Sport Preview: Pink Raiders journey to No. 16 NC State

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech’s first street check of the 2022 season awaits this Saturday as No. 16 N.C. State hosts the Pink Raiders at Carter-Finley Stadium (56,919). The sport kicks off at 6 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. native time, for the 2 squads that share a 2-0 document getting into the competition.

Anish Shroff will name the sport on ESPN2 on-site alongside analyst Brock Osweiler and sideline reporter Taylor McGregor. The published might be accessed from any desktop or laptop computer pc, a private mobile system and tv streaming providers utilizing the ESPN app. Registration for the subscription service might be discovered at ESPNPlus.com.

Texas Tech Sports activities Community will even broadcast the sport over 46 associates all through the state of Texas and New Mexico as Brian Jensen could have the decision alongside analyst John Harris and sideline reporter Chris Stage. The radio broadcast may also be heard on SiriusXM channel 108 or 199, in addition to on the Varsity app.

ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER TOP-25 FOE

• Texas Tech’s reward for its first top-25 win beneath head coach Joey McGuire is one other ranked foe this Saturday when the Pink Raiders journey to face No. 12 North Carolina State at Carter-Finley Stadium. Tech is coming off a 33-30 double-overtime win over No. 25 Houston this previous weekend.
• The Pink Raiders wish to safe back-to-back wins over ranked opponents in consecutive weeks for the primary time since Texas Tech downed No. 1 Texas and No. 8 Oklahoma State late within the 2008 season. Because the Related Press ballot debuted in 1936, Tech has not defeated a number of ranked non-conference foes within the common season in program historical past. 

GREAT START TO JOEY MCGUIRE ERA

• Texas Tech followers possible could not draw up a greater begin to the Joey McGuire period because the Pink Raiders blew out Murray State earlier than delivering the primary key victory beneath their new head coach in a 33-30 win over No. 25 Houston. For McGuire, he grew to become solely the second head coach in program historical past to high a top-25 workforce in his first-ever recreation towards a ranked foe.
• With a win at N.C. State this weekend, McGuire would grow to be solely the fourth head coach in program historical past to start out his profession with a 3-0 document, becoming a member of the likes of Dell Morgan (1941), Mike Leach (2000) and Kliff Kingsbury (2013).

 

 

RED RAIDERS, N.C. STATE SET FOR SIXTH ALL-TIME MEETING

• The journey to Raleigh will mark the sixth all-time assembly between Texas Tech and North Carolina State and the primary because the two colleges accomplished a home-and-home sequence in 2003. The Pink Raiders are 1-4 all-time towards the Wolfpack with the lone win coming in a 54-7 blowout of N.C. State in Lubbock to shut the 1952 season. 
• This would be the third time within the sequence the place the Pink Raiders have confronted a ranked N.C. State because the Wolfpack have been No. 25 within the polls in 1992 and No. 17 in 2002. Texas Tech got here near topping the Wolfpack in extra time throughout that 2002 assembly earlier than T.A. McLendon rushed for 5 speeding touchdowns to go together with 301 passing yards from future NFL nice Philip Rivers. 
• Two of the final three conferences between the 2 colleges have gone right down to the wire as N.C. State scored a game-winning landing as time expired to safe a 36-34 win in Lubbock in 1993 earlier than an extra time win almost a decade later in 2002. The loss in 1993 spoiled a powerful offensive efficiency by the Pink Raiders the place Bam Morris totaled 141 speeding yards and two touchdowns, whereas Robert Corridor accomplished 29-of-40 passes for 348 yards and a landing. 
• Texas Tech should wait a couple of years for N.C. State to make its return journey to Jones AT&T Stadium as a part of the home-and-home contract the 2 colleges signed in 2016. The ultimate recreation of the sequence could have the Wolfpack journey to Lubbock on Sept. 18, 2027.

RANDOM TIDBITS HEADING INTO FIRST ROAD TRIP OF THE YEAR

• Texas Tech improved to 8-7 all-time in extra time video games with its victory final weekend over No. 25 Houston. The win snapped a three-game dropping streak in extra time contests because the Pink Raiders’ final extra time win got here in 2016 with a 27-24 victory at TCU. Like Donovan Smith this previous weekend, Texas Tech additionally capitalized on the quarterback scramble in that win as Patrick Mahomes II discovered the top zone from 15 yards out within the first extra time, which was adopted by a Clayton Hatfield 37-yard area objective to win it a interval later. 
• Texas Tech was beforehand 2-3 all-time in extra time video games towards ranked foes after edging No. 23 Texas A&M, 48-47, in a memorable victory in 2002 after which No. 21 TCU, 56-53, in 2012. The Pink Raiders had gone to extra time in two of the final three seasons beforehand, falling at No. 22 Baylor and towards No. 8 Texas in 2020. 
• The victory over Houston marked its fifth-straight within the sequence and its tenth within the final 11 conferences between the 2 future Large 12 Convention members. That five-game successful streak matches the longest all-time within the sequence. 
• Texas Tech is 10-17 all-time towards present members of the Atlantic Coast Convention. Texas Tech’s 5 earlier conferences with N.C. State match its most all-time towards ACC opponents because the Pink Raiders are additionally 1-4 traditionally towards Florida State and Miami. Over their historical past, the Pink Raiders have additionally confronted Boston School (2-1), Clemson (1-0), Georgia Tech (0-2), North Carolina (1-2), Virginia (1-0) and Wake Forest (2-0). 
• Texas Tech’s 96 factors via the primary two weeks of the season are its most since totaling 104 on the identical level of its 2018 marketing campaign, which featured a 47-27 loss versus Ole Miss and a 77-0 rout of Lamar.

CHALLENGING SCHEDULE CONTINUES

• The begin to the Joey McGuire period has not been a straightforward one for the Pink Raiders, who’re within the midst of probably three-straight ranked opponents. Texas Tech began that stretch with a victory over No. 25 Houston and follows with contests at No. 16/12 N.C. State and No. 21/20 Texas (AP/AFCA polls).
• Texas Tech is one in all solely 4 power-five convention colleges that have been slated to face not less than two non-conference opponents ranked within the preseason Related Press high 25. That checklist additionally contains Pac-12 packages Oregon and Stanford together with the SEC’s Arkansas.
• There is only one power-five program, Mississippi State, that had extra preseason AP high 25 groups on its season schedule than Texas Tech with six. The Pink Raiders’ preseason schedule pit them towards 5 AP top-25 ranked opponents, and are one in all 10 Energy 5 groups confronted with that sort of 2022 schedule (Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse, Stanford, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina and Vanderbilt).
• Since each Houston and N.C. State remained within the top-25 polls previous to going through the Pink Raiders, this marks the primary time since 2002 that Texas Tech has confronted a number of ranked non-conference opponents in a season. The Pink Raiders beforehand began the 2002 marketing campaign at No. 12 Ohio State earlier than touring later to face No. 16 N.C. State within the fourth week of the season. This might be solely the sixth time in program historical past the place the Pink Raiders have confronted a number of ranked non-conference opponents in an everyday season since becoming a member of the Southwest Convention in 1960. Texas Tech additionally confronted a number of ranked non-conference groups in 1994 (No. 1 Nebraska, No. 21 Oklahoma), 1992 (No. 15 Oklahoma, No. 25 N.C. State), 1990 (No. 18 Ohio State, No. 8 Miami) and 1975 (No. 15 Oklahoma State, No. 13 Arizona). 
• Along with each Houston and N.C. State, the Pink Raiders will open Large 12 play towards Texas, which is ranked No. 20 within the AFCA coaches ballot and is at No. 21 n the AP ballot. Texas Tech will comply with with contests at Kansas State, which can also be receiving votes in each polls, after which at No. 8/7 Oklahoma State. 
• In its historical past, Texas Tech has began off just one different season with three of its first 4 video games towards ranked opponents because the Pink Raiders final did so in 1978 towards the likes of No. 9 Southern Cal, No. 6 Texas and No. 7 Texas A&M. Tech dropped all three of these video games, falling 17-9 at Southern Cal after which 24-7 at house to Texas and 38-9 in School Station to the Aggies. The Pink Raiders recovered, although, to win their subsequent six video games as a part of a 7-4 season beneath Rex Dockery.

 

 

THE CHAIN GANG

• On offense, the Pink Raiders have stored the chain gang busy, however whereas on protection, they have loads of relaxation. The Pink Raider offense has manufactured the eighth-most first downs (64) within the FBS up to now this season, whereas the protection is limiting opponents to the Thirteenth-least first downs (26) within the FBS.
• The Pink Raiders are averaging 32.0 first downs per recreation in two video games beneath first-year offensive coordinator Zach Kittley, rating T-2nd greatest within the FBS. Below first-year defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, opponents are averaging 13.0 first downs per recreation, rating Thirteenth nationally within the FBS. 
• Texas Tech didn’t enable a single first down within the second half versus Murray State and buckled down once more within the second half versus Houston permitting simply 5 first downs, together with just one first down allowed to the Cougars within the fourth quarter. Texas Tech restricted Houston to 13 first downs in regulation earlier than giving up three extra between the 2 extra time intervals for its 16 within the recreation.
• The Pink Raiders have solely surrendered six first downs by way of the opponent run recreation, rating T-4th least within the FBS.

MAN FOR THE THEATRICS

• Donovan Smith is 3-2 as a beginning quarterback and 2-1 in video games performed at Jones AT&T Stadium. In each wins, every got here in a dramatic style that despatched fellow classmates right into a frenzy, speeding the sector in celebration. The primary win got here by way of a 62-yard area objective as time expired versus Iowa State in 2021 and the newest was final weekend as Smith, himself, escaped strain and scored a landing from nine-yards-out within the second extra time that received the sport after the Cougars transformed a area objective with their second extra time possession.
• Smith set profession highs throughout the board in Texas Tech’s win over Houston, snapping his earlier profession highs for completions (36), makes an attempt (58) and passing yards (351) in addition to a career-long run (27) within the win. It was the second 300-yard recreation of Smith’s profession as Texas Tech is now 2-0 in these video games after defeating Iowa State a yr in the past. 
• The ball was in Smith’s fingers usually towards the Cougars as he made 79 whole offensive makes an attempt with 58 passes and 21 rushes. It marked the second-most whole offensive performs by a Pink Raider courting again to 2000, trailing solely the 100 makes an attempt Patrick Mahomes II made on a record-setting night time towards Oklahoma in 2016. 
• Whereas Texas Tech quarterbacks have constructed fairly the popularity for passing yards, it was Smith’s legs that made an affect towards Houston as he escaped for a 27-yard run late in regulation after which adopted with the game-winning landing in double extra time. His 21 speeding makes an attempt have been probably the most by a Pink Raider quarterback since Zebbie Lethridge had the identical whole within the 1996 season opener versus Kansas State, which was Tech’s first as Large 12 members.

THE RIGHT FIT

• Identified for his versatility all through his Texas Tech profession, sixth-year senior Kosi Eldridge has discovered his place on the Pink Raiders’ protection as its beginning “Will” Linebacker (weak-side linebacker). Eldridge, in his third season as a Pink Raider, was utilized in a number of linebacker spots and a hybrid defensive again function in 2020, and as a defensive again in 2021, however was shifted to weak-side linebacker in fall camp, and earned the beginning job. 
• Eldridge has recorded 1.0 TFL in every of the primary two video games at his new place to start out the 2022 season. He entered this yr with 1.5 TFLs in his Tech profession with 1.0 in 2020 and 0.5 in 2021.
• Eldridge shined versus Houston posting a career-high seven tackles, besting his earlier excessive of 4. 
• No deal with might have been extra necessary than his first sack since 2020 on a third and 4 from the TTU15 that set Houston again 15 yards and compelled an tried 47-yard area objective that was missed on 4th and 19 late within the third quarter.

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