TTU Football vs UT Preview
After starting their season out 3-0 for the first time since 2017, the Texas Tech Red Raiders Football team will be back in action this Saturday, September 25th, at 11 am. The matchup will take place in Austin, Texas, at Darrel K Royal Texas-Memorial Stadium as the Red Raiders will take on the Texas Longhorns in each of the team’s first Big 12 Conference matchups. Without further ado, check out Campus Live’s exclusive TTU vs. UT preview.
Texas This Year
The Texas Longhorns are coming into Saturday’s contest with a 2-1 record and have had an interesting path to get where they are. The Longhorns began their season ranked in the top 25 and would beat out Louisiana 38-18 to start their season. Then in their second game of the season, the Longhorns headed up to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. In a blowout, the Longhorns would be throttled and drop their first game 41-20. Texas would get back on track with a dominant 58-0 win over Rice in their last game.
Before the season even began, the Longhorns would be one of the best in the business. With their new head coach Steve Sarkisian. Formerly the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama. Sarkisian helped lead the Crimson Tide to several college football playoffs and national championships. With a coach with a championship-caliber resume and a plethora of four- and five-stars athletes. The Longhorns have the talent to win games and make a championship run.
Texas Players
The Texas Longhorns have several players who can make big-time plays at any time on their squad. The probable leader for the Longhorns will be Casey Thompson. Thompson has completed 39 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. While there still is a chance that Hudson Card could play, keep an eye out for both quarterbacks to be potential threats for the Red Raiders.
The next name on the TTU vs UT Preview is the young man in the run game that has proven himself to be an NFL guy. That being Bijan Robinson, who has already rushed for 299 yards this season on just 52 attempts. Robinson also has five touchdowns on the season and is dangerous anywhere on the field with a 62-yard long run this season.
Texas also has a dangerous passing game, with their two primary receivers being Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington. Worthy has ten receptions for 163 yards with one touchdown on the season. He leads the Longhorns in receiving yards. Whittington leads the team in receptions with 13 catches for 152 yards with one touchdown. He has a season-long with 41 yards and is currently averaging 11.7 yards per catch. With many dangerous receivers, the Texas Tech secondary will have to be ready to shut down the passing game.
Defensive Side
On the defensive side of things, there are two players on top of a stacked roster to keep an eye on. Those players being Demarvion Overshown and Luke Brockermeyer, who led the team with a combined 45 tackles. Overshown, who plays linebacker, has 11 solo tackles and 14 assist tackles on the season. Combined Overshown has an impressive 25 tackles. On the other end, Brockermeyer has five solo tackles and 15 assists on tackles for a combined 20 tackles on the season. Both are significant threats on the defensive in both the secondary and in the backfield. Texas Tech will need to key in on the two to help their run game get going.
Keys to Winning
If Texas Tech wants to hang with the Longhorns, there are a few things they will need to do to achieve that. The first thing the Red Raiders will need to do is come out from kickoff ready to play. Thus far in the season, Texas Tech has underperformed in the first half and quarter by getting out to slow starts. Against top-caliber teams such as Texas, the game could get out of hand early.
On the offensive side of things, the Red Raiders will need to establish a run game early. By establishing a run game, the team will be able to pass the ball easier throughout the game. When the team can pass, they will need to find multiple receivers and not rely on Ezukanma to have a balanced offense.
As for the defensive side of the ball, the defensive line will need to set the line early. With the Longhorns having an NFL-caliber running back. They will need to control the line to shut down the run game. The secondary must be locked in with several receivers for Texas that could go off at any time.
Overall TTU vs UT Preview
Overall, the TTU vs UT Preview holds many big names as Texas Tech will have their hands full this Saturday. On September 25th, in Austin, Texas, at Darrel K. Royal Texas-Memorial Stadium. The 11 am will be the kickoff for Big 12 Conference play for both teams and will be a crucial game heading into the season.
You can watch the game on ABC or Texas Tech Sports Network, and tickets for the game are still available at TexasTech.com.
For Texas Tech’s entire football schedule click here!
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Story by Campus Live Employee Trinity Porter