Game Preview | Texas - Texas Tech Red Raiders

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will look for its third win over Texas in the last six seasons and its first at home since 2008 on Saturday when the Red Raiders and Longhorns open Big 12 play at Jones AT&T Stadium.

The game will be broadcast to a national audience on FOX with Tim Trando on the call alongside analyst Spencer Tillman with Mike Principato reporting from the sidelines. Fans can access the game from their mobile or streaming device by using the FOX Sports 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 199, Sirius channel 121 or via the TuneIn app.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Texas Tech and Texas will meet for the 70th time in history and the 61st-consecutive year Saturday afternoon.
The Longhorns control a 52-17 all-time advantage in the series, which includes a 21-10 mark in games played in Lubbock.
The two teams will be opening their Big 12 slate against each other for the fourth time in history.
The Red Raiders will be looking for their first win over the Longhorns at home since the 2008 season when Graham Harrell found Michael Crabtree for the game-winning touchdown with only a second remaining in regulation. Four of Texas Tech's five home losses to Texas since that memorable game have come by 10 points or less.
Outside of last year's meeting in Austin, the two in-state rivals have gone to the wire over the past five years as four of those meetings have been determined by a touchdown or less.

TEXAS TECH IN BIG 12 OPENERS

Texas Tech enters this weekend with a 14-10 all-time record in Big 12 openers.
The Red Raiders have won five of their last eight Big 12 openers thanks to victories over TCU (2013), Iowa State (2012), Kansas (2011, 2016) and Oklahoma State (2018).
The Red Raiders will be facing a ranked opponent to open Big 12 play for the seventh time in the past eight years. Texas Tech is 2-5 during that span with a 20-10 victory over No. 24 TCU in 2013 and a 41-17 rout over No. 5 Oklahoma State in 2018.

RED RAIDERS VERSUS RANKED FOES

The Red Raiders will be looking to knock off a top-25 opponent for a third-consecutive season Saturday after topping a ranked Oklahoma State program each of the last two years.
Texas Tech will be looking for its first win over a top-10 team since dropping West Virginia at home, 49-14, midway through the 2012 season.
With a win Saturday, Matt Wells will become only the second Texas Tech head coach to record a top-25 win in each of his first two seasons, joining Tommy Tuberville (2010-11). Wells is 4-9 over his career against ranked opponents.
This will be the first time Texas Tech will face a ranked opponent within its first two games of a season since opening the 2002 campaign at No. 12 Ohio State. The Red Raiders had not previously faced a top-10 team this early in a season since the 1997 opener at No. 5 Tennessee.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS

The most notable connection comes from Red Raider senior linebacker Colin Schooler and his brother Brenden Schooler, a senior wide receiver for the Longhorns.
The Schooler brothers were previously slated to play their final collegiate season together at Arizona before both deciding to transfer after the Pac-12 delayed its season.
The Schooler brothers have split the previous two meetings against each other as Brenden and the Ducks topped Arizona, 48-28, in 2017 before Colin the Wildcats routed Oregon, 44-15, in 2018. Brenden Schooler is the older of the two brothers.

BOWMAN RETURNS WITH 400-YARD GAME

Alan Bowman made his return behind center against Houston Baptist, throwing for 430 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Texas Tech's 35-33 victory over the Huskies.
Bowman's performance marked his fourth career game with at least 400 passing yards and seventh with 300 yards through the air as he completed 73.1 percent of his passes to help the Red Raiders start the season with a win for the 17th time in the past 18 years.
Despite two seasons as a Red Raider and 11 career starts at quarterback, this will be Bowman's first ever appearance against Texas as he was held out of each of the two previous meetings due to injury.

KEY NOTES

Texas Tech opened its season with a win for the 17th time in the past 18 years after topping Houston Baptist. It also marked the 21-consecutive season where the Red Raiders have won their home opener.
Houston Baptist was limited to only 28 rushing yards in the loss, the fewest for an opponent since Northwestern State recorded only 13 yards on the ground to open the 2012 season.
Following its win over Houston Baptist, Texas Tech received 11 points in the USA Today Coaches' poll and five points in the Associated Press rankings. It marked the first time the Red Raiders had received votes under Matt Wells. The Red Raiders are again receiving votes points in this week's Associated Press poll.
Texas Tech boasted a 100-yard rusher in its season opener for the second-consecutive year as SaRodorick Thompson carried 22 times for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It followed the 125 yards on the ground Armand Shyne posted in Texas Tech's 2019 opener against Montana State. Dating back to the 2000 campaign, this is the first time Texas Tech has had a 100-yard rusher in back-to-back season openers.
Krishon Merriweather was tabbed the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week following an impressive debut where he led the Red Raiders with 12 tackles, including a key fourth-down stop at the goal line just before halftime. He is the first Red Raider newcomer dating back to 2000 to record double digits for tackles in a season opener.
Zech McPhearson recorded his first career interception in the win over Houston Baptist.

?? Game Week ??#WreckEm pic.twitter.com/HMfLkiuERf
— Texas Tech Red Raiders (@TechAthletics) September 21, 2020

Game Preview | Texas

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alan Bowman

Zech McPhearson

Krishon Merriweather

Colin Schooler

Armand Shyne

SaRodorick Thompson Jr.