One of the biggest games on Utah’s schedule is almost here.
After going 3-0 in nonconference play with wins of 25 points or more over UCLA, Cal Poly and Wyoming, the Utes’ Big 12 slate begins in earnest this Saturday.
No. 17 Texas Tech arrives at Rice-Eccles Stadium to kick off conference play against No. 16 Utah at 10 a.m. MT. The game will be televised on Fox’s premier “Big Noon” kickoff slot with Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the call.
Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” pregame show — featuring former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, former Alabama running back Mark Ingram II, former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and former Utah head coach Urban Meyer — will broadcast live from the southwest corner of Guardsman Way and 500 South, by the tailgate lot.
Saturday’s matinee is one of the more notable games on college football’s Week 4 slate and is one of only three ranked-vs.-ranked matchups, with No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana being the others.
It’s the biggest game at Rice-Eccles Stadium since 2023, when No. 8 Oregon defeated No. 13 Utah 35-6, but Saturday’s game carries more magnitude.
In 2023, with the team having so many injuries, it seemed to be only a matter of time until the wheels fell off for the Utes, but this season, with a relatively healthy team, Saturday’s game could end up playing a key part in the Big 12 title race.
“Excited about this week. Big 12 opener, Texas Tech coming to town. Got ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ coming. It’s a great opportunity for not only our program but for the university in general, a chance for our fans to showcase what Rice-Eccles is all about,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
“... Our players deserve to play on this stage and it should be a great ball game.”
Utah opened the week as a four-point favorite ahead of what should be an exciting game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. ESPN analytics currently give the Utes a 65% chance to win the top-17 matchup.
For both teams — Texas Tech played Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kent State and Oregon State, all blowout home victories — Saturday’s contest will be the first real test of the season.
“We certainly understand the degree of difficulty goes way up this week and we got to be ready to play. The nonconference (schedule) was I think a good tuneup for the season,” Whittingham said.
Statistically, Utah and Texas Tech are fairly similar through three games against inferior opponents.
Texas Tech is No. 2 in the nation in total offense (602.7 yards per game), while Utah is No. 15 (517 yards per game). The Utes are averaging 45.7 points per game, while Texas Tech leads the nation with 58 points per game.
Both teams feature exciting quarterbacks (Utah’s Devon Dampier has thrown for 628 yards and seven touchdowns at a 73% completion rate, Texas Tech’s Behren Morton has thrown for 923 yards and 11 touchdowns with one interception at a 70.4% completion rate).
The difference between the two signal-callers? Dampier is a true dual-threat quarterback with 198 rushing yards and a score this season, while Morton is more of a pocket passer who doesn’t really run.
Both teams have new offensive coordinators. Utah’s Jason Beck runs an uptempo spread style that’s run first with plenty of RPO and creative use of personnel, while Texas Tech OC Mack Leftwich — who was reportedly a target for Utah before going to Tech — also runs an uptempo spread system that’s speedier than Utah’s and takes a few more deep chances than what we’ve seen out of Beck’s offense thus far.
While the Utes may have the edge at running back — Utah at 290 yards per game, Texas Tech at 219 yards per game — and and on the offensive line, Texas Tech has the clear edge at receiver.
Three Red Raiders wide receivers have over 130 yards, compared to just one — Ryan Davis — for Utah. Coy Eakin is Morton’s favorite target, racking up 245 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 12 receptions, while tight end Terrance Carter Jr., a Louisiana transfer, has 10 catches for 194 yards and three scores.
Eakin, Carter, Caleb Douglas (142 yards) and Miami (OH) transfer Reggie Virgil (135 yards) could present problems for the Utes’ secondary this Saturday. Utah has kept offenses in check this season, allowing just 134 passing yards per game, but will need better play as the opposing talent level takes a big jump this week.
“Texas Tech, phenomenal numbers on offense right now. Over 600 yards a game, nearly 60 points, good on third down, good in the red zone, balanced attack, rushing for over 200 and throwing for nearly 400. Really no weakness,” Whittingham said.
Ute cornerbacks Jackson Bennee and Smith Snowden have been solid thus far, but Utah will need improved play from Scooby Davis, who took a step forward with his best game of the season last week.
At safety, the Utes haven’t been as great as they usually are at the position. Tao Johnson got back on track with a good game, but Utah will need more from Nate Ritchie, who has started each of the last three games in place of Rabbit Evans and will continue to start in wake of Evans’ season-ending injury suffered last weekend.
Ritchie has missed four tackles this season and has a Pro Football Focus grade of 59.3, the lowest of Utah’s starting defenders. The Utes’ secondary performance is perhaps the biggest X-factor in which way this game will go.
The keys to stopping Texas Tech’s offense are similar to those each week. Stop the run first, get pressure on the quarterback and force a turnover or two. Those are all things Utah has been able to do consistently this season, though it’ll be a challenge against Texas Tech and their explosive offense.
When Morton has been pressured this season, he’s just 3 of 11 for 32 yards, but the Red Raiders’ offensive line — featuring two transfers in Howard Sampson (North Carolina) and Will Jados (Miami of Ohio) — has given him a clean pocket 85% of the time.
Utah presents a bigger challenge than the Texas Tech front has faced all season, particularly defensive ends John Henry Daley and Logan Fano. Daley is tied for the national lead in sacks (5) and grades out as the No. 5 edge defender among players with 40 or more snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Fano’s health will be key, as his presence is needed on the other edge. Fano started against Wyoming after being held out against Cal Poly but played just 12 snaps of Utah’s 61 defensive snaps, with Paul Fitzgerald and Kash Dillon filling in for him.
The matchup to watch in the trenches will be between right defensive end Daley and right offensive tackle Jacob Ponton. Daley has five sacks, six quarterback hurries and 14 total quarterback pressures this season, while Ponton has allowed just one pressure, which was a sack.
On the other side of the ball, obviously Utah will be the best offense the Texas Tech defense has faced thus far. Dampier has lived up to the hype through three games, and his two biggest detractions preseason — turnovers and completion percentage — haven’t presented themselves through three games.
Dampier is completing 73% of his passes and hasn’t turned the ball over yet. He’s been elusive (sacked just twice), has made the right read on the RPO most of the time and has run Beck’s system well.
Protecting him is an offensive line that has been one of the best in the country, but there are still areas to improve. Utah’s front has to clean up mistakes after being flagged for five holding penalties last week.
The Red Raiders remade up their defensive line through the transfer portal, with defensive end Romello Height (14 pressures, 2.5 sacks), defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard (6 pressures, 0.5 sacks, one interception), defensive end David Bailey (16 pressures, 2.5 sacks) all new to Lubbock and playing well with PFF grades of 89.2 or higher.
According to ESPN, Texas Tech spent more than $10 million on its transfer portal class alone according — a big bet to try and win the conference.
“Well there’re certainly committed to winning and good on them for being able to attract those players and get the type of players in that they have,” Whittingham said.
Jacob Rodriguez, the team’s leading tackler, has been good at linebacker, along with Ben Roberts.
They could make life difficult for Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers, who have largely been excellent for the Utes so far, but Utah has the edge with its offensive line.
Utah’s tight ends have exceeded expectations. Dallen Bentley has 112 yards and two scores with Hunter Andrews (63 yards on eight receptions) and JJ Buchanan (four receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown), plus Dampier has made the offense hum all season long — save for the first half against Wyoming.
It’s hard to argue with 517 yards and 45.7 points per game, but if there’s one aspect where the Utes can improve, it’s getting their wide receivers more involved. Davis is Utah’s leading receiver (19 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown), but no other Ute WR has more than 100 yards.
Tobias Merriweather has 88 yards on five receptions and two-way player Smith Snowden has 52 yards on 10 receptions, but it’s a drop off after that.
Larry Simmons had his first reception as a Ute — an eight-yard touchdown on a wild Dampier play — and could see more involvement this week.
Can the receivers get separation against a Texas Tech secondary that has allowed an average of 187.7 yards and 11.7 points per game, albeit against weak competition?
There’s still plenty of unknowns surrounding both teams. Saturday’s game will tell us a lot about what Utah and Texas Tech could be this season.
“We got a great team, especially defense has been putting up performances the last three weeks. To have them on our side as well, it gives me a lot of confidence to go out there and believe we’re going to get it done on both sides,” Dampier said.
“So just trust one another that we’re all going to do our assignments the best we can and I think that’s what allows Utah to play the way we do.”