Talking about Kenny Dillingham’s confidence in his own program? Doubts about the Arizona State Sun Devils have never really been in Dillingham’s syllabus. Even after losing a close 24-20 game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the head coach only felt proud of how his boys fought face-to-face with a brave heart. “We played really good football in the second half… I think over-reacting is one of the reasons why good teams can go on downward spirals,” came Dillingham’s reaction post-game. But looks like somebody is giving him FOMO. That’s none other than Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier.

The Sun Devils face off against Kyle Whittingham’s boys on October 11. More than the program’s plan overall, Dillingham is biting his nails off in regret for Dampier. “Yeah, he’s a phenomenal player. I mean, I definitely should have recruited him harder, to be honest. I mean, he’s definitely proved me wrong,” the Arizona State head coach said with a remorse-filled voice. But what makes him wish to travel back in time?

Dillingham’s defensive coordinator, Brian Ward, said that he briefly recruited Dampier when he was at Wazzu. So, he observed the young chap during his time at Saguaro High School. But somehow Dillingham and Co. lost the race to woo him. Dampier first docked his wagon in New Mexico, but later transferred to Utah in December last year, and changed everything for the Utes. And Dillingham now wishes how things could have worked out their way. 

“You know, I always thought he was a really good player, but how productive he’s been in college football, I mean, super impressed by him. Completion percentage out the roof, his ability to extend plays, I mean, how he runs the offense and operates it, I mean, super, definitely a miss by me, 100%, and kudos to them for having him on their team, because he’s a really, really good football player,” said the 35-year-old.

Dampier’s dual-threat skill set has been a game-changer. He’s already racked up 80 yards just from scrambles, and nearly half of his touchdown passes, three of seven, have come on the move. Dillingham accepts that it will be hard for his boys to bring the Utah quarterback down, who is quick with the release, and just flat-out does everything well. No surprise he won plenty at Saguaro High. Hailing from Scottsdale, Dillingham got enough chances to woo Dampier.

His brother-in-law, Jason Mohns, had coached the quarterback back at Saguaro. “So even though I play him this week, I got a lot of respect for him, his game, how he plays, how he goes about his business, and how he continues to prove people wrong and has a chip on his shoulder. So I got nothing but respect for him, and I wish him luck the rest of the way,” said Dillingham. While Arizona State is midway through the 2025 season, it made a big move for the 2026 season.

Kenny Dillingham made a costly gamble while pressure builds up before the Utah face-off

On September 30, FBSSchedules.com tweeted, “The Arizona State Sun Devils have added the Morgan State Bears to their 2026 football schedule.” Not just this, Dillingham and Co. will host Morgan State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. And this was indeed a costly move. Arizona State will be paying the Bears a $600,000 guarantee for playing the game, according to the copy of the contract.

That’s how Dillingham overturned a highly decorated coach in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football, Billy Joe’s advice. Joe had set out clear instructions for HBCU teams not to try their luck by playing against bigger teams. “We don’t have the kind of program to play a Division I single-A team,” said the legend. While it’s still a long way to go to find out whether Dillingham’s gamble paid off or not, it’s time to have a look at the Utah game.

When the lights flip on at Rice-Eccles at 8:15 p.m. MDT, the Big 12 title race could take a major turn. The Utes notched their first Big 12 win with a 48–14 beatdown of West Virginia in Morgantown, but with the title race heating up, they can’t afford another slip, let alone two. That makes Saturday’s showdown all the more critical. Can Dillingham see any silver lining?

Well, the Utah head coach has already kept the Sun Devils on high alert. Shifting the spotlight entirely onto Devon Dampier, he said after the Texas Tech face-off, “Phenomenal numbers. They’re good on third down, good in the red zone. Balanced attack. … Really, no weakness. It’s a great opportunity not only for our program but for the university in general. A chance for our fans to showcase what Rice-Eccles is all about. … Our players deserve to play on this stage.” So, will the Utes quarterback come with yet another heartbreak for Dillingham and Co.?