Utah

New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier transfers to Utah

Published

1 year ago

December 11, 2024

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New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier transfers to Utah

Utah has its new quarterback.

New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier is following his offense coordinator, Jason Beck, to Salt Lake City.

Dampier, a sophomore, was the catalyst for the Lobos’ high-powered offense, which generated 484.2 yards per game (fourth-best in the country) and scored 33.5 points per game (No. 27 in the country).

In his first season as a full-time starter, Dampier was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football, totaling 3,934 yards of offense in 2024 — 2,768 passing and 1,166 rushing.

Against Power Four (and former Power Five) competition this season — Arizona, Auburn and Washington State — Dampier threw for a combined 725 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 354 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

New Mexico’s offense was the reason why the Lobos finished the year with a 5-6 record, their best mark since 2016, despite a defense that allowed 38 points and 492.1 yards per game, and Beck and Dampier will try and replicate that production at Utah.

Beck’s spread offense makes heavy use of the run-pass option and is at its best with a quarterback that can run, and Dampier fits the bill. He executed Beck’s offense at a very high level this season and was durable despite running the ball 155 times — playing in every single game this season.

Under Beck, Utah will look to run first, with the quarterback run being a huge factor. In 2024, New Mexico had the fifth-best rushing offense in the nation (253.6 yards per game), with Dampier leading the way with 1,166 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Running back Eli Sanders wasn’t far behind with 1,063 rushing yards and nine scores.

Dampier is a true dual-threat quarterback and is at his best when he’s running the ball. He possesses top-end speed, can make defenders miss (he forced 51 missed tackles this season, according to Pro Football Focus), and is explosive when the ball is in his hands. While there were a lot of designed quarterback runs called by Beck for Dampier, he’s also adept at both reading the defense and knowing when to run the ball on the RPO and at scrambling when there’s no receivers open.

“We don’t win without him,” New Mexico coach Bronco Mendenhall — now at Utah State — said about Dampier after a 38-35 win over No. 19 Washington State.

“And when your quarterback could run the ball like that, that tough and that physical, with the deception also of having Eli Sanders and NaQuari (Rogers) running the ball, as well. Gosh, well, that’s what winning and really good football teams do, right? They run when they need to, and you stop the run when you have to.”

Utah has never had a 1,000-yard rusher at the quarterback position. While other quarterbacks at Utah have shown the ability to run the ball in the past, Dampier does it at a level that hasn’t been seen at the university since Alex Smith ran Urban Meyer’s spread offense in 2004.

Dampier is a fantastic runner, but that’s only half of the equation that makes up a dual-threat quarterback. This season, Dampier was one of the least accurate passers in the FBS, completing just 57.9% of his passes, and had a 1:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (12 touchdowns, 12 interceptions).

To continue the success he enjoyed in the Mountain West Conference at the Power Four level, Dampier must improve his accuracy this offseason. With a starting season under his belt and another offseason working with Beck, he should progress in that aspect ahead of a crucial 2025 season for Utah.

Dampier’s 2,768 passing yards ranked No. 34 among FBS quarterbacks this season and he showed that he can make plays through the air. With his scrambling ability, he has the ability to buy time for himself and was the least-sacked quarterback in all of college football. He had two 300-plus-yard passing games and nearly another against Auburn, where he racked up 291 passing yards.

As Utah begins to install a new offense for the first time since 2019, when offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig was hired for his second stint at the university, having a quarterback that is already well-versed in Beck’s system is extraordinarily important and will make the transition easier for the offense.

Dampier should have a clear path to start right away at Utah after every quarterback that played this season, except Cam Rising, entered the transfer portal this offseason. Rising has not made an official decision, but a report from 247Sports national reporter Matt Zenitz says that the current expectation is that the 25-year-old quarterback will not be on Utah’s roster next season.

Since the regular season ended, Isaac Wilson and Brandon Rose both announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal, and Luke Bottari is out of eligibility. If Rising does indeed decide to move on, the only quarterbacks — aside from Dampier — on Utah’s roster are incoming three-star freshmen Wyatt Becker and Jamarian Ficklin.

The Utes will likely try to get another quarterback from the transfer portal to shore up the position ahead of the 2025 season.

New Mexico Lobos quarterback Devon Dampier (4) during game against Arizona Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz. | Darryl Webb

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Utah

Oklahoma State visits Utah after Dawes’ 23-point outing

Published

6 hours ago

January 30, 2026

Press Room

Oklahoma State visits Utah after Dawes’ 23-point outing

Oklahoma State Cowboys (14-6, 2-5 Big 12) at Utah Utes (9-11, 1-6 Big 12)

Salt Lake City; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Utah takes on Oklahoma State after Keanu Dawes scored 23 points in Utah’s 91-78 loss to the BYU Cougars.

The Utes are 8-3 on their home court. Utah is 2-5 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Cowboys have gone 2-5 against Big 12 opponents. Oklahoma State scores 86.2 points and has outscored opponents by 5.8 points per game.

Utah makes 46.6% of its shots from the field this season, which is 2.5 percentage points higher than Oklahoma State has allowed to its opponents (44.1%). Oklahoma State averages 86.2 points per game, 4.7 more than the 81.5 Utah allows.

The Utes and Cowboys face off Saturday for the first time in conference play this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Terrence Brown is scoring 22.2 points per game with 2.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Utes. Don McHenry is averaging 18.5 points over the last 10 games.

Kanye Clary is averaging 9.6 points and 4.9 assists for the Cowboys. Anthony Roy is averaging 18.3 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Utes: 2-8, averaging 78.7 points, 28.5 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 5.7 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 84.3 points per game.

Cowboys: 5-5, averaging 82.5 points, 32.1 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 8.3 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 83.5 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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New Utah County school districts officially name inaugural superintendents

Published

19 hours ago

January 29, 2026

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New Utah County school districts officially name inaugural superintendents

PROVO, Utah (KUTV) — Superintendents for the three new Utah County school districts have officially been selected by their respective school boards.

Dr. Joel Perkins was sworn in as the superintendent for Aspen Peaks School District, Dr. Vicki Carter was named the superintendent for the Lake Mountain School District, and Dr. Joseph N. Jensen was selected as the superintendent for Timpanogos School District.

The three school districts will officially begin operating in July 2027 after voters approved breaking the existing school district – The Alpine School District – into three new ones in 2024.

The Aspen Peaks School District will oversee schools in Lehi, American Fork, Highland, Cedar Hills and Alpine. Lake Mountain covers schools in Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Cedar Valley, Cedar Fort and Fairfield. The Timpanogos School District will be made up of schools in Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Orem and Vineyard.

MORE | Alpine School District

Eye On Education (Graphic: KUTV)

Dr. Perkins, who serves as the current associate superintendent in the Alpine School District, will continue to serve in his role until June 30 of this year. Aspen Peaks officials said Perkins will then work with the school board to hire staff, determine funding, and consider school boundaries.

“This is my community. I have lived here and worked here for the last 27 years. My family and I have invested our hearts and souls into the schools in this area,” said Perkins. “I love the students, families, and employees here. It is the honor of a lifetime to partner with this community to build the new Aspen Peaks School District.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Vicki Carter was named as the inaugural superintendent for Lake Mountain after an “exhaustive search” with over 20 applicants. The Lake Mountain school board described Dr. Carter as a veteran educator with 35 years of experience who is dedicated to building trust, respect and academic excellence.

The Lake Mountain School Board also named Dr. Amanda Bollinger, who has 25 years in Utah education, as deputy superintendent.

“We are proud to launch our district with such a distinguished team,” said Lake Mountain Board President Julie King. “They are seamlessly aligned with our vision for innovation and student success.”

In the Timpanogos School District, the school board said Dr. Joseph Jensen brings decades of educational leadership experience that was “deeply rooted” in the school district’s communities. His career has seen him serving students and families in Oak Canyon, Orem High, Orem Junior High and Timpanogos High, most recently as the Alpine School District’s Director of Administrative Development.

“I love the people in these communities. I lived in Pleasant Grove for ten years and spent my entire administrative career serving students, teachers, and families in Orem, Vineyard and Lindon,” said Dr. Jensen. “I have countless memories of exceptional teachers, coaches, and support staff who work tirelessly to develop young people – in classrooms, extracurricular activities, and programs.”

The Timpanogos School District said Jensen intends to visit all 29 schools in the district to “listen, learn, and connect with staff, parents and administrators.”

The three school districts now move on to the next step ahead of their 2027 launch, including filling additional roles such as business administrators.

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Curry helps Golden State bury Utah 140-124 behind a flurry of 3-pointers

Published

1 day ago

January 29, 2026

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Curry helps Golden State bury Utah 140-124 behind a flurry of 3-pointers

By John Coon, The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY — Stephen Curry scored 27 points, Moses Moody had 26 and the Golden State Warriors beat the Utah Jazz 140-124 on Wednesday night.

Gui Santos had 16 points off the bench for the Warriors. Golden State made 23 3-pointers and never trailed over the final three quarters. Moody led the way with five 3s.

The 140 points scored by the Warriors was their season high.

Brice Sensabaugh scored 22 points off the bench for Utah. Keyonte George had 19 points and seven assists. Ace Bailey also scored 19 points for the Jazz and Lauri Markkanen had 18.

Utah trimmed a 22-point deficit to single digits entering the fourth quarter. The Jazz drew to 108-100 on a pair of free throws from Isaiah Collier with 9:52 left. Curry made back-to-back baskets to restore a double-digit lead.

Golden State used a 20-2 run to go up 136-109 with 3:29 left.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, has the ball knocked away by Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski, right, as he was driving to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

Golden State made it rain from the perimeter early, going 15 of 31 from long distance before halftime. Eight different players made an outside basket for the Warriors in the first half. Buddy Hield and Moody accounted for three apiece before halftime.

Hield buried back-to-back 3s a minute into the second quarter to cap a 19-8 run that gave Golden State a 40-24 lead. The Warriors built a 16-point lead three other times in the second quarter — the final time when Quinten Post made a 3-pointer to make it 64-48.

Golden State expanded its lead to 22 points in the third quarter, going up 91-69 on a pair of free throws from Curry.