Two of the best teams in the Big 12 squared off on Saturday in Salt Lake City, but one of them came out looking battered while the other looks like the clear favorite in the conference. Texas Tech dominated on both sides of the ball in a very impressive 34-10 road win, never missing a beat despite losing starting quarterback Behren Morton to an injury during the game.
Will Hammond came in for the Red Raiders and led them up and down the field with ease, throwing for two touchdowns with just three incompletions on the afternoon. A Utah defense that is regarded as one of the best in the Big 12 didn't have any answers for the talented redshirt freshman, which should give Joey McGuire confidence in him if Morton misses any more time moving forward.
Defensively, Texas Tech shut down Utah's lethal run game and forced Devon Dampier to be a passer, a test that he failed. In the end, it was a resounding win for one of the up-and-coming programs in college football.
Texas Tech is the clear Big 12 favorite coming out of this game, but what it showed on Saturday was more than just a team that will be a walkover for an SEC or a Big Ten team. Here's why McGuire has a team that's ready to make a CFP run this season.
Texas Tech has an explosive offense
Utah was the first top competition that Texas Tech played against this year, but it showed that it is more than capable of creating big plays down the field with its group of skill players.
Early in the game, running back J'Koby Williams took a short pass and picked yup 73 yards, breaking multiple tackles along the way, to set up a Red Raiders touchdown. Wide receiver Reggie Virgil showed off great strength and skill at the catch point on his way to a six-catch, 72-yard day with one touchdown, and running back Cameron Dickey pounded the rock between the tackles. Even Hammond ripped off a 32-yard run of his own in the second half.
The Texas Tech offensive line controlled the game for much of the day against a very talented Utah front, allowing the Red Raiders to run for just a hair under five yards per carry (with sacks included). Hammond also averaged 10.6 yards per attempt and did not benefit from the 73-yarder, so this offense was picking up chunks all day.
It's clear at this point that this has the ability to be a very good offense, but it wasn't even the most impressive unit on the field on Saturday.
Texas Tech has elite talent at all three levels of its defense
Texas Tech's defense absolutely took over the game against Utah at all three levels, and it had a chance to show off its talent up and down the roster throughout.
Up front, Stanford transfer David Bailey had a sack, and Romello Height was impactful despite not showing up on the stat sheet. UCF transfer Lee Hunter had just two tackles, but he ate up plenty of space in the middle and made it much easier for the linebackers to stop the run.
Jacob Rodriguez is a star in the middle of the defense, and he showed it on Saturday. He finished the game with a team-high 11 tackles and picked off a pass in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Cornerback Brice Pollock also had an interception and made six tackles, showcasing his physicality all afternoon both against ballcarriers and in coverage.
Simply put, the Red Raiders look like they have stars all over the roster. If they continue to play at this level, they can compete with anybody in the country.
