Wreck'Em Red
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Texas Tech football: The Red Raiders can beat Iowa State if…

By Matthew Conner

Sep 26, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver TJ Vaser (9) celebrates with wide receiver Erik Ezukanma (13) after scoring a touchdown against the Texas Longhorns in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver TJ Vaser (9) celebrates with wide receiver Erik Ezukanma (13) after scoring a touchdown against the Texas Longhorns in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 8, 2018; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Masked Rider statue outside Jones AT&T Stadium is seen before a game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Lamar Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2018; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Masked Rider statue outside Jones AT&T Stadium is seen before a game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Lamar Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Another trip to Ames is on tap for the Texas Tech football team today so let’s look at what likely has to happen for the Red Raiders to come out on top.

For the second-straight weekend, the Texas Tech football team will look to reverse its recent fortunes in a Big 12 series that it used to dominate.  Hopefully, this weekend’s attempt at solving Iowa State goes better than last Saturday’s 31-21 loss to Kansas State.

Overall, the Red Raiders still lead the series with the Cyclones 11-7.  But ISU has taken the last four meetings with all but one of those wins coming by 10 points or more.

The first time the programs met was in 1967 when the Red Raiders scored a 52-0 victory in Lubbock.  1974’s 24-3 victory by the Red Raiders would be the only other meeting in this series prior to the advent of Big 12 play.

When the new conference did begin play, Tech won the first two meetings (1998-99) before the Cyclones scored their first triumph in the series, a 31-17 win in Ames in 2001.  Of course, that game will forever be remembered for ISU QB Senaca Wallace’s incredible TD run.

But the Red Raiders would rattle off three straight wins after that (2003, 2006-07) as the two programs lived at opposite ends of the conference spectrum. But as with most aspects of Texas Tech football, this series would start to turn sour during the Tommy Tuberville years.

In both 2010 and 2011, the Red Raiders dropped double-digit losses to an ISU program that simply wasn’t any good at that time.  But from 2012-15, the Red Raiders would assert their superiority once again and it looked like this was going to remain a Tech-dominated series.

But then 2016 happened.  In the first year of the Matt Campbell era in Ames, Tech traveled north on a blustery late November Saturday and the result was one of the most inconceivable showings in program history.  Despite being quarterbacked by Patrick Mahomes, the Red Raiders somehow managed only 10 points in a 66-10 loss to an Iowa State team that would end that season just 3-9.

Since then, ISU has owned Tech.  Campbell’s program has been the more well-coached, more physical, and more disciplined team during that span and that’s why Tech has been unable to end the current skid despite the two teams having relatively similar levels of talent.

Now, ISU enters the 2020 edition of this rivalry with all the confidence in the world.  After an inexplicable loss to Louisiana in the season opener, the Cyclones have taken down TCU and Oklahoma to open Big 12 play and there’s serious buzz building in Ames as many are forecasting a Big 12 title game appearance for the Cyclones.

Here’s hoping Matt Wells’ program can rain on that parade by springing an upset that would certainly send some shockwaves through the Big 12.  And if that’s to be in store, the following occurrences may have to come to pass.  In other words, Texas Tec can beat Iowa State if…

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