Game Preview: Homecoming vs. West Virginia

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will look to return to its winning ways Saturday when the Red Raiders host West Virginia inside Jones AT&T Stadium. The contest will serve as Tech's annual Homecoming game as the Red Raiders will be looking for their first win over the Mountaineers at home since the 2012 season, which was West Virginia's first year as Big 12 Conference members.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Anish Shroff on the call alongside analyst Tom Luginbill with Ian Fitzsimmons reporting from the sidelines. Fans can access the game from their mobile or streaming device by using the ESPN 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 on XM channel 201, Sirius channel 121 or via the TuneIn app.

HOMECOMING IN RAIDERLAND

Texas Tech is 55-32-3 all-time on Homecoming with wins in nine of its last 13 games dating back to the 2007 season.
The Red Raiders are 18-6 in Homecoming games during the Big 12 era. Texas Tech has lost consecutive Homecoming games just once during that span, which came during the 2016-17 seasons against No. 20 West Virginia and Iowa State.
This is the third time Texas Tech has hosted West Virginia on Homecoming as the two schools have split the previous two meetings. The Red Raiders routed then-No. 4 West Virginia, 49-14, in their 2012 Homecoming game, while the Mountaineers returned the favor with a 48-17 victory in 2016.
Texas Tech's first-ever Homecoming game came in 1930 when the Red Raiders fell to Hardin-Simmons, 20-6, in the final game of the season. That marked only Tech's sixth season fielding a collegiate football program.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL START TIME

When Texas Tech's kickoff time versus West Virginia was announced, many wondered when the last time the Red Raiders played in a 4:30 p.m. kickoff. Typically, the Red Raiders are slotted for a 6 p.m. or later start or at 11 a.m. or 2 or 3 p.m. for earlier games. In fact, this is the first time the Red Raiders have kicked off at 4:30 p.m. since the Red Raiders traveled to TCU for a non-conference game in 2006. That game was broadcast live on Outdoor Life Network.

COLOMBI TO MAKE FIRST CAREER START

Matt Wells and his staff will look to create a spark offensively this weekend as Henry Colombi has been tabbed Texas Tech's starting quarterback versus the Mountaineers. This will be the first career start for Colombi, who arrived at Texas Tech this summer as a transfer from Utah State.
In only two games, Colombi has boosted the Red Raiders through the air as he has completed 74.1 percent of his passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He made his debut early in the Kansas State game where he helped bring Tech back from a 14-point deficit thanks in part to 244 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG GUYS UP FRONT

Saturday's contest will pit two of the Big 12's best units against each other as the Red Raider offensive line will face a West Virginia defensive front that averages a conference-best 4.0 sacks per game. Texas Tech, on the other hand, is the league leader after only allowing three sacks through its first four games.
West Virginia currently boasts the nation's top defense as the Mountaineers are allowing an FBS-leading 240.3 yards per game. They will be facing a Red Raider offense that is currently averaging 451.5 yards of total offense per game, including 310.0 yards through the air.

RED RAIDERS FOLLOWING BYE WEEKS

Traditionally, Texas Tech has performed well, especially at home, in the weeks following a bye as the Red Raiders are 16-12 during the Big 12 era, which includes an 8-3 record in games played at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Matt Wells is an impressive 8-2 over his career in games immediately following a bye week.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Texas Tech and West Virginia will meet for the 10th time Saturday as the Mountaineers lead the overall series with a 6-3 advantage.
This will be the ninth time the two schools have met since West Virginia joined the Big 12 prior to the 2012 season. Tech enters this weekend looking for its first win over West Virginia at home since the Mountaineers' first-ever visit to Lubbock in 2012.
The Red Raiders snapped a five-game losing streak to the Mountaineers a year ago as Texas Tech handed West Virginia a 38-17 loss in Morgantown.
The only other meeting between the two schools outside the Big 12 era came in the 1938 Sun Bowl where West Virginia edged the Red Raiders, 7-6, in front of 12,000 fans in El Paso. It was the first of now 38 bowl appearances for the Red Raiders.

TEXAS TECH – WVU CONNECTIONS

Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown was the Red Raiders' offensive coordinator for all three seasons (2010-12) of Tommy Tuberville's tenure.
West Virginia quarterback Jarret Doege is the younger brother of former Texas Tech signal caller Seth Doege, who remains one of the most accurate passers in school history.
WVU assistant head coach and offensive line coach Matt Moore served as the Red Raiders' offensive line coach from 2007-11
WVU Co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Chad Scott was the Texas Tech running backs coach from 2010-12
WVU quarterbacks coach Sean Reagan was a graduate assistant on the Texas Tech staff in 2010
Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson spent two years in Morgantown, serving as West Virginia's co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2012 before being promoted to the sole defensive coordinator for the 2013 season.
Tech defensive line coach Paul Randolph oversaw the Mountaineers' defensive line and special teams units in 2002.

STAT NOTABLES vs. WEST VIRGINIA

T.J. Vasher had his coming out party, so to speak, against West Virginia in 2017 as the then-redshirt freshman maximized his two catches as he took a screen pass 60 yards to the end zone on Texas Tech's opening possession before adding a 53-yard touchdown grab over a defender midway through the second quarter. It marked the first 100-yard performance of Vasher's career as his 60-yard snag remains the longest catch of his career.
Dalton Rigdon reached the 100-yard for the first time in his career last year versus West Virginia as he hauled in three passes for 106 yards, including a career-long 81-yard reception that went for a touchdown. His touchdown catch over the middle helped push the Red Raiders to a 14-3 lead midway through the first quarter.
DaMarcus Fields recorded the first of his now two career games with double-digit tackles versus West Virginia as he posted 10 in the 2018 meeting against the Mountaineers. Fields came close to that total against last year before finishing with nine tackles and a key interception in Texas Tech's victory.
Eli Howard has found his way into the backfield for a sack in each of the past three games against West Virginia. Howard has 15.5 sacks for his career with 3.0 of those coming versus the Mountaineers.
Riko Jeffers played a huge role in Texas Tech creating four takeaways against the Mountaineers a year ago as he knocked loose two forced fumbles to go along with five tackles and a pass breakup. For his career, Jeffers has nine tackles versus the Mountaineers, including 3.0 that have gone for a loss.

FINAL NOTES

Following this weekend, Texas Tech will have already faced three of the top-four teams currently in the Big 12 standings. Kansas State and Iowa State sit atop the league standings at 3-0, while West Virginia is currently in fourth place with a 2-1 conference record.
Texas Tech's three losses this season have come against schools currently in the top 25 polls (Kansas State, Iowa State) and one other in Texas that is receiving votes after previously being ranked as high as No. 8 nationally.
Texas Tech is looking to avoid an 0-4 start to Big 12 play with a win over West Virginia. The Red Raiders have not opened conference play with four-straight losses since 1985 when Tech dropped its first five Southwest Conference contests under then head coach Jerry Moore.
This is only Texas Tech's second 0-3 start to league play during the Big 12 era as the Red Raiders previously started their conference slate with three-consecutive losses in 2014. Tech's first conference win that season came at home the following Saturday against Kansas.

?? Homecoming Week ??
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) October 19, 2020

Game Preview: Homecoming vs. West Virginia

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Henry Colombi

DaMarcus Fields

Eli Howard

Riko Jeffers

Dalton Rigdon

T.J. Vasher

Game Preview: Homecoming vs. West Virginia

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Henry Colombi

DaMarcus Fields

Eli Howard

Riko Jeffers

Dalton Rigdon

T.J. Vasher

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