photo by: AP Photo/Tyler Tate

Kansas running back Dylan Edwards (1) runs the ball in for a touchdown tackled by Utah safety Nate Ritchie (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Salt Lake City.

SALT LAKE CITY — A pair of penalties on the Kansas offensive line in the third quarter of Saturday’s game at No. 12 Utah erased both an initial fourth-down conversion and then the possibility of even considering going for it on fourth down.

That sequence, with the Jayhawks threatening to take their first lead of the night after a dire start, instead condemned them to playing from behind for the remainder of the game.

Utah denied KU quarterback Isaiah Marshall at the goal line midway through the quarter and swiftly responded with a 90-yard touchdown, providing the Utes enough of an advantage to see out what turned into a 41-24 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Marshall finished with the best statistical performance of his young career — 333 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a rushing score — but took nearly a half to find his rhythm. Wideout Cam Pickett was responsible for eight catches for 134 yards and a touchdown in his own best game as a Jayhawk. But KU’s running backs supplied just 32 rushing yards as the Jayhawks attempted to rally through the air.

KU’s defense did not transfer the same stinginess it displayed in previous weeks to a road matchup with one of the nation’s top teams. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier threw for three touchdowns and rushed for a fourth and running back Wayshawn Parker took 16 carries for 171 yards and two touchdowns. The Utes finished with 541 yards of offense.

The opening drive — the Utes’ fifth in five games with a touchdown — showcased the full wealth of playmakers on Utah’s offense, and also featured a series of missed tackles from the KU defense. The Utes gained a minimum of five yards on each of eight consecutive plays, and then the first time they faced third down, Parker followed his blocks for a 5-yard touchdown run to give his team an early 7-0 lead.

A holding penalty on Jailen Butler killed the Jayhawks’ first series, and then an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Bam Crouch after he and Leroy Harris III combined on a tackle for loss gave Utah a boost on its way to a touchdown run for Dampier.

The first quarter went from bad to worse when Marshall sailed a third-down pass for Pickett that was picked on the sideline by James Chenault Jr. But Harris’ sack on the ensuing drive gave the Jayhawks their first stop.

His fellow defensive end David Santiago made KU’s best play of the first quarter when he lined up inside, beat Utah guard Kelvin Obot and ripped down Dampier in such a way that he also forced and recovered a fumble. A facemask put the Jayhawks at the 7-yard line, where Marshall tossed a short touchdown pass to Dylan Edwards.

KU had a chance at another stop before an underthrown ball by Dampier prompted Syeed Gibbs to knock down Ricky Johnson for a pass-interference penalty on third-and-14. Soon afterward, Gibbs got penalized for a similar play against Creed Whittemore in the end zone. Gibbs was injured on the play, head coach Lance Leipold was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and Dampier threw a touchdown to Noah Bennee on the next play to make it 21-7.

After a series of ineffective drives, the Utes got going with less than five minutes remaining in the second quarter on a third-down pass from Dampier to Braden Pegan. A series of penalties and stoppages created little rhythm on the drive. Santiago stonewalled Dampier on a third-and-3 designed run and Harris corralled him on fourth down to give KU a chance late in the half.

Marshall more than tripled his passing yardage on the day with two connections with Pickett for 49 yards, and after a penalty for roughing the passer, he scored his first career rushing touchdown to make it 21-14 with 42 seconds left.

Instead of marching his team down the field like so many quarterbacks have against KU in recent years, Dampier promptly lobbed an underthrown ball that was intercepted by Jalen Todd, the first pick by a KU cornerback since Nov. 16, 2024 against BYU. Then Marshall zipped a 36-yard throw on the run to Nik McMillan to help set up Martin Connington for a 34-yard field goal at the horn.

KU had 46 yards of offense in the first 28 minutes and 51 seconds and then 108 in the final 1:09.

The Jayhawks crossed midfield after the break and appeared to succeed on a fourth-and-3 when Marshall extended a play and hit Edwards, but Amir Herring was penalized for going downfield, and then a false start on Connor Stroh forced a punt.

Utah came back with a heavy dose of Parker, whose 14- and 23-yard runs got the Utes into KU territory, and Whittemore provided a key third-down conversion. Johnson sprinted across the formation in motion on third-and-goal and got open for a touchdown catch. After Harris blocked an extra point, the score stayed at 27-17.

Marshall completed a 25-yard pass to Pickett that put the wideout over 100 yards. Jalen Dupree plunged forward to convert a fourth down, and McMillan, who had a catch overturned on review early in the drive, snagged a jump ball for a touchdown.

The Utes responded. A 45-yard deep ball to Johnson put them in business, and KU had a chance at a stop on fourth-and-goal, but Dampier found an open Semi Taulanga for the tight end’s first career touchdown to restore a 10-point lead for Utah.

Marshall refused to go away and immediately hit Nahzae Cox for 41 yards and Leyton Cure for 30 more. But another false start from Stroh turned third-and-goal from the 1-yard line into third-and-goal from the 6. Carson Bruhn was stopped short of the goal line, and Marshall couldn’t make it to the pylon on fourth down.

Parker broke free for a 90-yard touchdown run soon afterward that essentially iced the game midway through the quarter.

The Jayhawks benefited from a couple of defensive penalties on the next drive, but faltered in a goal-to-go situation again as McMillan dropped a potential touchdown on fourth down.

KU, which fell to 2-3 (0-2 Big 12), will travel to Kansas State (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.

How they scored

First quarter

9:21 — Wayshawn Parker 5-yard run. Dillon Curtis PAT good. Ten plays, 75 yards, 5:39 TOP. UU 7, KU 0.

6:19 — Devon Dampier 12-yard run. Curtis PAT good. Three plays, 66 yards, 1:19 TOP. UU 14, KU 0.

Second quarter

14:09 — Dylan Edwards 3-yard pass from Isaiah Marshall. Martin Connington PAT good. Three plays, seven yards, 1:18 TOP. UU 14, KU 7.

10:16 — Noah Bennee 8-yard pass from Dampier. Curtis PAT good. Seven plays, 75 yards, 3:53 TOP. UU 21, KU 7.

0:42 — Marshall 6-yard run. Connington PAT good. Five plays, 66 yards, 0:27 TOP. UU 21, KU 14.

0:00 — Connington 34-yard field goal. Five plays, 48 yards, 0:34 TOP. UU 21, KU 17.

Third quarter

5:13 — Ricky Johnson 3-yard pass from Dampier. Curtis PAT blocked. Fifteen plays, 82 yards, 7:24 TOP. UU 27, KU 17.

0:27 — Nik McMillan 29-yard pass from Marshall. Connington PAT good. Nine plays, 75 yards, 4:46 TOP. UU 27, KU 24.

Fourth quarter

10:45 — Semi Taulanga 2-yard pass from Dampier. Curtis PAT good. Nine plays, 75 yards, 4:42 TOP. UU 34, KU 24.

7:13 — Parker 90-yard run. Curtis PAT good. Three plays, 99 yards, 1:18 TOP. UU 41, KU 24.

Box score