On a scorching hot day when nothing was working when the Utes had the ball, Utah’s defense kept giving its offense a chance to put together a drive in the second half. It took until nearly the end of the game, but Utah’s anemic offense scored its first touchdown of the day when it was most needed, and Utah escaped Waco, Texas, with a 20-13 win over Baylor on Saturday to improve to 2-0. Usual starting quarterback Cam Rising’s absence was glaring throughout the first 50 minutes of the contest.
This game was scheduled eight years ago, long before the latest rounds of conference realignment that resulted in the dismantling of the Pac-12 in a matter of recent weeks. The Utes, who won their league's championship game each of the past two seasons, are one of four teams moving to the Big 12 next year, but remain focused on their Pac-12 finale. The Bears, Big 12 champions two years ago, were upset at home by Texas State last week and have lost five games in a row.