Utah football faced elimination from the Big 12 title race against upset-minded Kansas State Saturday. The Utes' No. 3 conference ranking hung in the balance. But Devon Dampier completed the furious comeback with one epic clutch touchdown.

Down by three with under a minute left, the dual-threat called his own number. He powered up the left and handed Utah the lead for good.

Utah sealed the 51-47 win by picking off Avery Johnson — with Lander Barton snatching the interception.

Utah and head coach Kyle Whittingham needed to overcome a second quarter surge on the Wildcats' side. KSU outscored the Utes 24-14 in that period to lead 31-21 at halftime. But Dampier helped put the Utes on his shoulders and spearhead the epic conference win.

What Devon Dampier said after leading Utah comeback over Kansas State

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Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) is tackled by Kansas State Wildcats defensive back Qua Moss (6) during the first half at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Dampier finished 18-of-33 passing for 259 yards and two aerial touchdowns. Though he nearly hit 100 yards rushing — settling for 94 ground-based yards on 14 carries with two rushing scores.

Dampier sends the seniors out with a win during their final regular season game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. He also shared this message to his coaches and teammates before leading the final, climactic offensive scoring drive.

“Believe in me, put the ball in my hands,” Dampier said to ESPN after claiming the win.

Utah has claimed 28 total conference championships in program history. They last claimed titles in the Pac-12 and Mountain West Conference during the 2000s decade. Now the Utes are two seasons in with their transition to the Big 12.

Utah still needs outside help to get into its first-ever Big 12 championship game appearance. BYU must lose twice including to Cincinnati, then Utah must win next Saturday at Kansas to sneak in. Dampier did enough to have Utes fans thinking of a new conference crown.