Will Hammond came on in place of Texas Tech Red Raiders starting quarterback Behren Morton and threw two touchdown passes to lead the No. 17 Texas Tech Red Raiders past the No. 16 Utah Utes 34-10 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday.

Morton left the game early in the third quarter after a vicious, but legal hit from Utes linebacker Johnathan Hall after a short scramble on 3rd and 18. He was evaluated on the sideline before being escorted to the locker room and eventually ruled out of the game.

Hammond came in and looked like the top-tier recruit that he was, throwing two touchdown passes while going 13-of-16 for 169 yards. He led the Red Raiders (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) to a 24-point outburst in the fourth quarter that secured the win. Cameron Dickey scored two touchdowns on 13 carries for 27 yards.

The first three quarters were an offensive struggle for both teams as the defenses dominated, with five turnovers in the first half and a 10-3 score at the half and after three quarters of play. Tech kicked a field goal on the first possession of the fourth quarter before Utah (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a Wayshawn Parker five-yard TD run that narrowed the Red Raiders’ lead to 13-10.

Hammond and Texas Tech responded on the next possession with a 24-yard TD pass to Terrence Carter Jr. that pushed the lead to 20-10 and the Red Raiders never looked back.

Dickey added a 24-yard scoring run and Hammond ran it in for a three-yard touchdown in the fourth for the final score. Hammond’s run was set up by a Jacob Rodriguez interception of DevoN Dampier at the Utah 17-yard line that had already secured the win with 2:43 left in the game.

Dampier finished with 162 yards on 25-of-38 passing with two interceptions, while NaQuari Rodgers led all Utes on the ground with 37 yards on 10 carries. The Tech defense held Utah to just 101 rushing yards Texas Tech’s 173.

There was no immediate word on Morton’s injury after the game.

Texas Tech has a bye next week before visiting Houston on Oct. 4.

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