SALT LAKE CITY -- At the request of the roaring sea of red fans who had spilled out onto the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday afternoon, quarterback Devon Dampier ripped off his helmet, jumped on top of a cart on the Utah sideline and took his curtain call. That's when the "Heisman" chants began.
In what was the first-ever Holy War matchup between No. 9 BYU and No. 3 Utah as top-10 teams, the game delivered a blockbuster that featured six turnovers, several breakneck momentum swings and a senior quarterback at the center of it all who propelled the Utes to a 28-20 victory -- their first win over their bitter, in-state rivals since 2019 and one that pushes them to 9-0 on the season.
"You don't get a lot of moments like that," Dampier said. "The history of this game ... It's a big win."
If a quarterback can be likened to a starting pitcher, then Dampier had nearly every pitch in his arsenal working for him against the Cougars. He completed 14 passes for 177 yards and threw for two touchdowns. He rushed for 89 yards and added two touchdowns with his legs. Every single point Utah scored had his fingerprints on it.
"Just like Devon does, he kind of put [the game] on his back," head coach Morgan Scalley said. "This guy is a warrior. He wins us football games."
As if excelling at his day job was not enough, Dampier moonlighted as wide receiver, too. On a crucial fourth-and-1, a trick-play design resulted in wide receiver Creed Whittemore launching a 29-yard prayer to the sideline that Dampier, who was well-covered, somehow corralled.
"I felt some type of way about last year, not being at my healthiest, not being able to show up when my team needed me [against ranked teams]," Dampier said. "I feel like that's why I play quarterback, I'm in a position where I can level my team and allow them to feel the way I play so the guys are comfortable."
Dampier got the Utes started on the right foot Saturday when he led them on back-to-back scoring drives. Before BYU could blink, Utah had traveled 138 yards in seven plays and was up 14-0. But after two turnovers and three punts the rest of the half, and a Cougars offense that awoke with force, Scalley's team entered the locker room at halftime down by six points.
"This is a game of momentum, and if you don't have it, you gotta go steal it," Scalley said. "In the second half, we completely flipped the script."
That flip happened almost immediately as the Utes intercepted BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier just four plays into the half. It would be a harbinger of things to come. While Dampier orchestrated two more scoring drives that regained the lead, Utah's defense sealed the victory. The Utes shut out the Cougars and picked off Bachmeier two more times, including a key interception by senior linebacker Trey Reynolds when BYU was in the red zone threatening to tie the game and another by senior safety Nate Ritchie on Bachmeier's Hail Mary attempt late in the final seconds.
All told, the Utes forced five turnovers, and Bachmeier, who entered the game having thrown four interceptions all season, doubled his total.
"Our team played lights out that last quarter," Dampier said. "I don't win games. This is a whole team win for sure."
As Scalley relished the win, he teared up when he noted the significance of the two final interceptions being made by seniors who, despite the changes at Utah when Kyle Whittingham stepped down and was replaced by Scalley after last season, opted to stay in Salt Lake City.
"The [interceptions] came from guys that stuck with a program, that were about development and loving a culture," Scalley said. "I'm so grateful."
In his first year on the job, Scalley has the Utes playing the part of one of the best teams in the country, well on their way to not just a spot in the Big 12 title game but also a likely berth in the College Football Playoff. It's why the win over the Cougars on Saturday, though historic and invigorating for the 101st straight sellout crowd at Rice Eccles, was also just another step forward.
"This is not the final game of the season. This is one game," Scalley said. "We cannot let the joy of this distract us from what the ultimate goal is."