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Five Swing Games For Texas Tech In 2018

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 4: Tre King #24 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders finds running room and will score a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 4, 2017 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 4: Tre King #24 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders finds running room and will score a touchdown during the first half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 4, 2017 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images
Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images /

Week 8 – at Iowa State

The last time Kliff Kingsbury was in Ames, Iowa, it was undoubtedly one of the worst days of his football career.  On a chillingly cold day, Pat Mahomes and the Texas Tech offense mustered just ten points in a 66-10 humiliation just a week after a missed extra point cost them an upset win at Oklahoma State.

Since then, Iowa State has jumped past Texas Tech in the pecking order of the Big 12’s football programs.  Last season, Tech was humbled by the Cyclones at home 31-13 as ISU was the surprise team of the league going 8-5 and finishing fourth in the league race.

Still, there is no reason to think that the Red Raiders can’t go on the road and knock off the Cyclones.  It is something Tech did in 2012 and 2014, the later of which was in Kingsbury’s second year.

The Cyclones will feature one of the best returning QBs in the Big 12 (though that is not saying much in 2018) in sixth-year senior Kyle Kempt and one of the best running backs in the country in David Montgomery.  That duo will be tough to handle and should be complimented by a talented receiver group.

And the ISU defense should be stout again after a surprising turnaround last year.  The Cyclone d-line will be a handful thanks to star nose tackle Ray Lima.

But the Texas Tech offense is going to be built around its veteran-laden offensive line.  This game may come down to the line of scrimmage even more so than most games.

Pulling off a win at Iowa State could vault Texas Tech to a huge finish in 2018.  After going to Ames, Tech has just one true road game on its schedule in week-11 at Kansas State.

Iowa State is expected to finish in the top-half of the league this year but this feels like a team that could regress.  Kempt is far from spectacular as a passer (he is a savvy player that uses his smarts to make up for his limited arm  strength) and he has lost star WR Alan Lazard to graduation.   Plus, the Cyclones will not take anyone by surprise this year as they did last season.

Can the Cyclones build off of last season?  There’s no history to suggest that they can as ISU has only two winning seasons since 2005.  Ames is a good football town with tremendously loyal fans but it is not going to be confused with Norman, Tuscaloosa or Gainesville in terms of intimidating atmospheres.

A win at Iowa State would mean a 56-point turnaround for Texas Tech from its last trip there.  More importantly, it would set the Red Raiders up to finally finish a season strong for the first time in Kingsbury’s tenure.

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