Today, the Texas Tech football team wraps up the regular season by hosting West Virginia in Lubbock. On Friday, the Red Raiders were eliminated from Big 12 championship contention but this contest with the Mountaineers still holds weight.
This is a program still in the building stages under head coach Joey McGuire. Thus, getting to eight regular-season wins would be a sign of progress in the third year of the current coaching staff's tenure.
Tech has won only eight games three times since 2012. What's more, the program has not had that many regular-season wins since 2009, the last year of Mike Leach's time as the man in charge.
Additionally, the Red Raiders will want to send their seniors out with one last home win. That group includes fan-favorites Tahj Brooks, Josh Kelly, Caleb Rogers, and a host of other big-time contributors.
Meanwhile, the opponents today could be playing to keep their head coach employed. At just 6-5 on the season one year after winning nine games, WVU head coach Neal Brown is on the hot seat again. In four of his first five full seasons on the job in Morgantown, he's won six games or fewer and with only six wins thus far in year six, he's fighting to keep his job as he brings his team to Lubbock.
So though this isn't a rivalry game on "Rivalry Weekend" and though the two teams won't be factoring into the conference race, the intrigue in Lubbock today should be high. So let's look at how to watch the game, the betting odds, and more.
How to watch Texas Tech vs. West Virginia
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Central
TV: FOX SPORTS 1
Play-by-Play: Eric Collins
Analyst: Spencer Tillman
Producer: Max Harnett
RADIO: TEXAS TECH SPORTS NETWORK
Play-by-Play: Brian Jensen
Analyst: John Harris
Sideline Reporter: Chris Level
SiriusXM (local): Channel 138 or 199
Mobile App: Varsity Network (Texas Tech)
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia series history
Texas Tech all-time record: 6-7-0
First meeting: 1938 (7-6 West Virginia, El Paso, Texas)
Most recent meeting: 2023 (20-13 West Virginia, Morganton, West Virginia)
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia weather forecast
High: 60
Skies: Sun and clouds mixed
Winds: NNE 12 mph
Humidity: 40%
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.com.
Favorite | Moneyline | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|
Texas Tech -2.5 | Texas Tech -137 | 64.5 |
Texas Tech vs. West Virginia game notes
All notes courtesy of TexasTech.com.
- The Red Raiders will recognize 20-plus seniors prior to kickoff, including several mainstays
in Texas Tech’s all-time leading rusher Tahj Brooks, offensive lineman Caleb Rogers, defensive back Joseph Plunk, long snapper Jackson Knotts, and tight end Mason Tharp, among others.
- Brooks remains one of two players in the country to rush for at least 100 yards in every game he’s played this season (minimum 7 games) and the only one to do so from a power conference. The consistency for Brooks has him sixth in the FBS with 131.7 rushing yards per game and 148.1 all-purpose yards a contest.
- Since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012, Texas Tech and West Virginia have traditionally played several close games with seven of those 12 decisions determined by one possession and one more by only 11 points. The Red Raiders are 3-4 against West Virginia in one-possession games with wins in two of the last three occurrences.
- This will be the third time the two schools have faced each other in the month of November as the Red Raiders are 1-1 in those games historically. This will be the first time Texas Tech has hosted the Mountaineers during the month of November. It will be the latest date on the calendar that the two schools have met during the regular season in history.
- Texas Tech has had a quarterback throw for at least 300 yards in seven of the 12 matchups between the two schools since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference prior to the 2012 season. Behren Morton became the most recent signal caller to hit the 300-yard mark in 2022 as the then-redshirt freshman completed 28-of-45 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns in the win at home. Morton was inserted in relief of an injured Tyler Shough late in the first quarter against West Virginia last season as he completed only 13-of-37 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. Morton has completed 41-of-82 passes for 483 yards and three touchdowns over his career against the Mountaineers.
- A victory over West Virginia would also give Texas Tech six conference wins for only the third time as a Big 12 member. The Red Raiders were 6-2 in league play in 2005 and then 7-1 in 2008 with both seasons resulting in trips to the Cotton Bowl.
- Texas Tech’s win at Oklahoma State solidified a 3-2 road record this season with all three wins coming in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders had not won three or more true road games in a season previously since 2008.
- Texas Tech enters this weekend’s tilt versus West Virginia with a 48-47-4 all-time record in regular-season finales, which includes a 15-13 mark during the Big 12 era (1996-present).
- The Red Raiders are a combined 10-2 as a Big 12 member when closing the regular season at home with wins in each of the last eight occurrences. In fact, Texas Tech’s last loss in a regular-season finale played in front of its home fans came in 2003 when No. 1 Oklahoma trounced the Red Raiders, 56-25. The Sooners are the only team to top Texas Tech at home to close the regular season as Oklahoma also delivered a 32-21 victory in 1997.