Utes turn over a new leaf in season-opening smashing of UCLA

PASADENA, Calif. — To start last week, Utah quarterback Devon Dampier told reporters that “this is another year, where Utah is going to be able to score the ball as well.”

Those words rang true on Saturday night, as Utah opened the 2025 season with a dominating 43-10 win over UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

From the very first drive of the game, it was clear that Saturday’s game was going to be a much different experience than the majority of last season, when the Ute offense struggled to score the ball.

At the end of the first half, Utah had scored 23 points and gained 256 yards of offense, a mark that nearly matched the Utes’ average scoring output (23.6 points) for an entire game last season.

Utah’s defense came to play as well, smothering the Bruins and new transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The Utes outgained the Bruins 140-23 in the first quarter, and aside from a few missed tackles and a shaky drive wherein Utah allowed a touchdown, Utah’s defense mostly neutralized the Bruins and their new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri.

John Henry Daley, making his first start at defensive end, stood out with two sacks, and junior linebacker Trey Reynolds snagged his first collegiate interception in the fourth quarter to seal the game.

UCLA was just 2 of 11 on third down, while the Utes’ offense was 14 of 16.

“(The defense) only had to play 50 snaps and that’s because they played third down exceptionally well,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “... We dominated third down on both sides of the ball.”

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Devon Dampier’s impressive debut

Heading into the season, the two biggest concerns surrounding Dampier were his turnovers (12 interceptions last season) and his completion percentage (57.9%).

Those concerns were silenced in Dampier’s Ute debut, which couldn’t have gone much better.

“You talk about a guy that really has worked hard in the offseason. We knew when we took him out of New Mexico, 57% completion percentage needed to improve,” Whittingham said.

“The touchdown to interception ratio needed to improve, and at least tonight that did improve, so that was great to see.”

Dampier threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns Saturday with no turnovers on 84% accuracy and added 87 yards and a score on the ground.

He was never sacked — at times craftily evading pressure — and was always steadily in control of the offense.

Most of Dampier’s completions were short passes, but on a Saturday night when everything was clicking, that was all that was needed.

Dampier’s shiftiness when running the ball was on full display as he squeezed between UCLA defenders to gain extra yardage, and he usually made the right read on whether to pass or keep the ball.

Dampier’s comfort level running new Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck’s offense was apparent, and in turn was the trust level that Beck has in his quarterback, giving him lots of RPO looks where he needed to make the correct read — just as he did at New Mexico.

On the biggest stage of his life, Dampier played perhaps the best game of his college career. It was just the second time he’s thrown for over 200 yards with no interceptions, and Saturday marked a career-high completion percentage.

“First time I got to wear that Ute jersey … Just to be out there with my boys, it was great. I mean, I thought we were clicking on all cylinders today,” Dampier said.

There was virtually nothing to nitpick about Dampier’s game, except for possibly sliding more when he runs.

“Needs to be a little more judicious at times. There were a couple times he needed to get down and so we’ll continue to preach that,” Whittingham said.

In the end, Dampier proved on Saturday what he preached in the days leading up to the game — that Utah can score the ball.

“My personal goal is to come here and just show that Utah can score on offense, too,” Dampier said. “That’s the biggest thing, just talking about last year.

“We made it an emphasis that we’re going to play all four quarters and we’re going to put points on board, so for us to do that on our side was great.”

Defensive players get involved in the offense

Whittingham was forthcoming before the season.

He said as early as July at Big 12 media days that Utah cornerback Smith Snowden and linebacker Lander Barton would play on offense.

We thought that may mean a few snaps here and there in special packages, but that was vastly underselling it. From the very first snap at the Rose Bowl, Utah’s defensive players were involved in the offense.

Snowden caught Dampier’s first pass as a Ute, an 11-yard screen pass that moved the chains. Later in the drive, Dampier found Snowden again for another 11-yard gain, this time on third-and-4.

Snowden finished the game with six catches for 51 yards and added three carries for 15 yards and a score. He hit paydirt for the first time in his college career on the offensive side on Utah’s second drive of the game.

Snowden took the sweep handoff from Dampier and was nearly stopped at the line of scrimmage, but he shook off the tackle from UCLA cornerback Key Lawrence and snaked through the Bruins’ defense for a score.

While the extent of Snowden’s involvement was a surprise to those watching, Utah had planned on it during the week.

“That’s about the dose that he’s been getting the ball in practice,” Whittingham said.

On the next Ute drive, Dampier found linebacker Barton, who was wide open on a corner route in the end zone. It was the first collegiate offensive touchdown for the former Brighton High tight end.

The defense wasn’t done getting involved in the offense there, either, as safety Jackson Bennee also caught a 17-yard pass from Dampier to move the sticks.

Utah hasn’t settled on a snap count for Snowden and the other defensive players on offense, but will adjust as the season continues.

“I think we’ll be able to settle on what a realistic workload is for them,” Whittingham said. “That will also include monitoring and adjusting practice during the week.

“We got to make sure guys playing 100-plus snaps a week, we got to do something during the week to preserve them and so that’s still a work in progress.”

Jason Beck’s offense gives Utah a fresh start

On Saturday, Utah’s offense was fun to watch for Ute fans, something that was rare during last season’s slog.

After six seasons of Andy Ludwig calling plays on offense — three of which were high-water marks in recent Ute offensive history — Utah was bound to look different under Beck.

The biggest difference?

The Utes played uptempo, often going no-huddle.

Utah was able to go uptempo when it wanted to, but Beck also showed that his offense can excel when they slow down as well.

Perhaps Utah’s best drive of the game came in the early third quarter, when it milked nearly 10 minutes off the clock during a 20-play, 80-yard drive that featured a heavy dose of both Dampier and fellow New Mexico transfer NaQuari Rogers, culminating in a Dampier keeper on fourth-and-2 for a touchdown that gave the Utes a commanding 30-10 lead.

While Dampier and Rogers were masterful on that drive, it was all made possible by Utah’s offensive line.

There’s still plenty of games left to play, but at least on Saturday, Jim Harding’s group lived up to its preseason billing. Dampier wasn’t sacked all night and usually had plenty of time to throw, and time after time, the offensive line opened up big holes for the Utes’ running backs.

“That kind of drive doesn’t happen without a front that’s dominated, and our front really took control of that drive. They had control the whole night,” Whittingham said.

When reporters brought up the lengthy drive in the postgame press conference, Whittingham broke out into a wide smile.

“That’s a statement drive. Hey, we can lean on you and impose our will if we want, and that was great to see,” Whittingham said.

Beck utilized plenty of players, called plays to every area of the field, mixed up the run schemes and utilized plenty of different offensive sets.

Eight different players ran the ball and eight different players caught passes, but what stood out the most about Beck’s offense wasn’t a specific play call or scheme, it was how easy everything seemed to be coming.

Compared to last season, when it felt like pulling teeth to gain a few yards, everything flowed smoothly, especially in the run game — where Utah gained over five yards per rush.

“The flow of the game, the calls had them off balance,” Whittingham said. “I thought the run-pass ratio was outstanding, the RPO facet that he brought and implemented.

Of Beck, Whittingham added, “He’s just a masterful play caller, at least he has been and he was tonight.”

Utah’s tight ends had a good day — Dallen Bentley eclipsed his 2024 total with five catches for 31 yards and a touchdown, and freshman JJ Bucanan made an early impact with three catches for 31 yards.

Wayshawn Parker shined with 62 yards and a score on 11 carries, with Rogers providing 61 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Going forward, one question about Beck’s offense is if the wide receivers will emerge. With Snowden and the other defensive players’ performances, the wide receivers weren’t needed on Saturday, but they will be as the season progresses.

Tobias Merriweather had the longest receptions of the night — 36 yards — and Ryan Davis caught three passes for 22 yards, and that was it for Utah’s wide receivers.

Saturday’s home opener against FCS Cal Poly should be a good tune up game, with the chance to get everyone — especially the receivers — involved.