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Texas Tech football: 5 bold predictions for Arizona game

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 John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
(Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Matt Wells moves to 3-0 as a Red Raider

When you spend all week analyzing an opponent and researching all aspects of its team, you almost build that opponent up to be a Goliath by the time kickoff arrives.  That wasn’t the case in the first two weeks of the season but this week, I have become less and less confident as the week has progressed.

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But as I step back and look at the two teams and programs from a macro view once again, I just believe that Texas Tech is better.  Better not by a huge margin, but better.  That’s why I think Matt Wells will be 3-0 after this game.

Arizona is a team that, like many Kevin Sumlin teams, is often prone to sloppiness and crucial mistakes.  And thus far, we’ve seen neither from Wells’ team.

What’s more, the Arizona defense is statistically as bad as the 2015 and 2016 Texas Tech defenses, which were ranked second to last and last in the nation respectively.  And as we know all too well in Lubbock, it’s extremely difficult to overcome that.

Under Sumlin, the Wildcats are allowing an average of 34.1 points per game.  While that may not seem too egregious by Big 12 standards, remember that last year the PAC 12 was by far the worst Power 5 league.

Sumlin’s team has given up 45 points to Houston, 42 to Utah, 31 to a dreadful UCLA team, 69 to Washington State, and 41 to Arizona State, 45 to Hawaii and 41 to Northern Arizona and they’ve not made significant personnel or coaching changes this year.  One could argue that outside of Washington State, Tech’s 2019 offense is better than the rest of those teams.

Look for Tech to face some challenges early and fight through a surge of momentum from the home team.  But in the end, I trust Alan Bowman more than I trust Khalil Tate, I trust Tech’s defense more than I trust Arizona’s, and I trust Matt Wells more than I trust Kevin Sumlin.

Next. All-time out of state Red Raider football team. dark

When I discussed this game with our friends at Zona Zealots, I predicted Tech would win 35-30 but I think I am more confident now than a few days ago when I had made Khalil Tate into the next Pat Mahomes in my mind.  Today, I just feel more confident in the Red Raiders than I did at that time and I see Wells and his team coming out with a hard-fought 45-35 win.

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