No. 10 Utah rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat No. 14 Houston, 21-13, strengthening its case as the Big 12’s most complete team. The Utes overcame a scoreless first half, took control with two second-half touchdowns, and forced a decisive strip-sack. After a coaching change and two seasons in the conference, Utah is emerging as a Big 12 title contender.

By the Numbers
  • Utah won, 21-13, after trailing 10-0 in the third quarter.
  • The Utes have won 13 straight games, the longest active streak in the FBS.
  • Utah had a 59% play-success rate, ranking in the 96th percentile; its rushing success ranked in the 93rd percentile.
Yes, But

Utah’s win may not be enough to move it ahead of BYU in the rankings: the Cougars have a signature win over Notre Dame and a strong victory over Arizona. Utah also started slowly against Houston, and its upcoming games against BYU and Arizona will be a tougher test of its standing.

State of Play
  • Utah is positioned to challenge for the Big 12 title and could climb into the AP Top 5.
  • The Utes can likely remain in the title race even if they split their games against BYU and Arizona.
  • Utah is replacing all five starting offensive linemen from last season and was missing a key lineman against Houston.
What's Next

Utah faces BYU and Arizona in the coming weeks. Those matchups could determine whether the Utes can turn their Houston comeback into a Big 12 championship run—and give them a chance to end a three-game losing streak to their rival Cougars.

Bottom Line

Utah showed it can recover from adversity and win with both its offense and defense. The Houston victory establishes the Utes as a serious title threat, but the upcoming games will show whether they can claim the Big 12’s top spot.