LAS VEGAS — For most of three quarters Saturday afternoon, BYU outplayed Utah at the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl.
But the Utes capitalized on a nightmarish start for the Cougars — five turnovers on BYU’s first five possessions, including pick sixes by bowl MVP Tevin Carter and Dominque Hatfield — and then staved off a furious BYU comeback to earn a 35-28 victory before a sellout crowd of 42,213 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
With 4:38 remaining in the first quarter, Utah was royally smashing royal blue-clad BYU in the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, 35-0.