West Virginia
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia Prediction, Preview, and Odds – 9-23-2023
The Big 12 Conference schedule is in full gear this weekend and one of the featured matchups will be the Texas Tech Red Raiders heading to West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers. Texas Tech is 1-2 to start the season after picking up their first win last weekend. West Virginia is 2-1 on the season and has won two straight games heading into this home matchup. The opening kick is scheduled for 3:30 PM EST on Saturday.
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Looking for Second Straight
The Texas Tech Red Raiders got in the win column on Saturday night in a convincing 41-3 win over Tarleton State at home. The Red Raiders nearly had a shutout but allowed a 21-yard field goal with 5:04 left in the game. The Red Raiders now hope to make it two in a row this week on the road.
“I was really proud of our team. … Created three turnovers, had a chance for a few more,” Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire said.
Running back Tahj Brooks set the pace for the Red Raiders’ offense with a career-high 158 yards rushing on 19 carries. Quarterback Tyler Shough was 10-of-20 for 123 yards and a touchdown. Shough also had a running touchdown in the game as well. With the game in hand, backup Behren Morton got in the game as well and went 8-of-13 for 72 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. Wide receivers Jordan Brown and Mason Tharp each had touchdown catches in the game with Brown grabbing six catches for 73 yards and Tharp with three catches for 43 yards. In total, the Red Raiders had 416 yards of total offense and 26 first downs.
Defensively, Texas Tech held TSU to 342 yards of total offense and had two interceptions in the game. Malik Dunlap had both interceptions including one returned for a touchdown in the first quarter to get the Red Raiders off and running. Texas Tech had five tackles for loss including three sacks in the game.
Texas Tech heads into Big 12 action hoping to rebound after a tough start with losses to Wyoming and Oregon. The Red Raiders are led by their offense, which is ranked 33rd in the country. Texas Tech is 69th in the country rushing the football while they are an impressive 16th in passing. Texas Tech’s defense is ranked just 82nd in the country. They are 71st against the run through three games and 89th against the pass this season.
The Red Raiders have not been effective at protecting the football thus far, ranking 118th in the country in turnover differential. The Red Raiders reliance on the pass does lead to more turnover potential. The Red Raiders aren’t particularly efficient either, ranked just 80th in the country in penalties per game.
Injury Report: LB Jacob Rodriguez (foot), DL E’Maurion Banks (back) are out.
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Momentum for the Mountaineers
The West Virginia Mountaineers come into this week’s matchup looking for a third straight win after pulling out a hard-fought 17-6 win over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the annual Backyard Brawl matchup. The Mountaineers’ defense shut out the Panthers in the second half on their way to victory to improve to 2-1 on the season.
“They call this game a brawl for a reason,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said afterward. “This loss stuck with us for 54 weeks. We were in this same situation with a lead in the fourth quarter last year and didn’t get it done. This year we did.”
The Mountaineers’ offense struggled throughout but did manage to score 10 second half points to turn a 7-6 halftime lead into a 17-6 victory. Backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol played most of the game after starting quarterback Garrett Greene left the game with an injury. Marchiol was 6-of-9 for just 60 yards and a touchdown. The Mountaineers offense was led by running back CJ Donaldson. Donaldson had 18 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. Overall, West Virginia had just 211 yards of total offense. They were also just 4-of-12 on third down conversions.
The story of the game was the West Virginia defense. After allowing two field goals in the second half, the Mountaineers’ defense did not allow a point in the second half. They held Pitt to just 81 yards passing and 12 first downs, including 4-of-12 on third down conversions. They had five tackles for loss and three interceptions in the game. West Virginia also had a blocked punt in the game
West Virginia will likely have to depend on its defense once again to pick up a win in the team’s Big 12 opener against Texas Tech. The Mountaineers are a dismal 115th in the country in total offense heading into this weekend’s game. They are 57th on the ground and just 129th through the air. Defensively, the Mountaineers are ranked 52nd in the country in total defense. They are 66th against the run and 44th against the pass, which will be critical against the Red Raiders’ air attack.
The Mountaineers have done a relatively good job at protecting the football this season. They are ranked 21st in turnover differential on the season. They have been efficient as well, ranking 30th in the nation in penalties per game.
Injury Report: Justin Johnson Jr. (leg) and QB Garrett Greene (ankle) are both questionable.
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There is a lot working against the Mountaineers heading into their Big 12 opener against Texas Tech. In head coach Neal Brown’s five-year tenure at West Virginia, the Mountaineers have yet to put together a three-game winning streak nor have they beaten Texas Tech. This year, in particular, the Mountaineers appear ill-equipped to match up with the high-powered Texas Tech offense. The Mountaineers have the 115th-ranked offense in the country and that is with starting quarterback Greene. Greene’s status for this game is still questionable with the quarterback missing practice this week due to the ankle injury suffered last week. Backup quarterback Marchiol will be making his first-ever start if he is forced into action. Marchiol has not been asked for much in games that he has played in his brief career and he will certainly have to do more in a game against a Red Raiders team that should get points on the board. While West Virginia’s defense has been solid, ranking 44th against the pass, the Red Raiders are a fast-paced, pass-heavy attack. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers and coach Neal Brown, they will have to wait yet again to win three games in a row and at least another year before beating the Red Raiders.
Take Texas Tech -6.
Prediction: Texas Tech -6
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With Greene’s uncertainty, the Mountaineers will really look to slow this game down and try to win yet another low-scoring affair. They will assuredly try to pound the ball on the ground with the nation’s 57th-ranked rushing attack, avoid turnovers, and keep the ball out of the Red Raiders’ hands. The best chance for West Virginia to score may be via a short field if they can force the pass-happy Red Raiders into turnovers. I expect to see Texas Tech push toward four touchdowns in the game but West Virginia won’t be nearly that effective on the offensive end.
Take the under.
Prediction: Under 55