SALT LAKE CITY — Vegas calls Utah a slim favorite (-3, O/U 57.5) when Texas Tech rolls into Salt Lake City for a Saturday noon kickoff on FOX. The line suggests a close one, but here’s why we think the Red Raiders have every reason to believe they can beat the Utes — and make a run at the College Football Playoff.
Below are five numbered reasons Texas Tech can and will win this game.
1. Behren Morton: Calm, Cool, and Already Battle-Tested
Morton has grown into his role with confidence. Through Tech’s first three wins — against Pine Bluff, Kent State, and Oregon State — he has shown poise and the kind of accuracy that allows coordinator Zach Kittley to open up the playbook. Morton isn’t just a “game manager,” he’s a distributor with swagger. Against Utah, he’ll have the chance to show he can go toe-to-toe with a defense that hasn’t been fully tested yet this season. If Morton plays loose and keeps avoiding turnovers, Tech’s passing game will force the Utes to cover all 53⅓ yards of the field.
2. Four-Deep at Running Back
This isn’t your dad’s Texas Tech team that just ran the Air Raid and called it a day. Joey McGuire has built a backfield rotation with real depth: Tahj Brooks’ successors are now joined by Hill, Dickey, Williams, and Hammond, giving the Red Raiders four legitimate ball carriers who all get meaningful reps. That kind of distribution keeps them fresh for the fourth quarter, wears down defensive lines, and gives Morton a safety net if Utah’s pass rush heats up.
When you’ve got four backs who can each rip a 20-yard run, you don’t need one Heisman candidate — you need stamina. Tech has it.
3. Receivers Everywhere: Eakin, Carter, and Beyond
While Utah can usually key in on one star wideout and take him away, that’s harder to do with Tech. Coy Eakin, Terrance Carter Jr, Caleb Douglas, J’Koby Williams and Reggie Virgil all possess over 100 yards receiving through three games and provide consistency.
Beyond them, multiple contributors step up week to week. The spread-the-wealth approach means Morton doesn’t lock in on one guy, as Tennessee used to do up on Rocky Top.
Utah’s secondary has looked fine against UCLA and Wyoming, but let’s be honest: neither of those teams is exactly running a wide-open passing clinic. Tech’s arsenal makes Utah defend every inch of grass, and one or two big plays may be all it takes to flip momentum.
4. Joey McGuire’s Swagger vs. Kyle Whittingham’s Stability
Let’s give Whittingham his flowers: he’s been at Utah since before flip phones went out of style, and his Utes are always tough. But sometimes stability can morph into predictability. Enter Joey McGuire, who is more Red Bull than red tie. McGuire has embraced the Big 12’s “America’s Conference” mantle and turned Tech into one of the league’s feistiest programs. His teams play with urgency and tempo, and his boosters have backed him with enough investment to actually compete in games like this. Coaching duels aren’t won with résumés — they’re won with preparation and guts. And McGuire has both.
5. Utah’s Defense Hasn’t Been Truly Tested Yet
Sure, Utah is 3-0, but let’s take a look at who they’ve beaten: UCLA, Cal Poly, and Wyoming. That’s not exactly murderer’s row when you pull back the hood on the Bruins’ body of work. The Utes have been stout, but Morton and Tech’s offense are a different animal.
The Red Raiders combine tempo, a deep RB rotation, and a pass game that can go horizontal or vertical at will. Utah hasn’t seen that yet in 2025. Add in the fact that Tech’s defensive front has quietly been efficient against the run, and this matchup feels more even than the line suggests, when we realize the Utes are only favored due to home field. Utah has looked good, but Tech is the first opponent with the firepower to really stress test the Utes.
The Bottom Line
All signs point to a tight contest, and Vegas agrees (Utah -3, O/U 57.5). Tech has the ingredients to spring an upset: a steady quarterback, depth at running back, a wide receiver room that forces mismatches, a fiery coach, and a Utah team that hasn’t yet faced a truly balanced attack.
We gave our game prediction in an earlier preview — and we’re not running from that. But if you’re looking for reasons why Tech can win, the blueprint is right here. Keep Morton upright, rotate the backs, spread the ball, let McGuire be McGuire, and make Utah uncomfortable for the first time all season.
Either way, Saturday in Salt Lake is shaping up as one of those sneaky noon kickoffs that could tilt the Big 12 race. And for Texas Tech, it’s a chance to prove they’re not just sticking around in America’s Conference — they’re aiming to take it over.
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