Tag: Lubbock

Texas Longhorns vs Texas Tech: Five facts before kickoff

With the Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders set to kickoff on Saturday, we explore five facts about the upcoming game.

The Texas Longhorns will travel to Lubbock on Saturday for their Big 12 opener against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. In their history, the Longhorns have owned this series winning 52 in their 69-game history. Currently the streak stands at two for Texas. Last year the Longhorns won 49-24 after falling down 14-0 early on.

In 1999 Texas won by their largest margin of victory with 51 points. That day they won 58-7 snapping a two-game skid to the Red Raiders. The largest margin of victory for Tech came in 1994 with a 33-9 margin. From 1993-98, Tech won four of six matchups between the two teams. The longest win streak in the series is eight by Texas from 1958-1966.

Here are five facts about the game coming up on Saturday.

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Conference Opener: Texas Tech to limit stadium capacity to 25 percent

When the Texas Longhorns open the Big 12 Conference schedule they will be traveling to Lubbock. Texas Tech announced 25% capacity for fans.

When the Big 12 Conference announced the new schedules for the upcoming 2020 college football season, the order of opponents changed. Instead of playing Kansas State in the conference opener, the Longhorns will instead head to Lubbock, Texas on September 26th to play the Red Raiders.

The Longhorns finished the 2019 season in a game against Texas Tech. After falling behind 14-0 early on in the contest, Sam Ehlinger and the team rallied to defeat Tech 49-24. Thanks in large part to a 22-point outburst in the second quarter.

Texas has defeated Tech five consecutive times in Lubbock. We won’t mention the last time Texas failed to defeat the Red Raiders. The Longhorns hold a commanding 52-17 edge in the series all-time in 69 games. If fans plan on making the trip to Lubbock for this year’s game, there will only be a handful of fans allowed at the game.

Nicole Auerbach of the Athletic is reporting that only 25 percent of the stadium capacity will be in attendance. Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock holds around 60,000 seats. Essentially only 15,000 fans will be able to attend.

While the Texas Governor Greg Abbott has stated that venues in the state can have upwards of 50 percent capacity, most universities are willing to take the risk of inviting more fans into the stadium.

Recently it was reported that the Texas Longhorns were currently discussing if they would have 50 or 25 percent capacity in their stadium. They were leaning towards the latter Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium will likely only have 25,000 fans for home games this fall.

Three reasons Texas will beat Texas Tech

Texas has a very important game to close out the season against Texas Tech. Here are three reasons the Longhorns will beat the Red Raiders.

Texas has a very important game to close out the season against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Currently sitting at 6-5, Texas needs a win to guarantee another winning season under Tom Herman. Needing a walk-off win from Lil’ Jordan Humphrey to win in Lubbock last season, the Longhorns should be able to win by a greater margin this year.

Here are three reasons Texas will beat Texas Tech:

Texas Tech’s pass defense

Going into this week, the Red Raiders have the worst passing defense in the entire conference. Opponents have thrown for an average of 369.4 yards per game against Texas Tech, including three 400 yard games for Oklahoma, Kansas, and West Virginia.

Quarterback Sam Ehlinger and the Longhorn passing game has been this team’s strong throughout the season. Ehlinger has thrown for 3,114 yards, the third-most in the Big 12. He has also found the endzone 27 times in the air, only trailing Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts.

While the passing game is coming off a rough game against Baylor, Texas should be able to throw all over this Texas Tech defense. Wide receiver Devin Duvernay will be important, but other receivers like Brennan Eagles and Malcolm Epps need to step up for the Longhorns. If they can, Texas should be able to win easily.

Home field advantage

Even though the road team has won the last four matchups, Texas should benefit from playing in Austin this year. Overall, Texas is 4-1 at home with its only loss coming to No. 2 LSU. In the Big 12, Texas has yet to lose at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium with wins over No. 21 Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Kansas State. Texas Tech, on the other hand, is 1-4 on the road.

The Longhorn offense, in particular, has soared at home, averaging 39 points a game. The defense has struggled, but playing in a close shootout is nothing Texas has not seen this season. In the Big 12, the three wins have come by an average of 3.7 points, with the largest margin being the six-point victory against Oklahoma State.

The Red Raiders have done a little of everything on the road. To start their Big 12 season, they got blown out 55-16 to Oklahoma, but also only lost by three to Baylor and Kansas. Their defense has allowed 34 points a game on the road and the Texas offense must take advantage.

The Longhorns have more to play for

This is a crucial game for Texas as they need a win to guarantee their third straight winning season. If they do not, a loss in their bowl game would give the Longhorns their fourth seven loss season in six years. Texas Tech, on the other hand, is 4-7 and cannot reach a bowl game.

Not only will a win give Texas a winning season, but it will improve what bowl game they play in. Getting to 7-5 could see the Longhorns as high as fourth in the pecking order. A loss would drop them as low as sixth, which could be the last Big 12 team available.

Not only are bowl game scenarios on the line, but possible coaching jobs are on the line. While Head Coach Tom Herman may not be in any danger, his staff on both the offensive and defensive staff may be. Texas players have told the media that the coaches still have the locker room’s respect. If they can come out and prove they some promise, it may save some coaching jobs.

Texas will face Texas Tech at 11:00 a.m. CST on Fox.

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