Texas Tech football: Statistical goals for Red Raiders vs. WVU

For the Texas Tech football team to beat West Virginia on Saturday, the Red Raiders would be wise to try to achieve the following statistical goals.

Texas Tech needs a win in the worst of ways on Saturday.  After all, it’s been almost a calendar year since the program’s last Big 12 victory.

That win came last November 9th against West Virginia, this week’s opponent.  In that game, the Red Raiders dominated play by jumping out to a 35-10 halftime lead in Morgantown on their way to a 38-17 triumph.

But what’s interesting is that the blowout provided the opportunity for WVU head coach Neal Brown to make a crucial move that has proven to alter the course of his program’s future.  After three turnovers (two picks) by then starting QB Austin Kendall (the former Oklahoma Sooner who had started every game of 2019 to that point), Brown inserted Lubbock’s own Jarrett Doege into the lineup for the first time.

After beginning his career at Bowling Green, the Lubbock Cooper product had to wait until late into the 2019 season before finally being granted a waiver for immediate eligibility by the NCAA.  Facing the school that his older brother Seth quarterbacked as the starter in 2011-12, Doege threw for 119 yards and a TD on 11 of 17 passing.

That showing was good enough to earn the start a week later against Kansas State, a game that WVU would win 24-20 over the No. 24 Wildcats.  Since then, it has been Doege’s team and he’s made the most of the opportunity.

After taking over the reins in Morgantown, Doege is 5-2 as a starter and he’s got the Mountaineers trending in the right direction.  And this year, he will come into the rematch with his hometown school as the experienced starter given that the Red Raiders intend on giving Utah transfer Henry Colombi his first career start this weekend.

It’s amazing what a difference a year can make in the world of college football as these two programs, both of which were under new leadership last fall, are now headed in opposite directions thus far in 2020.  And that is evidenced by the QB situation given that the Mountaineers new feel that they have their QB of the future in place and the Red Raiders are searching for answers at the game’s most important position.

But if Colombi can perform well, Texas Tech may have an opportunity to begin the process of salvaging their season.  Of course, to do so, they will have to take down one of Lubbock’s native sons and his team.  And to accomplish that task, they will likely have to meet the following statistical goals.