utah won after entering the fourth quarter down by 10-plus points. That day, the Utes trailed Utah State up in Logan and ultimately won 42-21.
- Head coach Kyle Whittingham, the winningest leader in program history, is 177-88 at the helm. Including his prior time as a Utah assistant coach (1994-2004), Whittingham has been on the sidelines for 262 wins and 391 total games.
- Kansas won the coin toss and elected to receive. Utah defended the South goal to begin the game.
Offense
- Utah rushed for 161 yards in the game and now has 3,237 rushing yards on the season. It is short of only the 1984 squad for a school-record 3,263 yards on the ground.
- Wide receiver Larry Simmons totaled three catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. It was Simmons' first career multi-touchdown game and he was just three yards short of tying his career-high in that category.
- Six of Simmons' 14 receptions this year (42.9%) have gone for touchdowns. Stats Perform noted that the fewest catches over a full Big 12 season by a player to have six-plus receiving touchdowns currently is 18 by multiple players, most recently Oklahoma's James Hanna in 2010.
- Tight end JJ Buchanan hauled in a 58-yard touchdown reception during the second quarter; it was his fourth score of the season and the longest touchdown pass of quarterback Devon Dampier's career.
- It was Buchanan's third reception this season of 30-plus yards.
- This is the seventh time this season that both Buchanan and fellow tight end Dallen Bentley have had 25-plus receiving yards in the same game. Per Stats Perform, it is the most among any FBS tight end duo and is three more than the next-closest pair. It also ranks fourth for a season in Big 12 history.
- Quarterback Devon Dampier had his sixth game of the season with 200 passing yards and 50 rushing yards. It's the most by a Utah QB since 2004, when Alex Smith had six as well.
Defense
- When playing on the road, Utah did not allow a point during any first quarter this season. The Utes are the only FBS team in 2025 to accomplish that feat.
- Excluding the pandemic-altered 2020 season, Utah is the first FBS team to shutout road opponents throughout the first quarter since Georgia and Wisconsin did it in 2011. The last Big 12 team to do it was Oklahoma State in 2009, per Stats Perform.
- Linebacker Lander Barton eclipsed the 200-tackle milestone for his career.
- Safety Jackson Bennee set new career-bests with 10 tackles, 1.5 TFL and also made his fourth interception of the season.
- Defensive end Logan Fano also set a personal-best with 10 tackles of his own to tie a game-high for the day.
- Fano has made a TFL in back-to-back games and three of the last five contests.
- Cornerback Elijah Davis had a 97-yard pick-six with 7:52 to play in the fourth quarter. It is Davis' second pick-six of the season (at Baylor). Davis is the first player with multiple pick-sixes in a season since Clark Phillips III (2) did it in 2022.
- Davis' 97-yard return was the longest interception return touchdown since 2018 and ties for the fourth-longest in school history.
- Fellow cornerback Smith Snowden made an interception on Kansas' game-opening drive. It was Snowden's team-leading and career-high 11th pass defended of the season (2 INT, 9 PBU).
- Utah now has at least one interception in nine games this season. Per Stats Perform, it is tied for the most in the Big 12 this season.
- Safety Tao Johnson broke up a would-be touchdown pass for a third-down stop during the first quarter. Johnson now has six passes defended for the season (4 PBU, 2 INT).
- During the third quarter, cornerback Blake Cotton made a crucial pass breakup for a fourth-down stop. Cotton now has three PBU in the last two games and has at least one PBU in three of the last four contests.
Special Teams
- Kicker Dillon Curtis connected on a 34-yard field goal during the first quarter.
First Quarter Breakdown
Kansas won the toss and chose to receive, getting deep into Utah territory on the opening drive. On 3rd-and-9, Smith Snowden nabbed his second interception of the season to give the Utes possession. Utah has now intercepted a pass in nine games this year, tied for the best mark in the Big 12.
Wayshawn Parker got the Utes across midfield on the first play of the ensuing drive, breaking free for a 34-yard rush. Utah's drive stalled after a bobbled snap on third down, but Dillon Curtis connected on a 34-yard field goal to give the Utes a 3-0 lead with 8:39 left in the quarter.
Kansas got into the red zone on its next drive, but a PBU by Tao Johnson on third down took away a touchdown and brought out the field goal unit. The Jayhawks were flagged on the 31-yard try for a false start, which proved significant when the 36-yard attempt flew wide right and kept the Utah lead at three. The Utes could not capitalize on the miss, however, and were forced to punt after just three plays.
The Jayhawks picked up one first down and were just shy of midfield when the clock hit zeroes.
Second Quarter Breakdown
Kansas capped an eight-play, 73-yard drive with the first touchdown of the day to take a 7-3 lead with 12:03 remaining in the half. Utah responded with a quick scoring drive of its own to retake the lead, needing just six plays to go 75 yards. On 3rd-and-3 from just behind the 50-yard line, Devon Dampier sold the run to draw the defense in and connected with JJ Buchanan over the top for a 59-yard score.Â
Utah kept the Jayhawks out of its own territory on the following drive, the first time the defense did so on Friday, and forced a punt, taking over on its own 10-yard line. Utah put together a 13-play, 61-yard drive but was unable to put points on the board after a failed fourth-down try. The Utes forced a Kansas three-and-out, but ran just one play to take a 10-7 lead into the half.
After being outgained 127-54, the Utes flipped the script in the second quarter, putting up 153 yards of offense while holding the Jayhawks to just 47.
Third Quarter Breakdown
Utah got into Kansas territory on the opening drive of the half, but another failed fourth-down try gave possession back to the Jayhawks. Kansas put together an eight-play, 67-yard touchdown drive in response to take a 14-10 lead with 8:15 remaining. On the first play of the drive, Kansas forced a fumble and recovered it to take possession at the Utes' 43-yard line. Utah's defense came up clutch, however, as the Utes stopped the Jayhawks on four plays, including a diving PBU by Blake Cotton on fourth down to give the ball back to the offense.
Utah was forced to punt after JJ Buchanan nearly made a highlight-reel catch on third down but was ruled incomplete after review. Orion Phillips pinned Kansas at the 10-yard line, but the Jayhawks were moving the ball as the quarter ended.
Fourth Quarter Breakdown
On 2nd-and-goal from the 12, Kansas lobbed a pass into the corner of the end zone that was intercepted by Jackson Bennee, giving Utah possession at the 20-yard line. After Dampier connected with Wayshawn Parker for 32 yards, the quarterback found Larry Simmons 28 yards down the sideline for the touchdown. With 12:26 to play, Utah took a 17-14 lead.
Kansas drove down deep into Utah territory once again, but on 3rd-and-goal from the 5-yard line, Elijah Davis slipped in front of the KU receiver and nabbed the interception, returning it 97 yards to give the Utes a 24-14 edge.Â
Kansas responded with a touchdown drive to cut the lead back to three, 24-21, with 5:32 left, but Utah responded with an eight-play, 85-yard touchdown drive of its own. Utah ran the ball seven times in a row and got out to the KU 48-yard line before Dampier found an open Simmons after another successful RPO to give the Utes a 10-point edge with 2:14 left to play.
Utah forced three-straight incompletions on the following drive before Logan Fano and Johnathan Hall logged Utah's first sack of the day to bring the offense back out in victory formation.
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Players Mentioned
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