Red Raiders, Utes Enter National Spotlight Saturday

During his weekly press conference on Monday, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham didn’t take long to heap praise onto a Red Raiders offense that hasn’t faced much resistance through three games.

“(They have) phenomenal numbers on offense right now,” Whittingham said. “Over 600 yards a game, 60 points, good on third down, good in the red zone, balanced attack — really no weakness.”

A game like we’re about to see between the Utes and Red Raiders may come down to who makes the fewest mistakes, and so far in 2025, the ball has bounced Utah’s way. The Utes have won the turnover battle in all three of their games.

The only ball security issue seen through three games for Utah is their ability to put the ball on the ground. They recovered their lone fumble against UCLA, but lost their lone fumble against Wyoming this past weekend.

Texas Tech, on the other hand, has been a bit more prone to giving up the football. In their most recent game, TTU quarterback Behren Morton was picked off once and back-up Will Hammond also threw an interception on one of his six pass attempts. Whittingham was quick to point out if they can get TTU into some tougher situations like that, numbers will be on their side.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to win the turnover margin the last couple weeks, and we did turn the ball over once on Saturday night, but we took it away twice,” Whittingham said. “At plus one (turnover margin) we’re like an 83% win percentage and when it’s plus two or better it’s like 90%.”

Other figures that came up during Whittingham’s press conference were financially based. Multiple sources have confirmed TTU is spending approximately $25 million on its football roster alone this season, and Whittingham was asked if he feels that’s making the “playing field” a bit uneven in the long run. His answer surprised a few people.

“They’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,” he said. “Is spending affecting the imbalance? I guess you’d have to say it is in a lot of respects, but there (are) a lot of programs out there that want to win badly. If they have the support and all that, that’s great. More power to them.”

We’ll see if that support pays out on Saturday when the two nationally ranked foes clash in Salt Lake City. The game is also attracting some national attention from FOX, as the game will be their Big Noon Kickoff game of the week. Whittingham said having a showdown like this can be a benefit for both programs.

“It’s a nationally televised opportunity, and to have our program showcased on the Big Noon Kickoff game is a big plus,” Whittingham said. “We’ve had big games here before, so it’s nothing new to us. Anytime you have a chance to get in front of a national audience and have people get a chance to see our stadium and our band and just the crowd and the hostile environment, it is a positive.”

Kickoff between the Utes and Red Raiders is set for 11 a.m. CDT on FOX.

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