Starting quarterback Devon Dampier was the ultimate hero in Utah’s wild 51-47 comeback win over Kansas State.
It was Dampier who led the Utes on two straight touchdown drives in the late fourth quarter to win the game.
The first, a 12-play, 75-yard series, featured Dampier completing a 21-yard pass to Larry Simmons on third-and-22 before Wayshawn Parker got the first down on fourth-and-1. Dampier followed that play up with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Simmons in the corner of the end zone to bring the Utes within three points with 2:50 remaining.
After Utah’s defense forced a Kansas State three-and-out, Dampier had the ball with 2:25 left, needing to drive 70 yards for the win.
The big play of the game-winning drive was Dampier’s fourth-and-1 keeper, which went for 59 yards to get the Utes to the 3-yard line. Three plays later, Dampier punched it in himself on a run to put Utah up 51-47.
“My confidence is definitely up higher when the rest of the group believes in me to make those plays. Fourth-and-1, I thank my coach for putting the ball in my hands and, man, O-line, they block like that all the time,” Dampier said.
It was Dampier’s defining moment in his short time as a Ute.
“It means a lot to just to wear the Ute uniform, to be around who I am. Those guys know the means to be a Ute and I’m proud to be part of that group. So any day I’m able to suit up and be with my boys, I’m going to give it my all,” Dampier said.
While Dampier’s heroics saved the day for Utah, the Utes may not have been in that position at all if it weren’t for the earlier play of freshman quarterback Byrd Ficklin.
Dampier, already ailing with an ankle injury, took a couple big blows to the head in Saturday’s win. Ahead of that fateful fourth quarter, Utah’s starter had completed 11 of 24 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown with 39 rushing yards and a score.
Hampered by injury, Dampier wasn’t playing at his best. Just like last week, Utah had prepared for the possibility that they would need to use Ficklin in certain situations.
Ficklin had seven rushes in the win, and he made the most of each one.
His first opportunity of the game was right after Dampier took a huge hit to the head after he was already down — Kansas State’s Ryan Davis was ejected for targeting in one of the clearest examples ever of the penalty — in the first quarter.
As Dampier was being evaluated, Ficklin went into the game, and after a personal foul helped move the chains into the red zone on his first snap, the freshman was in for Utah’s first touchdown after showing great vision and hitting the hole hard on the 10-yard touchdown run.
In the second quarter, after the game was stopped by the referees to have Dampier go to the medical tent again after he hit his head on the ground, Ficklin was once again called upon. He delivered with a 12-yard run, then a 6-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14.
In the early third quarter, with Utah down 31-28 and the ball on the Kansas State 10-yard line, Ficklin was brought in for the second-and-6 situation.
Ficklin faked the handoff to Dampier, ran into a crowd of players, kept his legs churning and slithered through into the end zone to put Utah up 35-31.
All three of Ficklin’s touchdowns proved vital as the Utes’ offense kept pace with Kansas State as the Wildcats were running wild over Utah’s defense.
“Really just come out here, give everything I got, go out here, have fun, make the best of every opportunity I’m given,” Ficklin said. “I know my job is to pretty much be that person that’s going to go get the yards on short downs, but if it pops, do something with it and that’s what I’m able to do and be capable of.”
After years of backup quarterback struggles at Utah, Ficklin’s emergence has been a breath of fresh air for Whittingham and the Utes. Utah has been able to completely trust its QB2, and Jason Beck has schemed plays for him in games, even with Dampier as the starter.
That’s pretty rare in college football, especially in the transfer portal era.
Throughout the season, Whittingham has been effusive in his praise for the freshman, and he continued during his postgame media session.
“He had the same role that he’s had the last couple games, last three games where he supplements, a little bit. Devon’s still not 100%. And so we supplement a certain percentage of the plays with Byrd and you saw what a terrific runner he is again tonight,” Whittingham said.
“He put that on display. … I maintain that he is a big-time player with a huge upside and a high ceiling and he’s really helped us win games this year.”
We’ll see what happens in this offseason’s transfer portal, but right now, Utah is enjoying having two capable quarterbacks.