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Texas Tech football: These toss-up games will decide how 2019 plays out

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the first half of the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on September 29, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the first half of the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on September 29, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Game 3 at Arizona

Before Tech even enters conference play, one of the season’s toss-up games will have come and gone.  In week three of the season, the Red Raiders will take the road for the first time to take on Arizona in Tempe.

Athlon has the Wildcats ranked much higher than the Red Raiders at No. 46 despite the fact that just like Tech, Zona finished just 5-7 a year ago.   That’s because senior QB Khalil Tate is expected to be fully healthy and back to the play-making ways that made him a star in 2017.

The Cats also hope 5-foot-6 junior RB  J.J. Taylor will repeat or even improve upon his breakout 1,434-yard sophomore campaign.  But like Tech, there are some questions on the other side of the ball as Arizona finished just 92nd overall in total defense in head coach Kevin Sumlin’s first season in the desert.

It will be interesting to see how Tech responds in the first road trip of the Matt Wells era.  That will mean new procedures and routines for the veterans and an eye-opening experience for the freshmen.

Maybe the program’s recent trend of playing better on the road than at home will help propel them to a win in Tempe.  During the Kingsbury era, Tech scored road wins over Arkansas, TCU, Texas and Oklahoma State, all of which could be argued were Kingsbury’s best win.

In fact, Tech’s only road non-conference loss in the last six years was also in the desert.  In 2016, the Red Raiders lost an epic shootout at Arizona State 68-55.

This year, the Red Raiders must reestablish dominance at home but if they are not able to pull off this road win at Arizona, they could find it tough to reach six wins and a bowl game.  Arizona is a team that could be a surprise contender in the PAC 12 South if everything breaks their way or they could struggle again if their lack of depth catches up with them.

But they are nowhere near a top-25 team.  This is a road game that the Red Raiders can win and if they do, they will take a huge step towards a successful 2019.

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