Utah this season is far above what it was last year, when they had 7 straight losses starting in Week 5. This year, Kyle Whittingham has dominated his opponents so far, amassing 1,500+ yards and ranking 16th nationally in the AP poll. Not just that, the team is also one of the favorites to win the Big 12, having a 25-30% chance as per FOX Sports to win the Big 12. However, heading into Week 4, their opponent is no longer UCLA, which has already fired its head coach, DeShaun Foster. Instead, Texas Tech is also the top 2 favorite to win the Big 12, and that makes the matchup exciting. Predicting a win in that scenario becomes quite tough; however, Josh Pate has flown against the tide.

Pate, in his 17th September podcast episode, talked about the odds for both teams and sided with Texas Tech, despite odds favoring Utah, even if slightly. “Out of these two teams, I went and visited one. I watched one in the spring. So, I feel a little more knowledgeable about them, and that’s Texas Tech. I’m gonna roll the dice on Texas Tech. I’m not betting a dime on this game, but I am going with Texas Tech to win the game outright. Not a whole lot of skill in this one, I think. Just have fun sitting back and watching it,” announced Josh Pate. Of course, what Texas Tech is doing this year is remarkable in its own right!!

After getting the backing of billionaire alum Cody Campbell, the Red Raiders went deep into the transfer portal and got the best class in the country. It has veteran players like tackle Lee Hunter, former Stanford linebacker David Bailey, and 290-pound tackle Skyler Gill-Howard, coming from Northern Illinois. In the offensive line, too, Jerry McGuire has brought in three-star transfers in Howard Sampson at left tackle, Will Jados at left guard, and Hunter Zambrano at right tackle. Now, courtesy of this class, the team has dominated every game so far.

After a shutout 47-0 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Red Raiders became red hot, getting a 62-14 win over Kent State, tying a school record of 48 first-half points. Then, going into Week 3 when Oregon State came to Jones AT&T Stadium, it was a bloodbath. The offense led by Mack Leftwich limited OSU to just 14 points while accumulating a whopping 500+ all-purpose yards, the Beavers’ lowest since 2012. The defensive performance, too, was solid, limiting the team to 0-for-8 on third downs. So far, the Red Raiders have conceded just 35 points, the lowest in more than a decade. No wonder Josh Pate is leaning towards Texas Tech. That said, Utah is no minnow either.

Kyle Whittingham opens up about facing Texas Tech

It’s never easy for a team to achieve just 5 wins the previous year and become the top contenders to win the Big 12. Utah did that by bringing in 22 players from the portal and hiring Jason Beck as the new offensive coordinator. The result then is showing, and Utah has put back-to-back 500+ yard performances, and the QB Devon Dampier is showing his lethality both in the air and on the ground. For context, Dampier so far has accumulated 198 rushing yards along with 628 passing yards at a stellar 73% efficiency. Those kinds of stats don’t just win you games; they win titles. Still, defeating Texas Tech would take some creativity, and Kyle Whittingham knows that.

“Phenomenal numbers. They’re good on third down, good in the red zone. Balanced attack. … Really, no weakness,” Whittingham said about Texas Tech. “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. … Our players deserve to play on this stage,” announced the Utah head coach. The verdict?

In truth, with the game happening at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Utah sure is the slight favorite, but considering the quality of the teams, the result could go either way. If Behren Morton, who has passed for 923 yards so far at an impressive 70.4% rate, brings his A game, an upset could be on the cards. But if Utah can find a way to limit him by using John Henry Daley (5 sacks) to his fullest, Utah will have a significant edge over Texas Tech. That said, Texas Tech’s rushing game, too, has performed exceptionally well, notching up 657 yards already, with Cameron Dickey already garnering 4 touchdowns.