SALT LAKE CITY - The Holy War has been on Devon Dampier’s radar all offseason, and not just because it is the next game on Utah’s schedule. The Utes’ quarterback said Monday that he has felt the buzz around this matchup everywhere he’s gone, and he knows exactly what it means beyond the football field.
“Oh man, it means a lot to the state, no doubt,” Utah’s star quarterback shared on Monday. “I think the whole entire offseason I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about this game at some point. So I understand what this means to the state for sure.”
Inside the program, though, the message hasn’t changed. Utah keeps coming back to the same simple standard: go 1-0.
That’s the lens the Utes are using even with rivalry stakes hanging over the week. The goal is bigger than one game, but the path to those bigger goals still runs through the opponent right in front of them.
“I think every game is a big game,” offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven said. “And yeah, it’s BYU, but it’s just one big game against a very good opponent. So we’ve got to treat it like that.”
For Dampier, that mindset has been built all season under Morgan Scalley’s urgency. Utah has approached each week like a championship test, and that has meant preparing with purpose, respecting the opponent and understanding how quickly one bad outing can derail what the Utes are chasing.
“We’ve been treating every week like, you know, this is it,” Dampier said.
That habit has already been tested. McGiven pointed to Utah’s trip to Cincinnati as another game that demanded full attention after the Utes’ biggest win of the season.
“Every game is a really big game when you have lofty goals,” McGiven said.
The emotion of the rivalry is real, Dampier said, but the challenge is making sure that energy doesn’t get in the way of the details that have carried Utah this far. The Utes have already dealt with the pressure of an undefeated season and the weight that comes with it. Saturday just adds another layer.
Dampier’s own growth has helped steady that approach. McGiven said the quarterback is running the offense more cleanly, making better decisions and taking more ownership of a system that still has plenty of moving pieces. His post-snap reads are still a work in progress, but the progress has been steady.
Dampier sees confidence as part of his job.
“Confidence is everything in our offense,” he said. “And I feel like when I’m able to bring that, the other guys on our team are able to feel that confidence and also apply that to themselves.”
That leadership showed up on the sideline after Byrd Ficklin came off frustrated for missing a chance to score against Cincinnati. Dampier reminded him that quarterback mistakes can feel bigger than they are, even in a sport that demands all 11 players do their part.
His message was simple: trust it and move on.
“No one’s lost trust in you. Everyone still believes in you,” Dampier said. “And just worry about the next one you can control.”
Utah’s offense has also benefited from more contributors stepping into the mix. Hunter Andrews made the most of his chances against Cincinnati, scoring two touchdowns, including a 59-yard catch on a free play. Daniel Bray added another threat on the edge, with McGiven pointing to a goal-line touchdown in which Bray’s speed beat an unfavorable numbers situation.
That kind of depth gives Utah more answers around Dampier and Wayshawn Parker, and it also reflects an offense where the role players can change from week to week.
Andrews, who has spent plenty of time blocking for others, kept his breakout in perspective.
“Just whatever role I need to do to win,” he said.
That attitude will matter against a BYU defense McGiven called aggressive, well coached and good at changing looks. Andrews also said perimeter blocking will be a key part of the job, even after his own production against Cincinnati.
When asked about reaching a game with so much on the line, Andrews brought it right back to the same weekly standard Utah has used all season.
“We’re exactly where we want to be, but we’re just trying to go 1-0 this week.”
Utah has earned the chance to play a consequential Holy War. The Utes believe the best way to handle it is the same way they’ve handled everything else: stay locked in on the next snap, the next assignment and the work that put them here.
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