Utah 24, Brigham Young 21: Jon Hays threw two touchdown passes, Mo Lee returned a fumble 47 yards for a score and host Utah survived when a 36-yard field goal attempt by Brigham Young’s Riley Stephenson bounced off the left upright with no time remaining.

The Utes (2-1) led 24-7 before the Cougars scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns. With 10 seconds remaining, Riley Nelson completed a 47-yard pass to Cody Hoffman and two plays later, a 51-yard tying field-goal attempt by BYU’s Justin Sorensen was blocked.

Utah fans flooded the field during the scramble for the loose ball and a penalty was assessed to give BYU a second chance at forcing overtime, but Stephenson’s kick caromed off the upright.

Late in the third quarter, Lee scooped up the football after an errant shotgun snap by Blair Tushaus sailed to the left of Nelson and scored a touchdown that gave the Utes a 17-7 lead. Hays, who started in place of Jordan Wynn (career-ending shoulder injury), threw a 39-yard scoring aerial to Dres Anderson 61 seconds later.

Jamaal Williams scored on a 7-yard run with 11:41 to play and Nelson threw a 1-yard scoring pass to Kaneakua Friel with 3:39 remaining to cut a 17-point deficit to three.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Jarrell Oliver started for injured Utah star RB John White (ankle) and had only 23 yards on 11 carries. … Hoffman had eight receptions for 118 yards and has caught a pass in 22 consecutive games. … Utah safety Eric Rowe missed the contest with a hamstring injury.