Devon Dampier lights up Las Vegas Bowl with monstrous game in Utah win

Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) scores during the first half of the Vegas Bowl football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Allegiant Stadium, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. Photo by: Wade Vandervort

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier showed off his toughness on the first touchdown, his arm on the second and his speed on the third.

Oh, and he also snuck in some smooth dance moves during a first-half onslaught of points in the 2025 Las Vegas Bowl Wednesday afternoon at Allegiant Stadium.

Dampier did it all in a 44-22 Utah victory over Nebraska.

Utah extended its record for most Las Vegas Bowl wins of all-time by improving its record in the annual postseason game to 5-2. The victory helps atone for an upset loss in its last appearance, 14-7 to Northwestern two years ago.

The Utes’ offense was magnitudes more dynamic this time around behind a Most Valuable Player performance from Dampier, who had 310 passing yards, 148 rushing yards and five total touchdowns.

The junior shared his intentions to stay with the program for his final year of eligibility coming into the game, and running circles around  Nebraska should cement him as one of the Heisman Trophy favorites going into the 2026-2027 campaign.

Dampier was one of several key starters who committed to playing in the Las Vegas Bowl initially as a way to send longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham out with a victory after he announced he was stepping down.

The 66-year-old Whittingham ended up not coaching, however, after he accepted the head position at the University of Michigan in the weeks between the matchup being announced and kickoff.

The mission turned to kicking the tenure of new coach, and longtime defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley off in style.

Dampier managed that objection by leaning heavily on a pair of tight ends, senior Dallen Bentley and freshman JJ Buchanan.

Bentley finished with six receptions for 106 yards and caught a 17-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Dampier after beating the Cornhuskers’ coverage to the corner of the end zone.

Buchanan had four catches for 76 yards, hauling in Dampier’s first touchdown pass on a 20-yard rope laced down the middle of the field in between defenders.

Dampier bookended Buchanan’s score with a 2-yard touchdown run where his helmet got knocked off as he stretched the ball across the plane and an 11-yard scramble where he zoomed through a tight hole and split two defenders.

Nebraska kept up with Dampier for a while.

Despite having lost more players via opt-out, transfer portal and injury, the Cornhuskers came out strong.

Nebraska freshman quarterback TJ Lateef led back-to-back scoring drives on its first two possessions.

The first went eight plays and 82 yards before freshman running back Mekhi Nelson broke a 38-yard touchdown run, while Lateef found sophomore receiver Jacory Barney for an eight-yard touchdown on the 12-play, 75-yard second drive.  

But Utah’s defense stiffened from there, not allowing points the next eight times Nebraska had the ball while building a commanding 44-14 lead.

Pressure was a constant with edge rusher Lance Holtzclaw and defensive tackle Aliki Vimahi both notching sacks.

Lateef’s final statistics line read 182 passing yards on 15-for-28 passing with one touchdown and one interception. Nelson had 12 carries for 88 yards.

Lateef finally broke Nebraska’s scoring drought with a dive where he got flipped upside down into the end zone on a 7-yard run just inside the two-minute timeout in the fourth quarter.

By then, Dampier had long put the game out of reach with one of the best outings in Las Vegas Bowl history.