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Texas Tech football: 4 games Red Raiders must win in 2021

By Matthew Conner

Oct 31, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Matt Wells leads the team onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Matt Wells leads the team onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 31, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Matt Wells leads the team onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Matt Wells leads the team onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

vs. Florida International

In the third week of the season, the Texas Tech football team will host Florida International in a game that Tech fans will consider a gimme.  This will mark the third-straight game to open the year that the Red Raiders can’t afford to drop.

It is a rare year in 2021 in the sense that Tech is not facing a Power 5 team in the non-conference portion of the schedule.  Not counting last fall’s abbreviated 10-game slate, this will mark the first time since 2013 that Tech has not faced a Power 5 non-con opponent.

Thus, the Red Raiders must complete the pre-Big 12 portion of the schedule 3-0 if they hope to have the type of season that will indicate that this program is starting to turn things around.  And to do that, they must not let Florida International trip them up at home.

Last fall, the Golden Panthers went winless in a season that saw them play only five games while having six cancelled due to COVID-19.  But in each of the three seasons prior to that, they managed to find their way to a bowl game.

What’s more, FIU is no stranger to facing Power 5 teams.  In 2019, they knocked off former NCAA bully Miami 30-24 and in recent years they have played the likes of Indiana, Maryland, and Louisville.

Still, Tech will enter this game expected to easily dispatch of head coach Butch Davis’ team.  Last year, the Panthers failed to pass for 200 yards in any game and they averaged just 281 yards of total offense per contest.  What’s more, they enter this year uncertain of who their starting QB will be.  Will they have found an answer by the third week of the season?

Meanwhile, FIU’s defense is coming off of a season in which it allowed 423 yards and 32 points per game.  Hopefully by this point in the season, Tech’s offense will be firing on all cylinders and will be ready to exploit the Golden Panthers’ weakness on that side of the football.

Thus, this game might be more akin to playing an FCS opponent than a FBS one and there are likely some FCS teams that would put up a better fight.  Therefore, this is clearly a game that Tech simply can’t afford to lose.

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