FACTS & STATS: Site: Jones AT&T Stadium (60,454) — Lubbock, Texas.
Television: ESPN. Home Record: Oklahoma 2-2, Texas Tech 2-3. Away Record:
Oklahoma 3-1, Texas Tech 1-3. Neutral Record: Oklahoma 1-0, Texas Tech 0-0.
Conference Record: Oklahoma 3-3, Texas Tech 1-5. Series Record: Oklahoma
leads, 15-6.
GAME NOTES: With little time to ponder the possibilities following losses in
three of their last five games, the now unranked Oklahoma Sooners hit the road
for a Big 12 Conference clash with the Texas Tech Red Raiders this Saturday.
Oklahoma was demolished at home by No. 10 Baylor last week, 48-14, as the
Bears won for the first time ever in Norman. The setback dropped the Sooners
to 6-3 on the year, and evened their league ledger at 3-3. Since 2000, OU is
32-0 in games following a loss during the regular season, and the Sooners have
won 10 straight road games against unranked Big 12 opponents.
Texas Tech has lost twice as many games as it has won in Kliff Kingsbury’s
second season at the helm, and the Red Raiders are hoping to stop a two-game
slide this week following defeats to a pair of intrastate rivals in TCU
(82-27) and Texas (34-13). Tech, which was idle last weekend, is just 1-5 in
conference this season, and has lost 10 of its last 11 against Big 12 foes.
The Red Raiders are 1-12 in November games dating back to 2011.
Oklahoma leads the all-time series with Texas Tech, 15-6, with its most recent
triumph coming last season in Norman, 38-30.
Oklahoma held a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter last week against
Baylor, but from there the wheels fell off as the Bears scored 45 unanswered
points, finishing with 544 yards of total offense, compared to only 319 for
the Sooners.
Trevor Knight went just 12-of-27 for 146 yards, and he did throw a pair of
early scoring strikes while being picked off once. Knight was carted off the
field in the fourth quarter, and test results on his neck and head came back
negative. Still, his status moving forward is questionable, which means backup
Cody Thomas could see extended action. Michiah Quick hauled in six balls for
94 yards and a score against the Bears, while the OU run game saw Alex Ross
tally 71 yards on only six totes.
Oklahoma’s defense took it on the chin last week, allowing the Bears to pound
out 200 yards on the ground and tally another 396 through the air. Baylor
scored on all seven of its visits to the red zone, including five TDs, and the
Bears held more than a 10-minute advantage in time of possession. As he has
done throughout the season, Dominique Alexander paced the Sooners with 18
tackles, while Ahmad Thomas had 14.
Knight has been effective, if not overly explosive this season, completing
58.1 percent of his passes for nearly 2,200 yards, 14 TDs and nine INTs, with
Sterling Shepard posting 50 receptions for 957 yards and five scores. As for
the run game, Samaje Perine leads the way with 788 yards and 11 TDs.
From a statistical standpoint, the Sooners are scoring about two TDs more per
game than the opposition on average, and they have utilized a balanced attack
(225 ypg rushing, 251.1 ypg passing) in doing so.
They have done a solid job stopping the run (121.2 ypg), but have been much
more lax in their aerial defense (280.2 ypg). Alexander has amassed 79 total
stops, while Zack Sanchez has picked off five passes, and Eric Striker has 5.5
sacks.
With their recent loss to Texas, the Red Raiders were assured of posting their
fifth straight losing record in Big 12 play. Kingsbury’s crew is averaging
28.4 points and 472.3 yards per contest, but it permits 41.6 points and 503.1
yards per outing. Foes have preferred balance over exploiting one particular
area of the Tech defense, running for 246.6 ypg and 26 TDs while airing it out
for 256.6 ypg and 21 scores.
Davis Webb (.612, 2,539 yards, 24 TDs, 13 INTs) is the team’s starting QB, but
he is injured and listed as questionable for this week’s game. Backup Patrick
Mahomes (.568, 228 yards, two TDs, two INTs) is also banged up, leaving
Vincent Testaverde, Jr. (.577, 116 yards, no TDs, one INT) as the only truly
healthy signal-caller on which Kingsbury can rely.
Regardless of who lines up under center, expect them to look for standout
receivers Jakeem Grant and Brad Marquez, the duo combining for than 100
catches, more than 1,300 yards, and 12 TDs. As for the Tech rushing attack,
DeAndre Washington has picked up 796 yards, but has only scored one TD.
Washington rumbled his way to 97 yards on 16 carries in the loss to Texas,
while Testaverde, Jr., a freshman walk-on, finished the game in place of the
injured Mahomes.
Pete Robertson has clearly been the Red Raiders’ most active defender, as he
has logged 62 tackles, nine of which have been sacks, and he also leads the
team with five quarterback hurries. Texas Tech has only come up with three
INTs, two belonging to J.J. Gaines, and a meager 10 takeaways in all.
If Knight is unable to go for OU, the Red Raiders have a shot. That is of
course, if Webb can go and they somehow put together a complete effort in all
phases of the game. In the end, expect something of a shootout, but for the
Sooners to get back in the win column.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Oklahoma 41, Texas Tech 27
