Recreation Preview: Homecoming vs. West Virginia

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will look to return to its profitable methods Saturday when the Purple Raiders host West Virginia inside Jones AT&T Stadium. The competition will function Tech’s annual Homecoming sport because the Purple Raiders will likely be searching for their first win over the Mountaineers at house because the 2012 season, which was West Virginia’s first yr as Huge 12 Convention members.

The sport will likely be broadcast on ESPN2 with Anish Shroff on the decision alongside analyst Tom Luginbill with Ian Fitzsimmons reporting from the sidelines. Followers can entry the sport from their cellular or streaming system through the use of the ESPN app.

The 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 can have the decision alongside analyst John Harris, sideline reporter Chris Degree and engineer Steve Pitts. The radio broadcast may also be heard on XM channel 201, Sirius channel 121 or through the TuneIn app.

HOMECOMING IN RAIDERLAND

Texas Tech is 55-32-3 all-time on Homecoming with wins in 9 of its final 13 video games courting again to the 2007 season.

The Purple Raiders are 18-6 in Homecoming video games through the Huge 12 period. Texas Tech has misplaced consecutive Homecoming video games simply as soon as throughout that span, which got here through the 2016-17 seasons towards No. 20 West Virginia and Iowa State.

That is the third time Texas Tech has hosted West Virginia on Homecoming as the 2 faculties have break up the earlier two conferences. The Purple Raiders routed then-No. 4 West Virginia, 49-14, of their 2012 Homecoming sport, whereas the Mountaineers returned the favor with a 48-17 victory in 2016.

Texas Tech’s first-ever Homecoming sport got here in 1930 when the Purple Raiders fell to Hardin-Simmons, 20-6, within the closing sport of the season. That marked solely Tech’s sixth season fielding a collegiate soccer program.

NOT YOUR TYPICAL START TIME

When Texas Tech’s kickoff time versus West Virginia was introduced, many puzzled when the final time the Purple Raiders performed in a 4:30 p.m. kickoff. Sometimes, the Purple Raiders are slotted for a 6 p.m. or later begin or at 11 a.m. or 2 or 3 p.m. for earlier video games. The truth is, that is the primary time the Purple Raiders have kicked off at 4:30 p.m. because the Purple Raiders traveled to TCU for a non-conference sport in 2006. That sport was broadcast stay on Outside Life Community.

COLOMBI TO MAKE FIRST CAREER START

Matt Wells and his workers will look to create a spark offensively this weekend as Henry Colombi has been tabbed Texas Tech’s beginning quarterback versus the Mountaineers. This would be the first profession begin for Colombi, who arrived at Texas Tech this summer season as a switch from Utah State.

In solely two video games, Colombi has boosted the Purple Raiders by the air as he has accomplished 74.1 % of his passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He made his debut early within the Kansas State sport the place he helped convey Tech again from a 14-point deficit thanks partially to 244 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE BIG GUYS UP FRONT

Saturday’s contest will pit two of the Huge 12’s finest models towards one another because the Purple Raider offensive line will face a West Virginia defensive entrance that averages a conference-best 4.0 sacks per sport. Texas Tech, alternatively, is the league chief after solely permitting three sacks by its first 4 video games.

West Virginia at the moment boasts the nation’s prime protection because the Mountaineers are permitting an FBS-leading 240.3 yards per sport. They are going to be dealing with a Purple Raider offense that’s at the moment averaging 451.5 yards of whole offense per sport, together with 310.0 yards by the air.

RED RAIDERS FOLLOWING BYE WEEKS

Historically, Texas Tech has carried out effectively, particularly at house, within the weeks following a bye because the Purple Raiders are 16-12 through the Huge 12 period, which incorporates an 8-3 file in video games performed at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Matt Wells is a powerful 8-2 over his profession in video games instantly following a bye week.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Texas Tech and West Virginia will meet for the tenth time Saturday because the Mountaineers lead the general collection with a 6-3 benefit.

This would be the ninth time the 2 faculties have met since West Virginia joined the Huge 12 previous to the 2012 season. Tech enters this weekend searching for its first win over West Virginia at house because the Mountaineers’ first-ever go to to Lubbock in 2012.

The Purple Raiders snapped a five-game shedding streak to the Mountaineers a yr in the past as Texas Tech handed West Virginia a 38-17 loss in Morgantown.

The one different assembly between the 2 faculties exterior the Huge 12 period got here within the 1938 Solar Bowl the place West Virginia edged the Purple Raiders, 7-6, in entrance of 12,000 followers in El Paso. It was the primary of now 38 bowl appearances for the Purple Raiders.

TEXAS TECH – WVU CONNECTIONS

Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown was the Purple Raiders’ offensive coordinator for all three seasons (2010-12) of Tommy Tuberville’s tenure.

West Virginia quarterback Jarret Doege is the youthful brother of former Texas Tech sign caller Seth Doege, who stays probably the most correct passers at school historical past.

WVU assistant head coach and offensive line coach Matt Moore served because the Purple Raiders’ offensive line coach from 2007-11

WVU Co-offensive coordinator and working backs coach Chad Scott was the Texas Tech working backs coach from 2010-12

WVU quarterbacks coach Sean Reagan was a graduate assistant on the Texas Tech workers in 2010

Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson spent two years in Morgantown, serving as West Virginia’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2012 earlier than being promoted to the only real defensive coordinator for the 2013 season.

Tech line of defense coach Paul Randolph oversaw the Mountaineers’ line of defense and particular groups models in 2002.

STAT NOTABLES vs. WEST VIRGINIA

T.J. Vasher had his popping out social gathering, so to talk, towards West Virginia in 2017 because the then-redshirt freshman maximized his two catches as he took a display cross 60 yards to the tip zone on Texas Tech’s opening possession earlier than including a 53-yard landing seize over a defender halfway by the second quarter. It marked the primary 100-yard efficiency of Vasher’s profession as his 60-yard snag stays the longest catch of his profession.

Dalton Rigdon reached the 100-yard for the primary time in his profession final yr versus West Virginia as he hauled in three passes for 106 yards, together with a career-long 81-yard reception that went for a landing. His landing catch over the center helped push the Purple Raiders to a 14-3 lead halfway by the primary quarter.

DaMarcus Fields recorded the primary of his now two profession video games with double-digit tackles versus West Virginia as he posted 10 within the 2018 assembly towards the Mountaineers. Fields got here near that whole towards final yr earlier than ending with 9 tackles and a key interception in Texas Tech’s victory.

Eli Howard has discovered his method into the backfield for a sack in every of the previous three video games towards West Virginia. Howard has 15.5 sacks for his profession with 3.0 of these coming versus the Mountaineers.

Riko Jeffers performed an enormous position in Texas Tech creating 4 takeaways towards the Mountaineers a yr in the past as he knocked unfastened two pressured fumbles to associate with 5 tackles and a cross breakup. For his profession, Jeffers has 9 tackles versus the Mountaineers, together with 3.0 which have gone for a loss.

FINAL NOTES

Following this weekend, Texas Tech can have already confronted three of the top-four groups at the moment within the Huge 12 standings. Kansas State and Iowa State sit atop the league standings at 3-0, whereas West Virginia is at the moment in fourth place with a 2-1 convention file.

Texas Tech’s three losses this season have come towards faculties at the moment within the prime 25 polls (Kansas State, Iowa State) and one different in Texas that’s receiving votes after beforehand being ranked as excessive as No. 8 nationally.

Texas Tech is seeking to keep away from an 0-4 begin to Huge 12 play with a win over West Virginia. The Purple Raiders haven’t opened convention play with four-straight losses since 1985 when Tech dropped its first 5 Southwest Convention contests below then head coach Jerry Moore.

That is solely Texas Tech’s second 0-3 begin to league play through the Huge 12 period because the Purple Raiders beforehand began their convention slate with three-consecutive losses in 2014. Tech’s first convention win that season got here at house the next Saturday towards Kansas.