Texas Tech University Athletics
Through The Smoke: 10 Things Ahead of OU
September 24, 2019 | Football
Coming off a bye week, the Red Raiders open Big 12 play in Norman on Saturday
- Matt Wells is a perfect 7-0 over his career in weeks following a bye, which includes one ranked win at No. 18 BYU in 2014.
- Texas Tech is opening league play in the state of Oklahoma for a second-consecutive season after delivering a 41-17 rout to then No. 15 Oklahoma State a year ago.
- The Red Raiders will be facing a ranked opponent to open Big 12 play for the sixth time in the past seven years. Texas Tech is 2-3 in those games with a 20-10 victory over No. 24 TCU in 2013 and its victory over No. 15 Oklahoma State in 2018. The Red Raiders came close to topping the Horned Frogs again in 2015 before a final-minute touchdown helped TCU escape Lubbock with a 55-52 victory
- Sooner head coach Lincoln Riley graduated from Texas Tech in 2006 and was a member of the Red Raiders' coaching staff from 2006-09. Riley is only the third Texas Tech graduate to face his alma mater as an opposing head coach, joining Tom Wilson (Texas A&M 1978-81) and Art Briles (Baylor 2008-15).
- The Red Raiders have boasted one of the most-improved defenses in the country as Texas Tech is only allowing 13.7 points per game 306.3 yards of total offense through three games. Tech currently ranks 16th nationally and second in the Big 12 for scoring defense entering this weekend.
- Jordyn Brooks is the first Red Raider since both Lawrence Flugence and Ryan Aycock in 2002 to start a season with 10 or more tackles in each of the first three games. Brooks has now reached the 10-tackle mark in four-consecutive games dating back to the 2018 season finale against Baylor.
- Texas Tech has only been flagged 15 times in each of the first three games, the second-fewest for the Red Raiders to open a season since 2000 and the fewest since 2011. Tech enters this weekend ranked 21st in the FBS for fewest penalties per game after closing the 2018 season at 110th in the national rankings.
- Austin McNamara has quickly turned heads in his first year as Texas Tech's punter as the true freshman is averaging a booming 46.9 yards per punt, which leads all freshmen nationally and ranks 11th in the FBS entering this weekend. He has allowed only two of his 16 punts this year to be returned (for a 2.0 average) as he has downed seven kicks inside the 20 and sailed five at least 50 yards.
- With quarterback Alan Bowman sidelined, Tech will turn to either senior transfer Jackson Tyner or junior Jett Duffey, both of which have starting experience. Tyner made three starts during his three seasons at Rice prior to transferring to Tech this past summer, while Duffey was called on to start three times a year ago in place of an injured Bowman.
- The loss of a starting quarterback early in the season isn't a new experience for Matt Wells as he successfully made the transition to a new signal caller three times during his Utah State tenure, all of which resulted in bowl appearances. In fact, Wells won 25 games during his first three seasons leading his alma mater, all of which featured at least two starting quarterbacks.
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