Can the Texas Longhorns still make a bowl game in Charlie Strong's first year? They have a tough road ahead of them, but first comes a more reasonable task against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
How to watch Texas vs. Texas Tech: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Which Texas school will end their skid?
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
The Longhorns’ three wins this season came against North Texas and the two worst teams in the Big 12 (Iowa State and Kansas). Right ahead of those two in the conference standings is Texas Tech, a team whose weaknesses may match well enough with Texas’ own to spell another conference victory. The Longhorns defense has been solid, but the “work in progress” offense has struggled to put points on the board with a patchwork offensive line.
Texas Tech’s lone conference victory came over Kansas, but to be fair the Red Raiders have not yet played Iowa State. The team won non-conference games against FCS Central Arkansas and UTEP, but a three-point loss to West Virginia might be their most impressive result of the season. Texas Tech can throw the ball around (and they’re running with high efficiency), but they have one of the most porous defensive units in the FBS.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET.
TV: FOX Sports 1.
Online streaming: Fox Sports Go.
Our blogs on these schools
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. The Longhorns are 3-5 with a 2-3 record in Big 12 play, while the the Red Raiders are 3-5 with a 1-4 mark against conference competition. Texas holds a 48-15 lead in the all-time series.
Vegas: Texas opened as a five-point favorite and that line has not moved since. The over/under for the game is set at 57.
Weather forecast: A high of 65 degrees and a low of 47 degrees on a mostly clear night.
Two things at stake
The losing team would be all but eliminated from bowl contention.
A win for the Red Raiders would snap a five-game losing streak against the Longhorns.
One big matchup
Texas running game vs. Texas Tech rushing defense. Part of the Longhorns’ offensive struggles have come due to their inconsistency in the running game. Starter Malcolm Brown is averaging 3.8 yards per carry, and the team has been held to fewer than 100 yards twice this season -- in blowout losses to BYU and Kansas State. The Red Raiders may be happy to help out, however, giving up an average of 5.0 yards per run, never allowing less than 100 yards on the ground in a game this season and topping 300 allowed twice (438 vs. Arkansas, 305 vs. TCU).
Further reading
For more on Texas, check out Barking Carnival and Burnt Orange Nation. For Texas Tech coverage, head over to Viva the Matadors.
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