The nation’s third-leading passer, Patrick Mahomes II (1,836 yards, 14 TDs), will be on display when the Texas Tech Red Raiders meet the Iowa State Cyclones. This season has proved tumultuous for Texas Tech (3-2). Despite some success, it has lost two of its last three. The Red Raiders will want to use this game to get back on track. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 10 and will air on FSN.
Texas Tech was blown out by Baylor 63-35 last week. Patrick Mahomes II had an outstanding performance passing the ball in the loss, completing 32 of 50 passes for 415 yards, three TDs and two interceptions. Zach Austin had a big game as well, totaling 110 receiving yards and a TD on eight receptions. Iowa State is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it cruised past Kansas 38-13. Mike Warren had a big game on the ground for the Cyclones, rushing for 175 yards and two TDs on 18 carries. Allen Lazard also had a big game with 75 receiving yards and a TD on six receptions.
Texas Tech is an 11-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable.
Heading into Week 6 of the college football season, the Red Raiders are 3-2 for both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). A large section of Texas Tech’s game plan is devoted to the passing game. They currently average a Division I-best 423.8 passing yards per game. Transitioning to the Texas Tech defense, there are a few things to keep in mind when it is on the field. A pivotal part of the game will be whether the Cyclones can secure the ball from Texas Tech’s hungry defense. It averages the 18th-most fumbles recovered in the nation with one per game. The Red Raiders make it hard on their opponents in the third quarter. Texas Tech averages 11.6 points during that period, one of the best in the country. The Red Raiders may rely on Iowa State’s special teams as a means for extra yardage in this week’s clash. Out of all teams, the Cyclones are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to return yards given up, with 117.5 allowed per game.
On the other side, the Cyclones have 2-2 SU and ATS records this season. The Red Raiders have not found a lot of success stopping their opponent’s passing games. The Cyclones will look to exploit a pass defense that ranks 123rd in Division I with 308.4 passing yards allowed per game. The Cyclones can take advantage of Texas Tech’s bad habit of giving up points heading into halftime. They allow 15.8 points during the second quarter, ranking 127th in Division I. Texas Tech rarely has an advantage when it comes to time of possession. The team has an average time of possession of 25:03 this season, making them 125th in the nation.
Predictions: SU Winner – Texas Tech, ATS Winner – Iowa State
Notes
Texas Tech is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech’s last 6 games.
Texas Tech is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas Tech’s last 5 games at home.
Texas Tech is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Iowa State.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas Tech’s last 6 games when playing Iowa State.
Texas Tech is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Iowa State.
Iowa State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas Tech.
Iowa State is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Texas Tech is 3-0 SU when leading at the end of the third quarter.
Dating back to last season, Texas Tech is only 2-9 SU against Big 12 opponents, while Iowa State is just 1-9 SU against in-conference foes.
The Iowa State offensive running attack is ranked 100th in the nation this year, compared to the 124th-ranked rush defense of Texas Tech.
