Utah football climbs back into coaches poll with dominant win over Arizona State

Utes crack top 25 following 42-10 win over Sun Devils

Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee (23) and cornerback Smith Snowden (2) react to a play against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the third quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

A 32-point drubbing of a top-25 squad at home rightfully earned the Utah football team a spot in the latest coaches poll.

Roughly 12 hours after thumping Arizona State at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Utes checked in as the No. 22-ranked team in the US LBM Coaches Poll that was released Sunday.

Utah, which was bounced from the top 25 during its bye week, re-entered the poll with a dominant performance against previous No. 23 Arizona State on Saturday, with Devon Dampier at the helm of a stout rushing attack that completely flummoxed the visitors from start to finish.

Led by their dual-threat quarterback, the Utes tallied 276 rushing yards and had six scores on the ground to pummel the Sun Devils, 42-10, for their fourth 30-point win of the 2025 season — and their first such blowout over a Big 12 opponent since entering the league ahead of last season.

"Really proud of our guys, Devon Dampier especially," said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham after the game. "We didn't throw the ball a ton tonight, but he was very efficient when we did throw it."

Dampier only attempted 12 passes on the night, but he didn't need to use his arm very much when his legs proved to be as effective as they were against the Sun Devils' top-10 run defense. Dampier carried the ball 10 times for 120 rushing yards and three touchdowns, single-handedly gashing an Arizona State team that entered the game allowing just 78.2 rushing yards per contest.

"We trust those boys up front," Dampier said of his offensive line. "Our front five — I trust those guys over anybody. So, yeah, I mean, we take whatever the defense gives us, and our run game was moving."

Elsewhere in the Big 12, Texas Tech ascended to No. 8 after handling Kansas at home to improve to 6-0 on the season. BYU also remained undefeated with a come-from-behind win over Arizona, which held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter before a furious rally from the Cougars earned them a 33-27 win in double overtime. That helped BYU climb to No. 14 in the coaches poll, setting up a top-25 matchup in Provo, Utah, next Saturday when Utah pays a visit to LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Cincinnati also joined the ranks with its third straight win to open league play, a 20-11 win over UCF. Iowa State, previously at No. 22, dropped out of the poll after a 24-17 setback to Colorado. The Cyclones fell to the Bearcats, 38-30, the week prior.

Utah hosts Cincinnati on Nov. 1 in what's shaping up to be a pivotal matchup in the conference title race.

Here's a look at the rest of the coaches poll.

Coaches Poll Top 25 (post-Week 6)

1. Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) [63 first-place votes]
2. Miami (5-0, 1-0 ACC) [2]
3. Indiana (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) [1]
4. Texas A&M (6-0, 3-0 SEC)
5. Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC)
6. Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC)
7. Georgia (5-1, 3-1 SEC)
8. Texas Tech (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)
9. Oregon (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
10. LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
11. Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
12. Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0 ACC)
13. Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 SEC)
14. BYU (6-0, 3-0 Big 12)
15. Notre Dame (4-2)
16. Missouri (5-1, 1-1 SEC)
17. Texas (4-2, 1-1 SEC)
18. Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC)
19. Virginia (5-1, 3-0 ACC)
20. Memphis (6-0, 2-0 AAC)
21. USC (5-1, 3-1 Big Ten)
22. Utah (5-1, 2-1 Big 12)
23. South Florida (5-1, 2-0 AAC)
24. Cincinnati (5-1, 3-0 Big 12)
25. Illinois (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten)

Schools Dropped Out

No. 15 Michigan, No. 21 Iowa State, No. 22 Penn State, No. 23 Arizona State

New to the poll this week

No. 21 USC, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 South Florida, No. 24 Cincinnati

Others Receiving Votes

Michigan 119, Nebraska 90, Washington 85, UNLV 43, Navy 43, Louisville 18, Tulane 17, Arizona State 17, Duke 11, Iowa 9, Iowa State 7, Clemson 6, Houston 4, TCU 1, San Diego State 1, Pitt 1

MORE UTAH NEWS & ANALYSIS

feed