Nebraska Defense to Face Fast, Elusive Utah Quarterback in Bowl Game

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier has the kind of game that has given Nebraska fits this season.

He’s fast, elusive and doesn’t hesitate to run. Plus, he has a big arm that accounted for more than 2,100 air yards this season.

Dampier, a junior from Phoenix in his first year with the Utes after spending two seasons at New Mexico, led Utah to the edge of the College Football Playoff with a 10-2 record. Utah’s losses were to ranked Big 12 teams — to No. 17 Texas Tech, 34-10, and to No. 15 BYU, 24-21.

Dampier, who is 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, will be squarely on the Huskers’ minds as the teams prepare to meet in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

If the Huskers (7-5) are going to break their unsightly record of having lost to 29 consecutive ranked teams, they better make stopping Dampier a priority.

Dual-threat quarterback

Dampier leads a Utes rushing offense that ranks among the nation’s best. That Utah strength matches unfavorably for Nebraska -- the Huskers' rushing defense. The Huskers rank 94th in rushing defense, allowing 171.2 yards per game.

Dampier carried the ball 127 times for 687 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2024 at New Mexico, he gained 1,166 yards on 155 carries and scored an astounding 19 touchdowns.

Dampier knows what to do when he tucks the ball and takes off.

He completed 193-of-303 passes (63.7 percent) for 2,180 yards for Utah, with 22 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.

Dampier is the living definition of a dual-threat quarterback.

Quarterbacks who could run and throw and could keep plays alive were problematic for Nebraska’s defense this season. Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, Michigan State’s Aiden Chiles, USC’s Jayden Maiava and Iowa’s Mark Gronowski come to mind.

If Dampier isn’t enough to have the Huskers’ coaching staff losing sleep, consider this: Utah might be the best team Nebraska has played this season.

The Utes ranked 15th in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll.

TJ Lateef’s numbers

Lateef, a true freshman from Compton, Calif., took over as Nebraska’s starting quarterback after starter Dylan Raiola suffered a broken fibula on Nov. 1 against USC.

Utah will be Lateef’s fourth start. He won his opener at UCLA, then lost at Penn State and the season finale against Iowa at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef has far less college experience than Utah starting quarterback Devon Dampier. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Compared with Dampier, Lateef’s stats are one-sided. Lateef has completed 59-of-95 passes (62.1 percent) for 722 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. Lateef also has gained 98 yards on the ground on 27 carries with three rushing touchdowns.

The Huskers have the rest of the month to crash-course Lateef into getting ready for Utah. But the Huskers face another hurdle on offense. Outstanding running back Emmett Johnson, who gained a Big Ten-leading 1,451 rushing yards, has declared for the NFL Draft and will not play in the bowl game.

Johnson’s absence will put more pressure on Lateef to succeed without his best weapon.

Dampier compares to Kyler Murray

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has compared Dampier to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who won a Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma in 2018, and was the first overall draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

“I think that’s awesome, for sure, but what happens in our building, that’s the opinion I care about, how my boys view me just as a leader, and how I am on that field so, but I love that,” Dampier said earlier in the season.

“That’s awesome."

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