No. 13 Utah Rallies For Thrilling 51-47 Win Over Kansas State

It was a comeback for the ages.

Utah quarterback Devon Dampier accounted for four touchdowns — throwing for two and running for two himself — including a decisive 1-yard rush with 56 seconds remaining, as No. 13 Utah overcame a 12-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to edge Kansas State 51-47 on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The turning point came on an unusual play. After KSU extended its lead to 47-35 on Joe Jackson’s third rushing touchdown of the day, the Wildcats attempted a two-point conversion, but Utah’s Tao Johnson intercepted a tipped pass and returned it for two points, cutting the deficit to 47-37.

Utah’s usually composed coach showed emotion in what could be his final game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, as he has been weighing retirement.

Dampier connected with Larry Simmons on a 20-yard touchdown to bring Utah within 47-44 with 2:47 remaining. Following a forced punt, Dampier orchestrated the game-winning drive, highlighted by a 59-yard run on fourth down that set up his 1-yard touchdown plunge.

With less than a minute left, Lander Barton intercepted Avery Johnson’s pass to secure the win for Utah (9-2, 6-2 Big 12, No. 12 CFP), keeping both their conference title and College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Jackson rushed for a school-record 293 yards for Kansas State (5-6, 4-4), surpassing Darren Sproles’ 292-yard mark set in 2004. The Wildcats totaled a program-record 472 rushing yards, marking the most by a Division I team in a loss since Army ran for 534 in a 52-49 defeat to North Texas on Nov. 18, 2017.

Dampier finished with 259 passing yards and 94 rushing yards. Byrd Ficklin added three rushing touchdowns, and Wayshawn Parker ran for 100 yards on 19 carries for Utah, which amassed 551 yards of total offense compared with Kansas State’s 574.

Kansas State forced a key fumble when VJ Payne knocked the ball from Dampier, with Cody Stufflebean recovering at the Utah 26-yard line to set up Jackson’s 24-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter.

Earlier, Dampier connected with Dallen Bentley for a 38-yard touchdown pass, and Ficklin’s third rushing score gave Utah a 35-31 lead early in the third. But KSU responded as Johnson found Garrett Oakley for a fourth-down touchdown, followed by a 36-yard field goal from Luis Rodriguez to go up 41-35 with 8:51 remaining.

Utah’s defensive standout John Henry Daley exited late in the first quarter with a leg injury after recording two sacks and 3½ tackles for loss. Leading receiver Ryan Davis also left the game early due to injury.

The Wildcats produced five straight scoring drives—four touchdowns and a 22-yard field goal. Jackson gained 236 yards in the first half, including touchdown runs of 66 and 80 yards, while Antonio Martin Jr. and Avery Johnson also added rushing scores.

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