Countdown to Kickoff – Texas Tech – West Virginia College Athletics

Story of the Tape
Factors Per Sport	37.4	29.7
Factors In opposition to	36.3	29.2
Speeding Yards Per Sport	157.5	197.5
Speeding Yards Allowed Per Sport	147.2	135.3
Passing Yards Per Sport	292.6	194.6
Passing Yards Allowed Per Sport	309.0	260.7
Complete Yards Per Sport	450.1	392.1
Complete Yards Allowed Per Sport	456.2	396.0
First Downs For	265	243
First Downs In opposition to	255	234
Fumbles/Misplaced	17/10	15/3
Interceptions/Return Yards	12/126	4/101
Web Punting	37.3	41.7
Area Aim/Makes an attempt	18/20	11/12
Time of Possession	30:37	31:36
third Down Conversions	88/186	61/148
third Down Conversion Protection	50/142	62/133
4th Down Conversions	14/27	23/35
4th Down Conversion Protection	14/23	13/20
Sacks By/Yards Misplaced	15/101	20/155

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -Bowl-eligible West Virginia concludes its common season in opposition to one other bowl-eligible group, Texas Tech, right now at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
 
The Crimson Raiders at the moment are 7-4 total and 5-3 in Large 12 play following final Saturday’s 56-48 victory at Oklahoma State. It was essentially the most factors Tech has scored in a Large 12 street recreation in seven years.
 
Quarterback Behren Morton accomplished 37 of his 53 cross makes an attempt for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns in opposition to the Cowboys, a kind of going to working again Tahj Brooks, who rushed 28 instances for 133 yards with three TDs.
 
Brooks, who’s trailing UCF’s RJ Harvey by 141 yards for the Large 12 speeding title, is second to San Diego State’s Marquez Cooper amongst all lively FBS backs with 4,369 profession yards. The senior just lately topped Byron Hanspard’s college profession speeding document in opposition to Colorado, and he is now fourth in Large 12 historical past, passing Missouri quarterback Brad Smith.
 
Brooks has rushed for greater than 100 yards 18 instances over his final 21 video games since 2021, and at present leads all FBS backs with 21 consecutive video games speeding for at the very least 95 yards.
 
He has a pair of 100-yard performances in opposition to West Virginia, gaining 149 final 12 months in Morgantown and going for 107 two years in the past in Lubbock.
 
Morton additionally had success in opposition to West Virginia in Lubbock two years in the past when he accomplished 28 of 45 for 325 yards and two touchdowns in Tech’s 48-10 blowout win, however final 12 months, he was simply 13 of 37 for 158 yards in a 20-13 Mountaineer win.
 
Morton’s profession passing figures embody 546 completions in 890 makes an attempt for five,850 yards and 47 touchdowns in 32 profession video games.
 
The Crimson Raiders have a slew of cross catching choices, led by 6-foot-1, 195-pound sixth-year senior Josh Kelly’s 80 catches for 873 yards and 5 touchdowns.
 
Caleb Douglas, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior, has 52 catches for 712 yards and 5 touchdowns, whereas sophomore Coy Eakin, a 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, reveals 39 catches for 557 yards and a team-best six scores.
 
Tight finish Jalin Conyers, a 6-foot-4, 265-pounder, has caught 25 passes for 271 yards and 5 touchdowns whereas teammate Mason Tharp is without doubt one of the tallest tight ends within the nation standing 6-feet-9. He has 10 catches for 85 yards and a landing.
 
The Crimson Raiders are ranked 11^th in passing offense, 12^th in scoring offense and 17^th in whole offense. Different noteworthy classes are first downs, ranked 10^th, third-down conversion charge, ranked 13^th, crimson zone offense, additionally ranked 13^th, and interception avoidance, ranked 24^th.
 
“They do plenty of issues,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown mentioned. “They’re balanced, and so they have one of many higher gamers within the league in working again Tahj Brooks, who has been there for a very long time. He is nice within the working recreation, however in addition they use him within the passing recreation. Their quarterback is taking part in at a excessive degree, and so they’ve received plenty of playmakers at each tight finish and wideout.
 
“It may be a problem. They play actually quick, and so they wish to get the ball down the sphere,” Brown added.
 
Texas Tech has a large disparity in first-quarter scoring the place the Crimson Raiders are outscoring their opponents 120 to 69.
 
Defensively, nevertheless, it has been one other matter.
 
Tech ranks 125^th in scoring protection this week, giving up 36.3 factors per recreation. The Crimson Raider cross protection ranks final within the convention and is 132^nd out of 134 groups, surrendering 309.9 yards per contest, whereas their whole defensive rating is 125^th this week, permitting 456.2 yards per recreation.
 
Different poor areas are penalties (124^th), first-down protection (122^nd), cross effectivity protection (118^th), punt return protection (116^th), punt returns (112^th), crimson zone protection (107^th) and internet punting (101^st).
 
When Tech does get stops, junior weakside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez is the participant normally concerned. The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder leads the Crimson Raider protection in just about each class, together with whole tackles with 112. His stat line additionally consists of 8½ tackles for loss, 5 quarterback hurries, 4 sacks, three cross breakups, three pressured fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
 
The Tech secondary has been in a position to provide you with 12 interceptions, together with three from senior sturdy security C.J. Baskerville.
 
Different areas of word are kickoff return protection, the place Tech ranks 13^th, and place kicker Gino Garcia, who has made 15 of his 16 makes an attempt this 12 months together with a protracted of 53 yards.
Nevertheless, punter Jack Burgess reveals a internet of simply 37.28 yards on his 43 punts.
 
West Virginia (6-5 total and 5-3 in Large 12 play) has struggled in its two prior journeys to Lubbock in 2020 and 2022. Brown’s first go to there in 2020 was tied within the fourth quarter till Zech McPhearson recovered Sam James’ fumble and returned it 56 yards for a landing in a 34-27 Tech victory.
 
Two years in the past, Texas Tech totally dominated WVU in a 48-10 triumph. Quarterback Garrett Greene received into the sport in aid of J.T. Daniels and accomplished one cross for 15 yards and ran twice for minus-1 yard.
 
Final 12 months, it was backup Nicco Marchiol getting the snaps with Greene nursing an ankle damage, and the freshman led WVU to a 20-13 win, snapping Tech’s four-game sequence profitable streak. That was among the finest efforts by a West Virginia protection within the final couple of years, the Mountaineers limiting the Crimson Raiders to solely 256 whole yards and only one Morton landing cross within the fourth quarter.
 
The Mountaineers, just like the Crimson Raiders, have had points on protection all 12 months lengthy and are available into right now’s conflict ranked 127^th in cross effectivity protection, 122^nd in cross protection, 121^st in interceptions, 117^th in turnovers gained and 11^th in fourth-down protection.
 
WVU’s prime three classes are penalty avoidance, ranked sixth with 45 in 11 video games, speeding offense, ranked 22^nd averaging 197.5 yards per recreation, and fourth down conversion charge, ranked 23^rd at 65.7%.
 
Greene accomplished 13 of his 21 cross makes an attempt for 118 yards and a landing, whereas contributing a further 49 yards on the bottom, in final Saturday’s 31-21 win in opposition to UCF to develop into bowl eligible for the fourth time in six seasons at WVU underneath Brown.
 
The senior is finishing 55.5% of his 236 cross makes an attempt for 1,707 yards and 12 touchdowns whereas speeding 116 instances for 649 yards with 5 scores.
 
Junior CJ Donaldson Jr. led the bottom assault final Saturday with 96 yards and two touchdowns, boosting his season totals to 621 yards and 9 scores. Sophomore Jahiem White continues to guide the Mountaineers on the bottom with 693 yards.
 
Tight finish Kole Taylor has been the No. 1 cross catching goal with 38 receptions for 396 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Hudson Clement is now second with 36 catches for 535 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Defensively, senior security Anthony Wilson Jr. has reclaimed the group lead with 88 whole tackles, 4 stops higher than redshirt freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter’s 84 tackles.
 
Senior defensive deal with TJ Jackson II continues to guide the Mountaineers with 6½ sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
 
Right here is right now’s Countdown to Kickoff:
 
10 – West Virginia has scored TEN touchdowns on first down this season – six speeding and 4 passing. Second down has been most bountiful, the Mountaineers scoring 15 touchdowns on that down.
 
9 – Senior security Anthony Wilson Jr. ranks NINTH this week within the Large 12 with a mean of seven.8 tackles per recreation.
 
8 – Tyrin Bradley Jr.’s two fumble recoveries rank EIGHTH within the nation this week.
 
7 – West Virginia has the SEVENTH-best speeding assault amongst Energy 4 groups this week, averaging 197.5 yards per recreation.
 
6 – The Mountaineer offense scored on its opening drive for the SIXTH time this season in opposition to UCF final Saturday. 
 
5 – Solely FIVE of West Virginia’s final 23 opponents have handed for greater than 300 yards in a recreation.
 
4 – WVU ranks FOURTH nationally this week in fewest penalties with 45 by 11 video games.
 
3 – Offensive deal with Wyatt Milum is the THIRD-ranked offensive deal with within the nation, in line with PFF School’s grading system. The senior is grading out at 90.1% and has not allowed a quarterback sack in 289 whole snaps this 12 months.
 
2 – West Virginia has received 11 Large 12 video games during the last TWO seasons, rating second amongst all league groups throughout that span.
 
1 – The Mountaineers proceed to rank FIRST nationally with 23 profitable fourth-down conversions heading into the ultimate weekend of the common season.
 
West Virginia holds a 7-6 benefit within the sequence, which features a 7-6 victory within the 1937 Solar Bowl. Since becoming a member of the Large 12 in 2012, the 2 groups are tied 6-6.
 
A midday kickoff has been established for right now’s recreation and tv protection might be supplied by FS1 with Eric Collins and Spencer Tillman dealing with the decision.
 
Mountaineer Sports activities Community radio protection might be dealt with by Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning and can air on stations all through West Virginia, on-line through WVUsports.com and the Varsity Community and WVU Gameday apps.