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Texas Tech football: The Red Raiders will beat TCU if…

By Matthew Conner

Nov 29, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver KeSean Carter (82) signals to the crowd after catching a touchdown pass against the Texas Longhorns in the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver KeSean Carter (82) signals to the crowd after catching a touchdown pass against the Texas Longhorns in the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports /
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FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 11: Jordyn Brooks #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs the ball after a pass interception against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 11, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TX – OCTOBER 11: Jordyn Brooks #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs the ball after a pass interception against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 11, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

The Texas Tech football team will beat TCU this afternoon in Fort Worth if the following transpires.

Today, one of the Texas Tech football program’s oldest rivalries resumes when the Red Raiders head to Fort Worth to face TCU.  And in addition to this being one of the longest-running Red Raider football series, it is also one of the closest.

Tech currently holds a 32-27-3 edge over the Frogs.  The teams first met back in 1926, the second year of Texas Tech football.  That year, the Frogs took home a 28-16 win as part of a five-game winning streak to begin this rivalry.

As expected given how much earlier than the Red Raiders TCU began playing football, the early years of this series were dominated by the boys from Cowtown.  However, since the end of World War II, Tech has a winning percentage of 0.549 against Texas Christian.

But what matters most these days is how this rivalry has played out during Big 12 play.  Since the Horned Frogs joined the conference in 2012, the teams have split eight games.

What’s more, each of the last four contests has gone to the road team.  That’s good news for Matt Wells’ team today, should that trend continue.

The last time the Red Raiders took the field at Amon G. Carter Stadium, it was a Thursday night in 2018.  In that game, backup QB Jet Duffey had to make the start after Alan Bowman left the previous game with a collapsed lung.

Duffey was not good that night going just 13-24 for 190 yards with one TD and one INT.  However, he did come up with the play of the game when he scampered 38 yards for the game-winning TD in the fourth quarter.

The star of that game though was the Red Raider defense, which forced three turnovers to help keep the Frogs at bay.  It was arguably the best defensive effort of the David Gibbs era as defensive coordinator as the Tech defense stole the show from TCU’s defensive-minded head coach Gary Patterson.

Two years prior, Pat Mahomes made just enough plays in a 27-24 double-OT victory in Fort Worth.  The future Super Bowl MVP was just 24-39 for a meager 206 yards passing that afternoon but he threw for two scores and ran for another.  His 15-yard TD scramble opened the scoring in the first OT and in the second OT, he put his team in position for the game-winning field goal by Clayton Hatfield.

Hopefully, another Red Raider triumph is in-store today in Fort Worth.  It would keep the slim hopes of a bowl birth alive for Wells and Co. and it would be an excellent bounceback after last week’s home debacle against OU.  And for that to become reality, the following likely needs to happen.  In other words, Texas Tech will beat TCU if…

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