How new quarterback is leading Utah offense revitalization
- Utah is in an offensive renaissance under new quarterback Devon Dampier and offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
- A dual-threat quarterback, Dampier has excelled in both passing and rushing.
- Utah’s offense, combined with its traditionally strong defense, has made the team a formidable contender.
Since Kyle Whittingham arrived at Utah in 1994 and eventually rose to head coach, college football opponents have known a tough defense awaited when facing the Utes.
It’s what carried Utah’s success from the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West to the Power Five with the Pac-12 and now the Big 12.
Unfortunately, offensive struggles are what held the Utes back the past two seasons. And the main problem was at quarterback, where injuries and lack of experience hampered productivity.
How quickly the narrative has changed. Whittingham responded to the situation by bringing in offensive coordinator Jason Beck from New Mexico, and joining him was quarterback Devon Dampier. Together the two have reinvigorated the offense. The Utes rank seventh in rushing (290 yards) and 15th in scoring (45.7 points) through three games.
Now paired with its excellent defense, Utah has returned to a squad that looks like a potential College Football Playoff contender with a quarterback who could soon see himself in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
“I think that we couldn’t have asked any more from him to this point,” Whittingham said.
Utah’s offense grows under Devon Dampier
Just two years ago, Utah was coming off back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances, largely thanks to the play of Cameron Rising. With him under center, the Utes were a top 15 scoring offense in 2021 and 2022.
Rising was expected to return to the field in 2023 but missed the season due to a knee injury in the Rose Bowl. He came back in 2024 but only managed to play in three games due to finger and leg injuries. His absence led to a chaotic carousel of quarterback play.
Utah slumped to 98th in scoring in 2023 and 102nd in 2024. Quarterbacks threw 35 touchdowns to 28 interceptions while barely completing half of their passes. The Utes went 13-12 during that span and missed a bowl game with their first losing season since 2013 last year. Something had to change.
Dampier’s arrival in Salt Lake City didn’t draw significant national attention – likely because he was coming from a relatively underachieving program in New Mexico. The Lobos only won five games in 2024, but Dampier lit it up in Albuquerque. His 2,768 passing yards were second in the Mountain West and his 1,166 rushing yards were third in the conference.
Now imagine what Dampier might do with an offensive line – led by future NFL players in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu – that returned every starter and has played more than 200 games combined?
In the season opener against UCLA, when the spotlight was on Nico Iamaleava, Dampier stole the show. He threw for 206 yards and added 87 on the ground to account for three total touchdowns as the Utes routed the Bruins, 43-10. It was more of the same in subsequent defeats of Cal Poly and Wyoming.
Through three games, Dampier is throwing for 209 yards and running for 66 more per game. He is the team’s leading rusher and ranks seventh in the country in rushing among quarterbacks.
“My personal goal was to come in here and show that Utah can score on offense, too,” Dampier said after the UCLA win. ‘We made an emphasis that we are going to play all four quarters and put points on the board.”
Behind his talented offensive line, Dampier has been comfortably and steadily leading the offense. There aren’t many explosive plays. Utah’s 71.1% third-down conversion rate is second-best in the country and it has only allowed two sacks. With Dampier on the field, Utah has 11 drives that have gone at least 10 plays, including ones that lasted 19 and 21 plays. Of those drives, eight resulted in touchdowns.
“There’s certainly a place to have those extended drives, give your defense a rest, wear out the opposing defense, control the ball, impose your will,” Whittingham said.
When everything is successful, it only makes sense to celebrate. Which is why Dampier takes his offensive line out to dinner once a week, beefing them up for another week of domination.
Devon Dampier draws Kyler Murray comparisons
It’s become a tall task to figure out Utah, and the next one on assignment is Texas Tech. The Red Raiders visit Rice-Eccles Stadium in Week 4 in a matchup of ranked Big 12 opponents that could heavily impact the College Football Playoff picture.
Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire compared Dampier with 2018 Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, who led Oklahoma to 66 points against Baylor when McGuire was with the Bears. Whittingham has also made the same comparison.
“Their quarterback is dynamic,” McGuire said of Dampier. “I wish that they had a pro-style quarterback. I’d feel better than ‘he’s a dual threat.’ Man, he does a phenomenal job of pulling it down whenever he gets pressure.”
The game on Saturday, Sept. 20 will be the true test for how dynamic Utah’s offense is. If it can outduel Texas Tech, the Utes have a great path toward a conference title game appearance considering they have a schedule that doesn’t look as difficult as it did in the preseason.
So far, Whittingham gives Dampier an A+ for what he has done for the team. He’s become so valuable, his coach is emphasizing trying to make sure the quarterback will “stay out of harm’s way as much as possible” given the past history at the position.
“Not only is what he’s doing on the field, but his leadership, his impact on the team overall,” Whittingham said. “He’s just been exactly what we hoped he would be.”
