Wright: Layne is no Dampier, and that’s just fine

All Jack Layne needs to be is the right quarterback for the right team at the right time.

Though more data is needed, starting Friday night in San Jose, California, Layne looks like exactly that guy.

Maybe more.

Last fall, Devon Dampier had a season for the ages — statistically the best ever for a University of New Mexico quarterback: a school-record 3,934 yards total offense; 2,768 yards passing, fifth in UNM’s all-time list; 1,166 yards rushing, ninth all-time and by far the most by a quarterback; 19 rushing touchdowns, tied for first all-time. Plus, he was responsible for 31 touchdowns.

Third and short? Fourth and short? Just snap it to Dampier; he’ll get it. He was amazing.

After the season, Dampier was voted first-team All-Mountain West, the first UNM quarterback to be so honored. The Lobos’ most recent first-team all-conference quarterback before Dampier was Graham Leigh in 1997 in the Western Athletic Conference, two years before the Mountain West began play.

So, when Dampier entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season — an occurrence as predictable as my dog barking insanely when the doorbell rings — the question was not whether there would be a drop-off at quarterback in 2025, but how big a drop-off would there be?

In December, Idaho coach Jason Eck was announced as UNM’s new head coach following the one-year tenure of Bronco Mendenhall. Layne, the Vandals’ 2024 starting quarterback (when healthy), followed Eck to New Mexico.

That was encouraging news for UNM but guardedly so, since Layne had played just 15 games in his three years in a Football Championship Subdivision program.

Layne unintentionally added to the uncertainty by missing all but one of the Lobos’ 15 spring-practice sessions with an injury to his right (throwing) elbow. He entered fall practice on a pitch count and wasn’t named the starter until Aug. 17, just two weeks before the season opener at Michigan.

How good, Dampier-like or otherwise, was he going to be?

How good did he need to be?

Against the Wolverines, Layne earned respect for his toughness while absorbing some brutal hits — but threw three interceptions in UNM’s 34-17 loss.

In victories over Idaho State and UCLA, Layne played efficiently as the run game assumed the starring role.

Was it time for those dreaded backhanded compliments — “game manager”, “system quarterback” — to be applied here?

Then came New Mexico State. Layne game-managed the NMSU defense to shreds: 23-of-30 passing, four touchdowns, no interceptions for a passing rating of 205.51.

Through four games, is Layne putting up Dampier-like stats? No. Layne has not rushed for 100 yards in a game, as Dampier did with such regularity. He’s not likely to do so.

And that’s OK, since — again, more data is needed — it doesn’t appear the 2025 UNM defense will bleed 38 points and 492 yards per game as Mendenhall’s 2024 Lobos did.

What awaits Layne and the UNM offense against San Jose State? After their viewing of the New Mexico State game film, it’s unlikely the Spartans will sell out against the run as the Aggies did. It seems equally unlikely that SJSU will drop eight in coverage, given the threat posed by UNM running backs Scottre Humphrey, Damon Bankston, et al.

Run-pass balance is what Eck and offensive coordinator Luke Schleusner strive for, and Layne — executive game manager, if you will — appears to be the perfect quarterback for their system.

Meanwhile, how is Dampier doing in his new home at Utah, playing for his old UNM offensive coordinator, Jason Beck?

Just fine, thank you: 111-of-153 passing, 1,027 yards, 11 touchdowns, three interceptions through five games. He’s not running nearly as often at Utah as he did at UNM — 51.6 yards per game — but doesn’t have to, since the Utes, even with a 35-10 loss to Texas Tech, are giving up an average of 14.6 points per game.

Layne doesn’t have Dampier’s wheels but doesn’t need them. He doesn’t have Dampier’s fastball on throws of 10-20 yards but has more touch and throws a better deep ball. And — thanks to Eck and his staff — he appears to be playing for a better New Mexico team than Dampier did.

So, it says here, forget the data — and whatever happens on Friday in San Jose.

Layne is that guy.