The Texas Tech football team heard the criticisms from the first two weeks of the season and took it personally against North Texas on Saturday in Jones AT&T Stadium, rolling to a 66-21 win.

The Red Raiders produced one of the best halves of football in program history in the modern era, putting up 35 points in the second quarter alone and leading 52-7 at halftime.

Here's what stood out from the contest.

Tahj Brooks is kind of important to Texas Tech football's offense

While the absence of Tahj Brooks in last week's loss to Washington State wasn't the biggest issue for the Red Raiders, Brooks showed against UNT just how different the team can look with him in the fold.

Brooks carved out 109 yards in the first half alone. With attention needing to be paid to the dynamic back, Behren Morton was able to find great success in the run-pass option game, which led to his first touchdown to Josh Kelly and later to Johncarlos Miller II.

HOW WE GOT HERE: Texas Tech football vs. North Texas score today: True freshmen getting run in blowout

Defense comes through in a big way

Aside from a broken play for a 75-yard touchdown, the Red Raider defense looks to have turned a corner. A dynamic North Texas offense was able to get some yardage through the air but couldn't produce the points.

Chandler Morris also threw three interceptions in the first half, one to Bralyn Lux, who returned it for a 44-yard touchdown. Two others bounced off Mean Green receivers and into the arms of Tech defenders Bryce Ramirez and Chapman Lewis.

Behren Morton spreads the wealth

Morton threw a quartet of touchdowns in the first half, each to a different receiver, and added a 10-yard rushing score, totaling 279 yards on 15-of-19 passing.

Seven different receivers caught passes in the first half, nobody more than three.

LIGHT IT UP: Texas Tech football produces historic first half against North Texas

Backups get the green light in the second half

With a 45-point cushion after one half of play, Texas Tech opened the second half with a slew of backups. Morton was replaced by Cameran Brown, Brooks by Cameron Dickey and Micah Hudson got his first real run of the season at receiver. True freshman QB Will Hammond came in in the third quarter.

This is the Texas Tech football team we've heard about

Throughout preseason camp, Texas Tech coaches couldn't stop glowing about the team's depth and ability to produce on both ends of the field. Saturday was the first time the Red Raiders showed that can be the case.

The question now is can Tech continue this momentum when it starts Big 12 play next week against Arizona State at 2:30 p.m. back in Jones AT&T Stadium.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football takeaways from dominant win over North Texas