A week after one of their most impressive wins of the season, Arizona State ran into a buzzsaw in Salt Lake City. The Utah Utes controlled the game from start to finish, handing the Sun Devils a humbling 42 to 10 loss on a cold and rainy Saturday night. The defeat dropped ASU to 4 and 2 overall and 2 and 1 in Big 12 play, while Utah improved to 5 and 1 and solidified its standing as one of the conference’s most physical teams.

From the opening kickoff, Utah dictated the pace. The Utes ran the ball at will, wore down ASU’s defensive front, and quickly built a double-digit lead. Arizona State struggled to get anything going offensively, punting on its first four drives and failing to convert key third downs. Quarterback Sam Leavitt, who had looked sharp the previous week against TCU, was under pressure all night and never found a rhythm.

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier was the difference. The dual-threat playmaker shredded the Sun Devils with both his legs and his arm, finishing with 120 rushing yards and three touchdowns while adding another score through the air. Utah’s offensive line controlled the trenches, paving the way for 276 rushing yards on the night. Every time ASU looked to gain momentum, Utah responded with another punishing drive that kept the clock moving and the defense gassed.

For Arizona State, the offense could not sustain drives long enough to stay in the game. The Sun Devils finished with just 259 total yards and averaged barely three yards per play. Running back Raleek Brown, who had topped 100 yards in consecutive games, was held to under 60. The passing attack struggled as well, with Leavitt throwing for 138 yards and one interception before being replaced late in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, ASU had no answer for Utah’s power run scheme. The front seven that dominated TCU the week before was consistently pushed backward. Linebacker Prince Dorbah still managed to collect a sack and several tackles for loss, but the effort was overshadowed by missed assignments and poor tackling in open space. Utah scored touchdowns on six of its first eight drives, turning what began as a competitive first quarter into a rout before halftime.

Head coach Kenny Dillingham was blunt after the game, telling reporters that “we got beat in every phase.” His message to the team was simple: respond, correct, and move on. For a young group that had shown resilience in previous weeks, this loss served as a reminder that consistency is what separates contenders from pretenders.

Despite the setback, there were small positives. Junior receiver Jordyn Tyson continued to prove reliable, finishing with six catches for 74 yards. The special teams unit also avoided major mistakes after a shaky start to the season. Still, those bright spots were few and far between in a game where Utah’s physicality and discipline were on full display.

Arizona State now turns its attention to next week’s matchup, knowing it must bounce back quickly to stay competitive in the Big 12 race. The Sun Devils have shown flashes of high-level play, but Saturday’s result in Salt Lake City was a harsh reminder of how far they still have to go. If they want to be taken seriously as a contender, they will need to prove that this loss was a lesson, not a trend.