Texas Tech (4-1, 2-0) vs. Arizona (3-1, 1-1)
When: Saturday, October 5th @ 10:00 pm
Where: Arizona Stadium | Tucson, AZ
TV & Streaming: FOX
Radio: TuneIn Radio
The Line: Arizona -6.5
Weather: Sunny, 101-73
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: Texas Tech football visits Arizona: Scouting report, predictions for Big 12 game
Score prediction: Arizona 40, Texas Tech 35
Bottom line: The numbers say that Texas Tech might have a better shot here than some may think. But the Red Raiders have failed in the area where Arizona excels the most, and have been brutal on the road in Joey McGuire’s tenure. It’ll take a major 180 in both areas to pull off the road win, so give me the Wildcats in a shootout.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams: College football super league a nice idea with no chance of materializing | Don Williams
Joining The Triple Option podcast this week, Sankey said he wouldn’t be dragging the SEC back down to the level of other conferences, “to be a part of some super league notion with 70 teams that some people speculate would happen. They want to be us and that’s on them to figure it out, not on me to bring myself back to earth.”
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams: Texas Tech football schedule second look: Ranking the last 7 opponents
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s Mike Craven: Texas Tech wide receiver Coy Eakin defines ‘West Texas Tough’
Arizona Daily Star’s Justin Spears: Saturday Storylines: Texas Tech ‘extremely different’ opponent for Arizona Wildcats
To counter Texas Tech’s finesse spread attack, the Wildcats could conceivably use its “dollar” package with seven defensive backs; that package was used for the first time this season against Kansas State. Even though nickel back Treydan Stukes is unlikely playing due to a leg injury he suffered at Utah, the Wildcats have a formidable secondary with Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week in Tacario Davis, free safety Gunner Maldonado, strong safety Dalton Johnson, cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew, do-everything defensive back Genesis Smith, safety Owen Goss and cornerback Emmanuel Karnley, who had two pass breakups in his first-ever start at Utah, among others.
The Athletic’s Sam Kahn & Justin Williams ($): Big 12 Chaos Meter: Nothing is going as expected — which is just right
Texas Tech (4-1, 2-0) at Arizona (3-1, 1-0), 11 p.m., Fox
The latest kickoff on this week’s FBS slate could be the most exciting. Arizona, fresh off a win over preseason Big 12 favorite Utah, suddenly has a much better outlook than it did a few weeks ago after getting blown out by Kansas State. Strong defense paired with clutch play by Noah Fifita is a recipe for future success, especially if he’s making throws like this one.
And Brent Brennan changing play callers, from offensive coordinator Dino Babers to tight ends coach Matt Adkins, paid off against the Utes.
The Red Raiders have also reversed their fortunes after a rough start. Getting running back Tahj Brooks healthy has been the biggest part of that equation. “Tahj Time,” as the Red Raiders call it, has been good to Texas Tech, which is 4-0 with him in the lineup this year.
These programs have a history: They were members of the Border Conference in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. They’ve met 33 times, but only once in the last 35 years.
Chaos potential: 5/5 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Texas Tech Cross-Country: Cheruiyot wins the Joe Piane Invitational [I know it’s difficult to pay attention to X/C, but I believe that Texas Tech has certified bad-asses in Ernest Cheruiyot who ran a 22:20.30 in his 8k (about 5 miles) to win this meet. While on the women’s side, Juliet Cherubet placed 2nd in a 5k with a time of 16:03.50.]
Texas Tech Soccer: Williams’ strike, suffocating defense, pushes Tech past BU, 1-0