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No. 3 Utah's Devon Dampier makes Heisman push in win over No. 9 BYU
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. 3 Utah's Devon Dampier makes Heisman push in win over No. 9 BYU

By Eric Smithling  |  Last updated Nov 7, 2026 5:32 PM ET
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Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier has entered the Heisman chat.

On Saturday, College Football Playoff No. 3 Utah (9-0, 6-0 in Big 12) inched closer to its first CFP berth with a 28-20 win over the No. 9 BYU Cougars (7-2, 4-2 in Big 12), and Dampier shone in his best game of the season. The senior did a little bit of everything on offense, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for two more.

He even had a highlight-reel catch, finishing with 295 total yards. Per Stathead research, amazingly, he became only the second player since 1995 to have at least two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and 25 receiving yards in a single game, joining Navy Midshipmen quarterback Jackson Gutierrez, who accomplished the feat last month in a loss to UTSA.

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier's big game propels Utah to top-10 win

Dampier started his big day early, scoring from 23 yards out on a designed run to cap a three-play, 75-yard opening drive. He followed with a 46-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braden Pegan as part of a four-play, 63-yard drive on Utah's second possession.

As NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay noted, Dampier was 4-of-5 for 110 yards and accounted for 96 percent of Utah's yards on its first two series.

After the offense hit a lull, Dampier snapped the unit out of it with a beautiful throw to the back of the end zone for Pegan that gave the Utes the lead for good. Dampier added a cushion with his second rushing touchdown on a third-and-goal early in the fourth quarter.

But those weren't even his best plays. Dampier made an unbelievable effort on his 29-yard reception, extending fully and hauling in the fourth-down reception over BYU senior safety Raider Damuni.

The former New Mexico quarterback, in his second season at Utah, has the Utes on the verge of their first CFP appearance. Per ESPN's Football Power Index, Utah entered Saturday with a 78 percent chance of making the CFP, and those odds will only increase. Next Saturday's trip to No. 22 Arizona (7-2, 4-2 in Big 12) poses a risk, but with Utah's final two regular-season games against West Virginia (5-3, 2-3 in Big 12) and TCU (4-5, 2-4 in Big 12), it has a decent likelihood of entering conference championship weekend with no more than one loss.

Dampier could use a couple more big games to not just solidify Utah's playoff spot but also make a late surge in the Heisman race. With Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney out and several of the top quarterbacks entering the season underperforming or injured, there's an opening for Dampier to earn an invite. According to Saturday's performance, he's ready to take it.

Eric Smithling
X Muck Rack

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans. You can find him on X and Threads at @ericsmithling and at Bluesky at @ericsmithling.bsky.social.

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