interception

Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns, Utah intercepted four Bear Bachmeier passes and the third-ranked Utes remained undefeated with a 28-20 victory over No. 7 Brigham Young on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Dampier hurt the Cougars with with his arm and legs, finishing with 264 yards of offense to help the Utes (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) snap a three-game losing streak in the Holy War rivalry series. He threw two touchdown passes to Braden Pegan and ran for two scores.

Trailing by six at halftime, Utah forced three turnovers and shut out the Cougars (7-2, 4-2) in the second half to keep alive its College Football Playoff hopes. BYU has lost two of three to dampen its CFP chances.

Bachmeier threw for 272 yards and a touchdown and ran for 59 yards, but he had two of his four passes intercepted during the fourth quarter — both in the end zone. He had four interceptions in BYU’s first eight games.

No. 7 Texas 34, at No. 18 Missouri 20: Arch Manning threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead touchdown pass to Raleek Brown with about five minutes to go, and No. 10 the Longhorns rallied to keep alive its College Football Playoff hopes.

Brown added 85 yards and a clinching touchdown on the ground, while the Longhorns (7-2, 4-2 SEC) made a series of big defensive plays in the fourth quarter to help preserve their fourth win over a top-20 opponent this season.

The biggest defensive play came as the Tigers (6-3, 3-3) were trying to match Brown’s go-ahead score. They had taken over near midfield with about two minutes to go, and on third down, Austin Simmons tried to find favorite target Cayden Lee, but a defender knocked the ball into the air just as it arrived and Texas cornerback Graceson Littleton hauled it down for an interception to set up Brown’s clinching score.

at No. 24 Arizon 29, Texas Christian 28: Michael Salgado-Medina kicked a 37-yard field goal with 39 seconds left after the Wildcats recovered an onside pooch kick and Arizona pulled out an improbable victory Friday night.

The Wildcats (7-2, -23 Big 12) pulled to within 28-26 on Noah Fifita’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Quincy Craig with 1:45 left, but their two-point conversion attempt failed. TCU’s Ed Small couldn’t come up with an over-the-shoulder catch on the pooch kick and Arizona’s Zuri Watson recovered at the Horned Frogs’ 26 to set up the game-winning field goal.

Fifta threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns with an interception that Hudson Hooper returned 93 yards for a touchdown.

Etc.

Five days after he called Dana Holgorsen “one of the best offensive minds of our generation,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule fired his offensive coordinator Saturday in the wake of the Cornhuskers’ loss at Illinois a day earlier. Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas will take over play-calling duties for the Huskers (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten), who have scored just 54 points combined in four straight losses.

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• CJ Dickerson, La Habra: Rushed for 203 yards in win over Etiwanda.

• Grady Long, La Serna: Rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns, passed for 136 yards in win over Valencia.

• King Exusdus, Sun Valley Poly: Rushed for 174 yards and one touchdown in win over Marshall.

• Marlon Watson, Inglewood: Rushed for 197 yards and two touchdowns in win over Huntington Beach.

• Ayden Bias, Bishop Amat: Rushed for 289 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Oxnard Pacifica.

• Joseph Lara, Bonita: Rushed for 224 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Great Oak.

• Dominik Hardy, Calabasas: Rushed for 276 yards in win over Glendora.

• Raphael Graham, Cathedral: Rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns in win over Cypress.

• Raphael Graham, Cathedral: Rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns in win over Cypress.

PASSING

• Lincoln Jahn, Inglewood: Passed for 255 yards and four touchdowns in win over Huntington Beach.

• Magnus Merriman, Viewpoint: Passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in win over Hemet.

• Kale Murphy, Downey: Passed for 258 yards and three touchdowns in win over Newbury Park.

• Brady Edmunds, Huntington Beach: Passed for 379 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Inglewood.

• Ryan Rakowski, Palos Verdes: Completed 11 of 14 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown, rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown in win over Gardena Serra.

• Bradley Cassier, St. Monica: Completed 24 of 30 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns in win over Los Altos.

• Taylor Lee, Oxnard Pacifica: Passed for 346 yards and five touchdowns in win over Bishop Amat.

• Bryce Johnson, South East: Passed for 302 yards and one touchdown in win over Fremont.

• Thaddeus Breaux, Hamilton: Passed for 308 yards and six touchdowns in win over South Gate.

• Dutch Burbidge, Charter Oak: Passed for 228 yards and three touchdowns in win over Vista del Lago.

• Trent Lux, Great Oak: Passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns in win over Bonita.

RECEIVING

• Jack Norman, Dana Hills: Had five receptions for 181 yards in win over Westlake.

• Alijah Royster, Oxnard Pacifica: Caught four passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns vs. Bishop Amat.

• Zion Anderson, Long Beach Poly: Made five catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns in win over Norco.

DEFENSE

• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Had two interceptions, including a pick six, and rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns in win over Taft.

• Blake Shingleton, Quartz Hill: Recorded two sacks in win over Hart.

• Hudson Manning, Chaminade: Had four sacks in win over Corona del Mar.

• Weston Reis, Palos Verdes: Returned interception 25 yards for a touchdown in win over Gardena Serra.

• Elijah Williams, Chaminade: Made game-winning pick-six interception in win over Corona del Mar.

• Abel Carreles, South East: Had four sacks in win over Fremont.

• Gianni Haynes, Cathedral: Returned interception 80 yards for touchdown in win over Cypress.

• Sammy Timu, Long Beach Poly: Had two sacks in win over Norco.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Kaden Nesen, Oaks Christian: Made 38-yard field goal at end of regulation to send game into OT in loss to Temecula Valley.

• Mateo Akerman, Corona del Mar: Made 44-yard field goal in loss to Chaminade.

• Mateo Akerman, San Juan Hills: Made field goals of 35 and 38 yards in win over Tustin, making him 10 of 11 on attempts this season.

• Landon Perkins, Long Beach Poly: Returned punt for touchdown in win over Norco.

Rams safety Quentin Lake says he texted Justin Herbert to apologize for comments he made about the Chargers quarterback on a podcast earlier this week.

So far, Lake said Friday afternoon, he hasn’t heard back.

“I don’t know if he read it,” Lake told The Times. “He probably says, ‘I don’t care about it anymore. I’m not trying to see this. It doesn’t matter. You said what you said.’ But at the same time I … felt like it was right for me to at least say,’ Hey, man, I didn’t mean it in any disrespectful way.’”

Lake and teammate Trent McDuffie each intercepted a pass thrown by Herbert during the Rams’ 24-9 victory over the Chargers on Sunday. During an appearance on the “St. Brown Podcast” this week, Lake mentioned that Herbert “was throwing deli meat” and “seeing ghosts” during the game.

The comments left Lake and the two hosts — Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and his brother, former NFL receiver Equanimeous St. Brown — in stitches.

After his quotes went viral, however, Lake was left with a bad taste in his mouth.

“You know, I was with my boys,” said Lake, who played high school football with Amon-Ra St. Brown at Mater Dei. “I was in a comfortable environment. I was trying to say stuff funny. But looking back on it, they have a big platform. And when you say stuff like that, people are going to take it in ways that you may not mean it. … In no way shape or form was it supposed to be disrespectful.”

The Chargers are 0-7 this season, and Herbert is seen as a key contributing factor. A two-time Pro Bowl selection who is just two seasons removed from throwing for 23 touchdowns and three interceptions over 17 games, Herbert has only five touchdowns and a league-high 10 interceptions this year. He ranks 31st in QB rating among passers with at least 100 attempts.

But Lake said he thinks Herbert is “still a great quarterback,” citing the seventh-year player’s arm strength, running skills and processing ability.

“Obviously there’s some things going on over there that they probably want to fix and probably want to polish up,” Lake said. “You look at their roster from top to bottom, [they’re] still very, very talented, him included.”

Justin Herbert famously loves Subway subs. During his rookie season in 2020, the Chargers quarterback told GQ magazine he was “living off” the sandwiches, consuming both a Steak Philly sub and a Chicken & Bacon Ranch sub each night for dinner. He has since appeared in at least eight TV commercials for the restaurant franchise.

But the Chargers quarterback was making his own sandwiches Sunday — or at least that’s how it seemed to an opposing defender who picked off one of his passes that afternoon.

“He was throwing deli meat out there,” Rams safety Quentin Lake said this week on the “St. Brown Podcast,” apparently joining the current inclination of using sandwich-related metaphors to describe bad passes.

“Was he?” asked Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who co-hosts the podcast with his brother, former NFL receiver Equanimeous St. Brown.

“Bro, he’s seeing ghosts,” Lake told his former Mater Dei teammate as all three men started laughing.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but like we knew we were going to get a couple [interceptions], at least one,” Lake added.

The Rams snagged two during their 24-9 victory over the Chargers. Midway through the first quarter, Lake stepped in front of a pass intended for Charlie Kolar and returned it 45 yards to the Chargers’ 19-yard line, setting up a Rams field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Late in the third quarter, Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie also got a pick in front of Kolar and returned it 26 yards to the Chargers’ 22-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with receiver Puka Nacua for an 18-yard touchdown and a 24-9 lead.

Herbert completed 24 of 32 passes for 257 yards with no touchdowns. His struggles under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels are seen as a large factor in the Chargers’ unexpected 0-7 record.

The seventh-year quarterback has thrown for five touchdowns and a league-high 10 interceptions this year, with at least one pick in each of this season’s seven games. In 2024, Herbert finished the 17-game season with 23 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

This week wasn’t the first time this season Herbert’s passes have been described like a lunchtime menu item.

On Sept. 27, after Herbert threw a floater to then-Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, former NFL quarterback and current Fox broadcaster Tom Brady offered this on-air analysis: “Poor awareness. Poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub.”

This season, random social media users have given other quarterbacks the Subway treatment, including New England’s Drake Maye, Denver’s Bo Nix, Cleveland’s Deshawn Watson and even Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, a two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion.

Herbert told reporters on Wednesday that he hadn’t “heard anything about” Lake’s comments.

“We’re really just focused on what’s going on in this building and playing football and doing what we can and doing our best to go put our best effort out on Sunday,” Herbert said. “That’s all that really matters. Anything outside of that is out of our control.”

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh didn’t agree with Lake’s assessment of Herbert’s performance on Sunday.

“I don’t see that,” Harbaugh said. “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, [but] it’s not what I see.”

He added that he thought Herbert “did his job exceptionally well” against the Rams, except for “two throws he would have liked to have back.”

Scoring 44 points in a league championship decider is usually enough to secure victory — but not against Mission Viejo.

The Diablos beat San Juan Hills 54-44 in an epic Orange County shootout to secure its third consecutive Alpha League crown, buoyed by a bevy of explosive plays.

It started in the first quarter as senior running back Carson Vandermade, who returned after missing the last two games, scored two touchdowns. He finished the game with 121 yards, including a big 52-yard run down the sideline, and three touchdowns but did not return for the fourth quarter.

His counterpart, senior Jack Junker, gained 132 yards, including a 28-yarder, and two touchdowns as the Diablos’ rushing attack dominated. Every time Vandermade and Junker took handoffs, there was a gift waiting. The offensive line — which has four players either committed to or with offers to Division I colleges — opened up huge running lanes.

Junior center Max Davidson attributed the group’s success to a deep camaraderie and hard work.

“It comes down to all the time that we put in together,” he said. “It comes down to the chemistry that we have between the five of us up front. We work together really well and that shows in all our games.”

Mission Viejo High center Max Davidson is all smiles after the Diablos won the Alpha League title with a 54-44 victory over San Juan Hills on Friday night.

(Caleb Otte / For The Times)

Sophomore quarterback Brett Burnor also got in on the rushing action, with 30 yards and two touchdowns. He had a solid night through the air, connecting on nine of his 12 passes for 188 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Burnor had four passes that went for more than 30 yards and connected most often with senior wide receiver Luke Karby, a Duke commit who had 122 yards on five receptions and made multiple contested catches. Karby also threw a two-point conversion to Burnor, in a quick role reversal, in the second quarter.

Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson said before kickoff that the game would be decided by explosive plays, and he wanted to limit the opponent’s electric moments.

“Every game, San Juan Hills has six to 10 explosive plays on offense that are 40- to 60-yard chunk plays,” he said.

The Diablos allowed San Juan Hills to stay within fighting distance via those big gains that Johnson warned against. While the home team never trailed, San Juan Hills cut the score to 47-44 midway through the fourth quarter after an improbable onside kick recovery. Senior kicker Trevor Koko continued an impressive season with a looping ball that Mission Viejo wasn’t able to field, breathing life into a potential comeback. A quick touchdown drive ensued that made the final minutes extra nervy for the Diablos.

Ultimately, the rushing attack killed the clock and clinched the win by grabbing one more touchdown on an 11-yarder by Junker with 40 seconds to play.

San Juan Hills backup quarterback Parker Armstrong was given the reins to let the ball loose by coach Robert Frith. He completed 27 of 37 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. His longest of the night came on a quick dump down to senior wide receiver commit Luke Frith, a Texas State commit who took it 80 yards for a touchdown. Another long score came on a slant route to senior wide receiver Cooper Chila who broke multiple tackles to take it 57-yards to the house.

Those plays summed up much of the game for the Stallions. Athletic players making big plays, and never giving up on the game. San Juan Hills lost, but it never gave up.

Frith’s constant messaging to the players clearly got through.

The Stallions’ coach said he always tells the team: “When that ball snaps, it is seven seconds of everything you’ve got.”

The game was a high octane battle, but there will be a lot to parse through in the film room, especially for Mission Viejo. In the midst of the barnstorming action, the victors had three bad snaps on extra points and 18 penalties, including six personal foul calls.

Johnson lamented what he called poor officiating after the game but also told his team that the errors needed to be cleaned up by next week’s playoff opener. Mission Viejo likely qualified for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs with this the win, and will learn of its opponent on Sunday. San Juan Hills will finish the regular season with two losses and wait to see if it makes the Division 2 playoffs.

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Vaughn Reinert, Torrance: Rushed for 223 yards and five touchdowns in defeat of West Torrance.

• Maleek Nolley, Cajon: Rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns in win over Beaumont.

• Coy Collins, Villa Park: Rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns in win over Tustin.

• Jacob Gallegos, San Dimas: Rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns in defeat of Chino.

• Jason Brown, Muir: Rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns in win over Monrovia.

• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Rushed for 324 yards and seven touchdowns in win over South Gate.

• Cyrus Aviles, Fullerton: Rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns in win over Portola.

• Edward Rivera, Compton: Rushed for 246 yards and five touchdowns in defeat of Long Beach Cabrillo.

• Matix Frithsmith, Hart: Rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns in win over Castaic.

• Luke Zapko, Oak Park: Had four rushing touchdowns in win over Buena.

• Nico Funez, Valencia: Rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns in win over Canyon Country Canyon.

• William Biddle, L.A. University: Rushed for 264 yards and scored five touchdowns in defeat of Fairfax.

PASSING

• Lincoln Jahn, Inglewood: Passed for four touchdowns in win over Redondo Union.

• Reagan Toki, Orange Lutheran: Completed 14 of 16 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown in win over JSerra

• Demarco Hernandez, Sierra Canyon: Passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns in defeat of Chaminade.

• Evan McCalister, Valencia: Passed for four touchdowns in win over Canyon Country Canyon.

RECEIVING

• Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes: Caught three touchdown passes for 184 yards and had interception in win over Mira Costa.

• Ben Hanna, Villa Park: Caught six passes for 130 yards and passed for a touchdown in defeat of Tustin.

• Luke Frith, San Juan Hills: Caught eight passes for 128 yards and one touchdown in win over Yorba Linda.

DEFENSE

• Rayshawn Brandon, Santa Margarita: Returned and interception 51 yards for touchdown in win over St. John Bosco.

• Jayden Harris, Charter Oak: Returned and interception 80 yards for touchdown in win over Glendora.

• Eric Wright, South East: Had eight solo tackles in loss to Roosevelt.

• King Berry, Lawndale: Had interception and ran for a game-winning touchdown in win vs. South Torrance.

• Derrick Coleman Jr., Gardena Serra: Made two interceptions, including a pick six, in shutout of Loyola.

• King Rich Johnson, Orange Lutheran: Returned interception 20 yards for touchdown in win over JSerra.

• Noah Carter, Dana Hills: Had two sacks in defeat of Laguna Beach.

• Simote Tupou, St. John Bosco: Had consecutive sacks in loss to Santa Margarita.

• Bailey Hill, Hart: Had two sacks in defeat of Castaic.

• Zayne Reed, Agoura: Had three sacks in his first game of the season in win over Camarillo.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial: Made a 43-yard field goal and took a high snap on a field goal for a 16-yard touchdown in win over Norco.

• Noah Guillen, Bishop Amat: Made a school-record 52-yard field goal in defeat of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

• Galileo Chen, Portola: Had a 97-yard kickoff return for touchdown in loss to Fullerton.

• Alejandro Carranza, King/Drew: Made two field goals in the first half during King/Drew’s win vs. Crenshaw.