Texas Tech Football: First Look at Red Raiders vs. Jayhawks
Texas Tech and Kansas are squaring off this weekend at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock Texas. The Red Raiders are still trying to become bowl-eligible after two disappointing losses. This week the Red Raiders are looking to improve to 5-5 with a win over Kansas.
Texas Tech
After blowing out West Virginia the odds of Tech making a bowl game looked very good. Fast forward to three weeks later and it is a different story. A team that once looked like the dark horse in the Big 12 race has struggled to find wins in their last two games. Behren Morton went down against TCU with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Joey McGuire has stated Smith and Shough will split reps this week in preparation for Kansas.
Texas Tech will have to implement a game plan that is structured around whichever QB gets the start in order to have success against Kansas. Regardless of having the injury bug, Kittley’s offense is still averaging 317 passing yards and 32 points per game.
This is not what most Red Raider fans hoped for when they received news Kittley had been hired as the next offensive coordinator. However, this is more than acceptable when you have started your second and third-string QB for eight of your nine games. Texas Tech will need to improve on getting the ball out quicker and not having turnovers in order to get the win over Kansas.
Kansas
The Jayhawks are a team that has surprised the masses. This team reminds me of the 2014-2016 Texas Tech. They can score fast but their defense can’t keep up. Kansas has already been in three shootouts this year and can expect another one in Lubbock this weekend. In all of their losses, the Jayhawks’ offense has done enough to keep them in the game. Here are the three games Kansas has lost this season.
TCU (38-31)
OU (52-42)
Baylor (35-23)
After losing three straight games the Jayhawks rallied to beat OSU in impressive fashion 37-16. Kansas will be coming into this game hot and will look to repeat the performance they had against OSU.
Why Texas Tech Will Win
Texas Tech is hungry for a win. It is as simple as that. This is a group of hard-fighting young men that will not roll over easily. Plus Texas Tech is averaging more yards per game than Kansas (462 to 434).
The Red Raiders have also given up fewer yards than the Jayhawks. (372 to 436). Regardless of their injuries, Texas Tech’s defense will keep them in the game long enough to get the offense rolling resulting in a Red Raider win.
Why Texas Tech Will Lose
Texas Tech’s offense can’t seem to find its groove. The first sign of light from Kittley’s ideal offense only lasted two weeks before Baylor shut it down. Additionally, Tech will have too many turnovers putting pressure on their defense. Kansas will take advantage of this to get the win in Lubbock.
Why Kansas Will Win
Kansas shocked the world last week with their dominating performance against OSU. The Jayhawks rushed for over 350 yards against the Cowboys which played a major factor in their win. Two weeks ago Baylor was able to beat Tech by keeping the ball on the ground and controlling the clock. The Jayhawks will come out with the same game plan and will get their fourth conference win.
Prediction
Kansas has been an inconsistent team just like Texas Tech. Both teams have had injury issues that stunted their full potential. The Jayhawks will also have to play this game in a hostile environment on the road. Texas Tech will do just enough on the defensive side of the ball to hold the Jayhawks short of a win.