Game Preview: Red Raiders Host UTEP Under the Lights

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will look to build off an impressive debut under head coach Matt Wells as the Red Raiders welcome UTEP on Saturday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff inside Jones AT&T Stadium.

The game will broadcast to a regional audience on FOX Sports Net with Mark Followill on the call alongside analyst Brian Baldinger with CT Steckel reporting from the sidelines. Fans can find the game locally on FOX Sports Southwest or on any streaming device by using the FOX Sports Go app.

The Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game over 46 affiliates throughout the state of Texas and New Mexico as Brian Jensen will have the call alongside analyst John Harris, sideline reporter Chris Level and engineer Steve Pitts. The radio broadcast can also be heard XM channel 207, Sirius channel 146 or via the TuneIn app.

INSIDE THE UTEP SERIES

Texas Tech will be facing UTEP for the 24th time in program history Saturday as the Red Raiders will look to build off a seven-game winning streak in the series. Tech is 16-6-1 all-time against the Miners and an impressive 8-3 in games played in Lubbock. UTEP has not defeated the Red Raiders in Lubbock since 1956 when the Miners escaped the Hub City with a 17-13 victory in front of 17,000 fans. UTEP's only other two victories over Texas Tech in Lubbock came in 1939 and then 1931.
Over its seven-game winning streak against the Miners, Texas Tech has averaged 19.1 points as its margin of victory. The Red Raiders routed UTEP, 69-20, in its last visit to Jones AT&T Stadium, marking their most points versus the Miners in series history.
UTEP boasts two former Texas Tech staff members in its program in defensive line coach Matt Wallerstedt and special teams coordinator Joe Robinson. Wallerstedt served as the Red Raiders' defensive coordinator in 2013 and then part of the 2014 season, while Robinson was the special teams coordinator at Tech for the 2016-17 campaigns.

ALL IS WELLS IN SEASON OPENER

Texas Tech head coaches are now 10-5-1 all-time when making their debut on the Red Raider sideline after the Red Raiders defeated Montana State last weekend. The victory made Matt Wells the fourth-consecutive head coach to win his debut game.
Even more impressive, the Red Raiders won in a rout as only DeWitt Weaver secured a larger margin of victory in his coaching debut. Weaver, the fifth head coach in program history, led the Red Raiders to a 46-7 victory over West Texas State in 1951, the first of his 10 seasons roaming the Tech sideline.
The Red Raiders recorded 691 yards of total offense in the victory, the most for a head coach making his debut in school history.
The victory marked the 20th-consecutive year Texas Tech has opened its home slate with a win, the longest such streak in school history.

NEWS & NOTES

Texas Tech enters this weekend having won each of its last 10 non-conference games at home and 35 of its last 36 contests dating back to the 2002 season. The Red Raiders are an impressive 42-2 overall in non-conference home games since moving to a spread offense in 2000.
Texas Tech's success against non-conference opponents from either the FCS level or a Group of Five conference is even more impressive as the Red Raiders have won each of their last 25 regular-season contests at home or on the road against non-power five members.
In fact, Texas Tech has not dropped a non-conference game against a Group of Five opponent since falling at No. 17 Houston, 29-28, early in the 2009 season. In addition, Tech has not lost to an unranked, Group of Five opponent since New Mexico surprised the Red Raiders, 27-24, in 2004.
Tech is currently riding a consecutive-game scoring streak that spans 271 games dating back to the 1997 season. The streak, which began against Texas A&M on Oct. 25, 1997, ranks eighth nationally and is the second-longest active streak in the Big 12 behind TCU.
Texas Tech is a perfect 4-0 all-time when playing on Sept. 7 after routing Stephen F. Austin, 61-13, early in the 2013 season. This will be the fourth time the Red Raiders have hosted an opponent inside Jones AT&T Stadium on the date as Tech also defeated Cal State Fullerton in 1991 and New Mexico in 1985.
Matt Wells is 1-0 over his career against UTEP as Utah State topped the Miners, 21-6, in the 2014 GILDAN New Mexico Bowl, which wrapped the first of two 10-win seasons for Wells at his alma mater.
Matt Wells wasn't the only Red Raider making his debut inside Jones AT&T Stadium as a total of 20 players saw action for the first time at Texas Tech. Of that group, Tech's leading receiver, Xavier White, and top rusher, Armand Shyne, were both newcomers. Texas Tech had six of its players make their first career start against Montana State in Casey Verhulst (RT), Erik Ezukanma (WR), Dalton Rigdon (WR), Xavier Benson (LB), Adam Beck (Spur) and Zech McPhearson (CB).
The Red Raider defense made quite the first impression to start the 2019 season as Texas Tech limited Montana State to only 289 yards of total offense, the fewest for an opponent in a season opener since Northwestern State was held to just 84 yards in 2011.
The Red Raiders got off the field quickly to start the game, forcing Montana State into a 3-and-out in each of its first four drives. Texas Tech totaled eight 3-and-outs on the afternoon, and limited Montana State to only 2-of-16 on third downs.
Texas Tech's ground game impressed against Montana State as the Red Raiders totaled 255 yards on the ground, their most in a season opener dating back to the start of the 2000 campaign.
Utah transfer Armand Shyne stole the spotlight with his strong performance on the ground as he rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries. He averaged 11.4 yards per carry thanks in part to a 69-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter, the longest by a Red Raider since Justin Stockton (84) and Tre King (73 yards) against Houston in 2017. Shyne, who reached the 100-yard mark for the third time in his career dating back to his time at Utah, currently leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in yards per carry. Since the start of the 2000 season, Shyne is the only Red Raider to rush for at least 100 yards in his Tech debut.
Lubbock native Xavier White, meanwhile, was on the receiving end of five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Red Raider since two-time Biletnikoff Award winner Michael Crabtree to reach the 100-yard mark in his Tech debut. The Lubbock native found the end zone for the first time in his career early in the fourth quarter as Alan Bowman found White for a 45-yard strike over the middle.
Alan Bowman picked up where he left off from his 2018 freshman season against Montana State after completing 40-of-53 passes for 436 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for one other. It marked the second-most passing yards in Bowman's still young career as he reached the 400-yard mark for the third time. Bowman's performance against Montana State placed the sophomore atop the NCAA passing leaders through the first week of the season. It is a familiar spot for Bowman, who's 605 passing yards against Houston last year marked the most among FBS quarterbacks.
Senior linebacker Jordyn Brooks led the Red Raiders with 11 tackles and tallied a tackle-for-loss and two QB hurries against Montana State. It marked the ninth time in his career he has recorded double-digit tackles as he ranks fourth in the Big 12 in tackles through the first week.
Redshirt freshman SaRodorick Thompson scored two rushing touchdowns against Montana State to raise his career total to five. It was the second time in his career he has run for two scores, also doing so against Lamar in 2018. He totaled 30 yards on seven rushes and set career marks in the passing game with four catches for 43 yards.
Dalton Rigdon and T.J. Vasher shared the team lead for receptions with six apiece. Rigdon, who entered the year with three catches for his career, set a new single-game mark on the opening drive alone with four receptions.

FULL GAME NOTES

Game Preview: Red Raiders Host UTEP Under the Lights

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Adam Beck

Xavier Benson

Alan Bowman

Jordyn Brooks

Erik Ezukanma

Tre King

Zech McPhearson

Dalton Rigdon

Armand Shyne

SaRodorick Thompson Jr.

T.J. Vasher

Casey Verhulst

Xavier White

Game Preview: Red Raiders Host UTEP Under the Lights

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Adam Beck

Xavier Benson

Alan Bowman

Jordyn Brooks

Erik Ezukanma

Tre King

Zech McPhearson

Dalton Rigdon

Armand Shyne

SaRodorick Thompson Jr.

T.J. Vasher

Casey Verhulst

Xavier White

Related Videos