Five Takeaways: Utah’s Passing Game Cost Them Today Against Texas Tech
Sep 20, 2025, 8:36 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah walked into Saturday’s top-20 matchup with a sellout crowd, a national TV slot, and a chance to plant its flag in the Big 12 race.
Instead, the Utes got a hard lesson in what happens when the offense can’t carry its weight. Texas Tech doubled them up in yardage, dominated the passing battle, and left Rice-Eccles with a 34–10 win.
It was rough. But it doesn’t have to be fatal. Here are five takeaways from a night that showed both Utah’s flaws and its path forward.
A STATEMENT WIN IN SALT LAKE CITY 😤@TexasTechFB gets it first win in a ranked matchup since 2008 after defeating No. 16 Utah ⚫️🔴 pic.twitter.com/xwRKBx4l3O
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 20, 2025
The passing game cost Utah today
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Utah’s lack of a passing attack cost them this game. Devon Dampier finished the game 25-of-38 for 162 yards and two interceptions, which is an average of 4.2 yards per attempt. The completion rate is solid, but the yield was not.
Utah got by bad teams in the non-conference by being efficient in the passing game. However, today made it crystal clear that there needs to be at least some explosiveness in the passing game.
There were opportunities, the two most glaring— Jackson Bennee actually got behind the defense for a huge touchdown reception, but it was negated by a penalty. Tobias Merriweather was breaking free on a corner route, but a ball sailed over his head as he tried to adjust his path. All in all, Dampier finished 0-of-6 on attempts of at least 15 yards.
Dampier has meant everything to Utah’s offensive success in the first three games. Today, though, highlighted how important the little details are against a top contender in this league.
Too often, Dampier’s footwork and mechanics slipped; so, he needs to hit the reset button on his fundamentals this week. From his footwork throwing in the pocket to staying disciplined with his reads to actually working through his progressions, the details matter.
He’s talented enough to clean it up, but the urgency is real. The margin for error in the Big 12 is razor-thin, and right now, Utah looks like a team that has to grind for every yard through the run game. That formula worked against the non-conference slate, it did not against Texas Tech, and it won’t against the other top contenders in the league. Dampier, Beck, and the passing game have to be urgent in finding answers.
The Utah defense was great, until it wasn’t
For three quarters, Utah’s defense kept them in it. After giving up an opening drive touchdown, the Utah defense limited Texas Tech to the following:
- Punt
- Interception
- Punt
- Interception
- Punt
- Field Goal
- Punt
- Punt
- Punt
That spanned the 1st quarter to late in the 3rd quarter. The defense was stingy at times, forcing three 3 & outs. It bent but never broke, with the two takeaways, and three other drives that ended in a punt.
Yet again, John Henry Daley was a disruptive force off the edge. Utah’s interior wasn’t dominant but was solid, limiting success inside. Jonah Leaea had a key stop. Tao Johnson and Jackson Bennee had the two interceptions.
But as the snap count grows and your offense keeps handing the ball back, cracks appear. The 4th quarter was a completely different story for Utah, as Tech finished with four scoring drives, three of which were touchdowns.
The defense broke down in the final period, and backup quarterback Will Hammond picked them apart. Utah’s defense deserves credit for hanging tough, but it cannot cover up an offense that’s stuck in neutral.
Utah was unable to play complementary football today, and it hurt the defense down the stretch.
The Rice Eccles crowd was incredible
From the 10 am kickoff, Rice-Eccles was packed, and it was rocking. Fans deserve all the credit for showing up and showing out this weekend. False starts rattled Tech early and late. The atmosphere made a difference.
Even after a difficult first three quarters, the building erupted as Wayshawn Parker scored a 4th quarter touchdown. It seemed Utah was knocking on the door of a comeback.
Instead, Hammond quieted it with one drive, and Utah never recovered. For all the energy the fans brought, the offense squandered chance after chance. Unfortunately, that’s the kind of wasted outing that sticks with a fanbase, and there’s a concerning amount of these types of outings in recent history.
Credit to Texas Tech
Texas Tech was the talk of the offseason for the money invested into this roster. Today, it looked like money well spent, and the Red Raider defensive front in particular earned those paychecks today.
Utah came into today with one of the top offensive line units in the country. Yet, the Red Raiders controlled the line of scrimmage. The movement in the run game and time in the pocket that Utah enjoyed in the previous three games was not there today.
Utah didn’t eclipse triple digits in the run game until garbage time.
On the other side of the ball, Texas Tech’s receivers made big-time plays time and time again. They completed catches in clutch moments and created a lot of problems for the Utah secondary.
The Red Raiders absolutely look like the team to beat in the Big 12.
It’s not doom and gloom — yet
Yes, this was a gut punch. Yes, Utah got exposed. But the season isn’t cooked. They’re 3–1, the defense looks good, and the offensive line is still a strength. However, Utah’s got to figure out the passing game, and figure it out soon. The offensive mistakes — turnovers, penalties, missed reads — also have to be corrected.
The Big 12 isn’t the SEC West. One loss doesn’t end your race. This game was a clear measuring stick: Utah knows exactly where they’re falling short, and it’s not some unsolvable mystery.
Utah fans packed the house, the defense fought like hell, but the offense never showed up. That has to change, or nights like this will repeat themselves. Whittingham’s squad has to regroup for a trip to West Virginia next weekend, and the Utes can’t allow this loss to linger.
