PK: Utah Football Back On Track To Contend For Big 12 Title Game

SALT LAKE CITY — Torrential rains and strong winds, not to mention a short-handed Arizona State team, could not stop Utah from regaining a foothold on contending for the Big 12 championship.

With Texas Tech’s emergence, the Utes probably don’t have a great chance at finishing atop the standings after the nine conference games. The undefeated Red Raiders, who got a huge road win last month over Utah, look like the class of the conference halfway through the regular season.

But being the best through November doesn’t account for much in terms of winning the conference championship. All that matters is finishing in the top two and gaining a chance to land the conference’s automatic bid into the 12-team playoff.

By beating ASU 42-10 in a late-night game on Saturday at a drenched Rice-Eccles Stadium, the Utes firmly belong in the race for the second spot in the Big 12 standings. At 2-1 (5-1 overall), Utah appears to have shaken off its lone conference loss by winning the last two games before heading to Provo next week for the showdown with BYU, which stayed undefeated by beating Arizona in overtime.

🔴🔴🔴🔴
LIGHT THE U‼️🚨

Final
Utah: 42
Arizona State: 10#GoUtes pic.twitter.com/oi3yLG3Ljg

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 12, 2025

The Sun Devils, who were ranked No. 21, face a difficult challenge in defending the surprising championship they won last season. One season removed from the worst three-year stretch in program history and properly predicted to finish in last place, ASU shocked the college football by winning the Big 12 in coach Kenny Dillingham’s second season.

Despite losing all-world running back Cam Skattebo to the NFL, the Sun Devils were expected to contend for a consecutive title. But with Texas Tech looming next week, a spot in the conference title game is unlikely.

Realistically, they don’t have much of a shot without quarterback Sam Leavitt, who was ruled out late last week for the game against Utah. Minus Leavitt, who was on the sidelines in a walking boot, ASU could not generate much offense against Utah’s stingy defense.

The Sun Devils were forced to rely on Jeff Sims, a sixth-year veteran of college football who is on his third team. Even when he started to engineer the rare drive, it was brought back by multiple holding penalties on the offensive line.

But from the opponent’s perspective, the Utes don’t care about ASU’s problems. They remember full well that the Sun Devils knocked off a ranked Utah team last season in the game that turned out to be quarterback Cam Rising’s farewell to college sports.

For the Utes, the task at hand was to win another Big 12 game, which incidentally turned out to be their first at home since joining the conference last season. The objective remained the same, whoever ASU trotted out at quarterback, who doesn’t play defense, anyway.

The key was to smother the possibility of ASU gaining momentum with a backup quarterback. Utah’s offense did exactly that in the game’s first possession, taking the opening kickoff and marching straight down the field for a touchdown.

Quarterback Devon Dampier took the honors, finding daylight on a fourth down from 12 yards out. Early in the second quarter, he scampered 24 yards, showing off his dazzling athletic ability, for Utah’s second touchdown.

Making ’em slip and slide on his way to the end zone‼️#GoUtes | @Devonddampier pic.twitter.com/oTSEAYJeMl

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 12, 2025

Although it wasn’t much of a talking point during the week, the game was a measure of revenge for Dampier. The junior transfer from New Mexico played his high school football up the road, a few miles north of the Tempe campus in Scottsdale at Saguaro High.

Despite sitting out the first five games after transferring from another school, Dampier led Saguaro to a division state championship. His high school was Jason Mohns, who is in his third year as ASU’s tight end coach.

Earlier in the week, Dillingham lamented the fact that he didn’t extend more effort recruiting Dampier, who became the first Utah quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Travis Wilson in 2015 against Oregon. In the end, ASU did not offer him a scholarship, prompting his decision to play for New Mexico.

“I definitely should’ve recruited him harder, to be honest,” Dillingham said. “He’s definitely proved me wrong. I always thought he was a really good player, but how productive he’s been in college football, I mean, super impressed by him.”

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