It’s yet a long, long season, but Utah football finally stumbled into a challenge commensurate with what was either suspected of it or what was suspicious about it, depending on your point of view.
Having failed against Texas Tech, 34-10, at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday, the Utes proved something of note in defeat. Their offense stunk. Sure, they won their first three games this season, but remember, they also won their first four games a year ago. And then …
Yeah, and then. Their offense stunk.
Given the special test at hand, and the fact that I was sitting next to a pool at a vacation home in Florida, watching this game on a Fox channel with five diehard Utah fans, I decided to do something I never do — observe and jot down a smattering of what was happening on the screen, measuring its meaning by hearing what those fans were saying. (It likely was the same thing many of you were saying.)
They (you), after all, were the ones feeling it. I was just seeing it.
But they, too, were eager to discover whether the easy-breezy undefeated and 16th-ranked Utes were for real, matched up against 17th-ranked Texas Tech, or whether they were just another bag of fool’s gold.
Well. The ease halted, the breeze stopped blowing and the shine came off the coins against the Red Raiders, as cold, hard reality hit.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee (23) tackles Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Coy Eakin (3) during the game in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
“This game was deja-poo,” said Ute fan No. 1. “I’m tired of this s---.”
When Utah went nowhere on its first possession, resulting in a punt, Ute fan No. 2 said: “Uh-oh.”
After two teams traded punts, Ute fan No. 2 asked: “Why don’t we ever try to block a punt? Urban used to try to block the punts or at least to hurry them up. Ask Kyle that, will you?”
Devon Dampier subsequently threw a bloop ball for a touchdown to Jackson Bennee.
“Awwww-rrrriiighttt!” yelled Ute fan No. 1.
Hold it. Offensive tackle Spencer Fano was caught roaming downfield, drawing a flag, negating the TD.
Ute fan No. 3: “[Unprintable expletive!]”
Utah fumbled, Tech recovered.
Ute fan No 2: “We must be nervous. Those nerves could be left over from what happened early on last week at Wyoming.”
Ute fan No. 4: “Maybe we’re just not that good.”
Texas Tech QB Behren Morton got popped hard in the pocket, fumbled, but Tech recovered. It was the beginning of the end for the Red Raiders’ starter, and, as it turned out, the beginning of the end for the Utes, since backup Will Hammond was better than Morton.
As Tech lost more yardage, Ute fan No. 2 yelled, “Get him. Whew! Yes! Now we’re playing some D! Love it.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes fans cheer during the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
Kyle Whittingham stared into a camera and agreed with fans No. 2 and No. 4: “Defense is keeping us in this game.” He also said Utah was “blessed” to be trailing by just seven points at that juncture.”
A ruled reception by Tobias Merriweather was reversed by the replay ref.
Ute fan No. 1: “Geeeeez, we can’t catch a break.” [Or a ball.]
Utah could catch an interception, which Bennee did in the end zone, ending a scoring threat by the Red Raiders, one of a total of six turnovers, four by the Utes, two by Tech.
Ute fan No. 5: “This is a strange game.”
Ute fan No. 3: “Seems like we should spread it out and use Dampier’s mobility more. But the coaches know more than I do.”
Maybe. Maybe not. Utah, which had been so effective on third-down conversions previously, in this game converted just four of 14 attempts. It was oh-for-2 on fourth-down tries. Texas Tech converted more than half of its third downs (9 of 17). All told, the Red Raiders gained 484 yards, Utah just 263.
Ute fan No. 2: “This is not going the way I hoped. It is going the way I thought.”
Utah’s attack, other than the drive that ended in three points to close the first half, couldn’t seem to get out of its own way, executing at a subterranean level. It couldn’t manage to pass the ball, certainly not downfield, nor, surprisingly enough, run the ball. The Utes had just 59 yards on the ground in the initial half.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes tackle Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Reggie Virgil (1) during the game in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
Ute fan No. 2: “This is ugly.”
Ute fan No. 1: “I think the word is fugly.”
One bright spot for the Utes had more to do with the crowd in the stands than the team on the field. There was so much noise created at Rice-Eccles that the Red Raiders repeatedly committed false start penalties, unable to hear the count. In time, they straightened that out.
When Morton headed for the locker room, Hammond took the reins and balled out.
Ute fan No. 1: “C’mon defense, you’re playing against a backup.”
When the Red Raiders later moved down the turf for a field goal, Hammond looking more and more comfortable and capable as the minutes crawled by, Ute fan No. 1 said: “How come they have two quarterbacks and … what do we have?”
When Dampier missed a wide-open Merriweather for what would have been a sizable gain, Ute fan No. 2 slapped a knee and barked: Oooh, come on, hit the target!”
At the quarter break before the start of the fourth, Tech coach Joey McGuire said: “If we win the fourth quarter, we win this game.”
When Utah tight end Dallen Bentley took in one of his six catches for a 44-yard gain, enabling a Wayshawn Parker touchdown run, cutting Tech’s lead to 13-10 with just more than 10 minutes remaining, startled Ute fan No. 3 sat up and said: “What happened? I just took a five-minute nap.”
Ute fan No. 1: “They should stay with the hurry-up offense, especially at altitude.”
Ute fan No. 5: “Now the defense needs to get the ball back.”
It didn’t happen. Instead, Hammond led his O on a 75-yard touchdown drive, jacking Texas Tech’s lead to 20-10.
Ute fan No. 2: “I can’t believe this.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Will Hammond (15) avoids a tackle from Utah Utes cornerback Smith Snowden (2) during the game in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025.
Something that was really unbelievable was the way the Red Raiders’ defensive line pretty much owned Utah’s offensive front, a group that Whittingham had said over and over was his best offensive line he’d had in all his time at Utah.
It wasn’t best on this day.
Two more late Red Raider touchdowns didn’t just punctuate this game, they shoved an exclamation point down Utah’s throat.
Ute fan No. 1: “I thought we were better than this. Texas Tech is better than I thought.”
Ute fan No. 3: “This hurts.”
Ute fan No. 4: “The slow start in the game against Wyoming should have clued us in to something.”
Ute fan No. 1: “Disappointing. This is disappointing.”
Ute fan No. 2: “I hate early season polls.”
Ute fan No. 3: “This is reality.”
Ute fan No. 4: Silence.
Ute fan No. 5: “Precursor to another bad season.”
Turns out, what was suspected and suspicious about the Utes merged into one lopsided truth on a Saturday that was sad and sorry for them and their fans. Whether or not it is permanent — a precursor — will be determined in the weeks ahead.