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Texas Tech football: Reasons to be optimistic about WVU game

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Quarterback Jett Duffey #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the first half of the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Quarterback Jett Duffey #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the first half of the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Though the mood around the Texas Tech football fan base is rather gloomy, there are reasons to be optimistic about the Red Raiders’ chances of beating West Virginia this weekend.

Other than Oklahoma, the Big 12 programs the Texas Tech football program has the worst winning percentage against are Texas and this week’s opponent West Virginia.  The Red Raiders have won just 25% of their meetings against both the Longhorns and the Mountaineers but they will have opportunities to improve upon that in the next four weeks.

First up is a trip to Morgantown this weekend.  The Red Raiders are just 2-6 all-time against West Virginia and are currently riding a 5-game losing streak.  What’s more, Tech owns just one victory in Morgantown, a 37-27 win in 2013.

Since that day when Davis Webb passed for 462 yards and two scores (nine of those going to TE Jace Amaro who had 136 yards receiving and was the recipient of both of Webbs’ touchdown throws), Tech has been owned by the Big 12’s newest member.

The trip from Lubbock to Morgantown is the longest any Power 5 team has to make for a conference game.  Somehow, the Mountaineers have managed to figure out how to manage it better than the Red Raiders as they have won their last three games at Jones Stadium as well as the last two in Morgantown.

If the Red Raiders can’t manage to end their woes in this series, it seems unlikely that they will have any hope of getting to a bowl game this year.  In fact, with both teams entering this game at 3-5 overall, this is essentially an elimination game when it comes to filling one of the Big 12’s bowl slots.

Technically, Tech will still have a shot at getting to six wins regardless of what happens on Saturday but the likelihood of a team that’s gone just 1-5 since the second week of the season somehow figuring out a way to string together three-straight wins seems small.

But unlike most of the recent matchups between these teams, WVU doesn’t come into this game with the much more talented team.  In fact, these two rosters are in similar places after being left somewhat short-handed during their first seasons under new coaching staffs.

While Tech has dropped three-straight games, WVU has dropped its last four.  After a seven-point win over James Madison to being the year, a loss at Missouri proceeded victories over NC State and Kansas.  Since then though, Neal Brown’s team has fallen to Texas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, and Baylor.

It will be interesting to see which team comes out of the gates with the most energy and desperation.  The noon local time kickoff might play in Tech’s favor but this is a Red Raider team that remains winless on the road.

Still, there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic about this matchup.  Let’s take a look at why Red Raider fans should have some hope that Tech can finally pick up another victory.

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