Utah breaks 41-year-old school record in Las Vegas Bowl

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LAS VEGAS — Fittingly, it was Utah quarterback Devon Dampier that gained the necessary yardage to shatter a 41-year-old school record.

With a 3-yard Dampier rush in the middle of the second quarter, Utah eclipsed 3,264 yards on the season, breaking a school record for most rushing yards in a season that was set in 1984.

The 1984 rushing attack was powered by Eddie Johnson, who rushed for 1,021 yards that season, while quarterback Mark Stevens contributed 452 rushing yards, running back Molonai Hola had 418 yards, and running back Tony Cospy had 401 yards.

This season, the Utes were powered by one of college football’s top offensive lines, featuring projected NFL tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu and seniors Jaren Kump, Tanoa Togiai and Michael Mokofisi.

“I can say with confidence, we should be the best offensive line since I’ve been at the University of Utah, which has been forever,” former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said at this year’s Big 12 media days.

The front five set the tone and lived up to lofty expectations in 2025.

“The offensive line is really the driving impetus behind that. I mean, we’ve got a really good athletic quarterback that runs the ball well. Wayshawn Parker’s come into his own, but without an offensive line that can do the things that our guys have done all year, that stuff doesn’t happen,” Whittingham said earlier this season. “And so that’s a real credit to them and (offensive line coach) Jim Harding and the job he’s done with those guys.”

Behind the talented offensive line, three players were standouts rushing the football.

Utah started the season with a running back by committee approach that resulted in Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers splitting carries. Parker’s breakout game came against Colorado, when he broke 100 yards for the first time at Utah. After that performance, he earned RB1 duties for the rest of the season and it paid off for the Utes.

Parker broke the 100-yard mark in each of the next three games, and got close vs. Kansas with 95 yards.

“It’s been awesome just to ride that every week and looking to get him 15 to 20 carries and a hundred rushing yards. He’s really doing a nice job helping us. And the other thing you may or may not notice, but he’s really blocking well on some of those runs where Byrd (Ficklin’s) scoring or we’re handing that to some other guys. He’s really blocking physically on the perimeter, so he’s really playing hard and really doing a nice job,” offensive coordinator Jason Beck said of Parker earlier this season.

Parker ran for 931 yards and six touchdowns in the regular season.

Dampier showcased his dual-threat abilities this year, finishing the regular season with 687 rushing yards and seven scores, including a 120-yard performance against Arizona State and a 94-yard game against Kansas State.

“It does quite a few things for you, just in terms of anytime you can wildcat or run the quarterback, you’re getting plus-one runs, which gives you a better chance,” Beck said.

Dampier also shattered another school record with his 11-yard rushing touchdown in the first half of the Las Vegas Bowl. The Utah quarterback’s score gave the Utes 39 rushing touchdowns on the season, beating the 2022 team’s record of 38.

Another quarterback that contributed to the rushing records this season was freshman Byrd Ficklin.

Ficklin totaled 503 rushing yards and 10 scores in the regular season, including a 63-yard game in his first start against Colorado. The freshman’s rushing ability would be needed in wins vs. Baylor, where he turned in touchdown runs of 67 and 74 yards, and Kansas State, where he found the end zone three times on rushing plays.

“It just allows you to take some of those off of Dev because Byrd’s doing it at such a high level and every time you give him more opportunities to do things, he’s responding and making the most of it and gaining everybody’s confidence and trust. So you want to get him out there to make an impact for us and he keeps coming through. It’s awesome to see,” Beck said.

Utah finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in rushing yards per game. The Utes averaged 269.8 yards, ahead of run-heavy service academies Air Force and Army.

The strength of Utah’s offense in 2025 was its run game, and Beck played to that strength all season to great success as Utah completed an offensive turnaround —and broke a few school records in the process.

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