To say Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury has been a hit might be an understatement -- the first year head coach has his Red Raiders at 6-0, and although only one of those wins has come against credible competition, that says plenty in itself. They currently lead the Big XII, and the statistics are genuinely impressive. The Red Raiders are 3rd in the country in passing and average an explosive 41.8 points per game.
How to watch Texas Tech vs. West Virginia 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Two Air Raid offenses collide. Only one can walk away with a win.
West Virginia has already knocked off one ranked opponent this season, though, and will be looking to double that total when it hosts Texas Tech. The Mountaineers have been very inconsistent all year long, which is part of what makes them so dangerous -- when not playing down to William and Mary or getting shut out by Maryland, the Mountaineers have hung tight with Oklahoma and beaten Oklahoma State.
If the “good” Mountaineers show up, the Red Raiders should be careful -- West Virginia’s signature win this season also came at Milan Puskar, and West Virginia has been better on defense than many have given them credit for. A beatdown from Baylor skewed those numbers a bit, but there has been undeniable progress on that side of the ball. Surprisingly, it has been the offense that hasn’t kept up -- the Mountaineers have struggled all year long to replace the talent they lost to graduation.
The numbers
Rankings and records: These two teams are tied 1-1 all time. Texas Tech is ranked 16th in the country.
Three names to know
Davis Webb (Texas Tech quarterback) - With Baker Mayfield sidelined last weekend, Webb threw for 415 yards and three touchdowns to further muddy the quarterback situation in Lubbock. Though Mayfield's injury is reportedly not season-ending, Webb's stats are nearly identical, and perhaps just as importantly, the Red Raiders are undefeated under him as well. If the true freshman can't give it a go this week, Webb should fill in more than capably.
Jace Amaro (Texas Tech receiver) - Amaro has been a picture of consistency. In the five full games he's played this season, the junior has had eight, nine, nine, nine, and nine catches, respectively. Unsurprisingly, those lofty catch totals are good for the Big XII lead. Amaro is also third in the conference in receiving yardage, although he's only found the end zone once.
Will Clarke (West Virginia defensive end) - Any discussion about West Virginia's defense will have to include Clarke -- the senior has a 6.5 tackles for loss on the year, three sacks, and three quarterback hits. All of those marks are team bests.
Two things at stake
A win for Texas Tech sets up a huge meeting with Oklahoma next week, although some of the luster on that game has faded, now that Oklahoma has its first conference loss. As it currently looks, Tech’s season ending games with Baylor and Texas will go a long way toward deciding the Big XII regular season champion. Still, to make those games matter, Tech must win in Morgantown on Saturday.
West Virginia may not win the conference themselves, but they’ve been sneaky competitive all season long, and could play spoiler as early as this week. A win would even their Big XII record at 2-2.
How to witness
TV: 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) Fox Sports 1
Further reading
Viva the Matadors is your place for further reading on Texas Tech. The Smoking Musket has you covered for West Virginia.
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