Texas Tech football: 3 matchups to watch Saturday vs. UT

Carter vs. Sterns and Texas safeties

It’s quickly beginning to look like junior inside receiver KeSean Carter might this team’s most explosive weapon and best receiver.  So his ability to get deep on the Texas safeties will be key this weekend.

The last time Carter saw the Longhorns, he put up a career-high 11 catches and 150 yards while finding the endzone in last year’s season finale in Austin.  What’s more, in his last two games, he’s gone for an average of 118 yards per contest.

Thus, plenty of attention will be headed his way and it wouldn’t be surprising to see UT bracket him with a corner and a safety.  But that’s where other Red Raider pass catchers have to come up big and win their one-on-one battles.

Still, there will be times when the Red Raiders try to spring the speedy Carter behind the Texas safeties and if he and Alan Bowman can hit on a couple of deep strikes, it will loosen up the Longhorn defense and keep the safeties from being as much of a part of the run defense as they might want to be.

Texas Tech fans might not be excited to hear the name of “Sterns” again this week after receivers Josh and Jerrath Sterns both went off for Houston Baptist in the season opener.  However, that’s a name we can’t yet wash from our memory because their brother Caden is Texas’ best safety and one of the top defensive backs in the Big 12.

Expect Sterns to be tasked quite often with keeping Carter in check and trying to make certain that the former sprinter on the Texas Tech track team doesn’t get behind the defense.  This will be a true chess match between Tech OC David Yost and UT DC Chris Ash and if one can scheme his team to a significant advantage, it could tip the balance of this contest.