Baylor Bears vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 19th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Texas Tech has established an unforeseen position among the top teams in the Big 12 Conference by excelling in tight matchups this season.

The Red Raiders will put this streak of good luck to the test on Saturday when they face Baylor in Lubbock, Texas, in the latest installment of a long-standing rivalry that dates back to the old Southwest Conference.

Currently tied for the lead in the league standings with BYU and Iowa State, the Red Raiders (5-1, 3-0 Big 12) are in a favorable position. They are coming off a bye week following a dominant 28-22 victory over Arizona on October 5th, which marked their third conference win by a single score.

On the other hand, Baylor (2-4, 0-3) has experienced the opposite end of the spectrum. With the exception of a blowout loss to Iowa State, the Bears have been competitive in their losses to Utah, Colorado, and BYU.

There are plenty of storylines surrounding this matchup, as the series has been played every year since 1956.

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire previously served as an assistant coach under Baylor's Dave Aranda, who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Red Raiders.

Bears quarterback Sawyer Robertson is a native of Lubbock and played at Coronado High School, which is also the alma mater of Baylor secondary coach Kevin Curtis. Curtis, a former Red Raider, was inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame in 2022 and also coached under former head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

However, the main focus of this game is on the Red Raiders, who are determined to stay in the race for a Big 12 title, and the Bears, who are looking to turn their season around.

Texas Tech boasts the most high-scoring offense in the Big 12, averaging 39.3 points per game and 460.5 yards per game. Despite missing a game, Tahj Brooks leads the league in rushing with an average of 135.8 yards per game. Behren Morton has also been impressive, throwing for an average of 273.3 yards per game.

"When you watch their film, you can see that they are an aggressive team playing with a lot of confidence," said Aranda.

Since taking over as the starting quarterback four games ago, Robertson has brought a similar level of confidence to the Bears. The junior has thrown for nine touchdowns and rushed for three, and both coaches have acknowledged his impact on an offense that is averaging 363.5 yards per game. Robertson has averaged 244.5 passing yards per game since becoming the starter.

"He has done an excellent job of leading the offense, particularly in the passing game," said McGuire. "Their offense has been more productive since he took over as the starter."

PREDICTION

Baylor Bears

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Baylor Bears vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders Recap NOV 14TH 2020

Welcome to big-time football, Jonathan Garibay. And welcome back to the spotlight, Alan Bowman.

They were key figures Saturday as the host Texas Tech Red Raiders staged a 24-23 come-from-behind victory against the Baylor Bears in Lubbock, Texas.

Garibay made a 25-yard field goal as time expired, capping a 79-yard drive that Bowman engineered after he took over at quarterback for good in the second half when starter Henry Colombi suffered a forearm injury.

Installed as the starting kicker earlier the week, Garibay booted four field goals - his other three were from 48, 28, and 46 yards - and he hit two in the final 4:41 to help the Red Raiders (3-5, 2-5 Big 12 Conference) claw back with the final 12 points of the game.

Garibay was also a huge factor as the punter, averaging 49.4 yards on five punts.

Bowman, Texas Tech's starter to begin each of the last three seasons, lost his job to Colombi three weeks ago and had played sparingly since. He played a series in the first half Saturday and threw an interception that Baylor's Jalen Pitre returned 26 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.

The Bears (1-5, 1-5) methodically built on that 7-3 lead, with senior quarterback Charlie Brewer's steady performance as both a passer and runner: He threw for 153 yards on the day and ran for a team-high 86 to buoy a 207-yard rushing day for Baylor.

But Red Raiders linebacker Colin Schooler thwarted Brewer's bid for what could have been a game-sealing touchdown when he stopped the quarterback in his tracks inches from the goal line late in the third quarter. A procedure penalty then forced the Bears to settle for a field goal that padded their lead to 23-12.

The rest of the game belonged to Texas Tech. With Bowman at the controls, the Red Raiders ran 26 plays in the final 15 minutes and carved out 176 yards to produce a touchdown and Garibay's two field goals.

The defense chimed in as well. With Baylor trying to run out the clock inside the final three minutes, Texas Tech cornerback Zech McPhearson delivered a big pass breakup on third-and-5 to force the Bears to punt.

Starting from the 14-yard-line with 2:14 to go, the Red Raiders moved down the field quickly. Bowman connected on five passes for 58 yards, and running back SaRodorick Thompson wiggled out of a tackle for a 15-yard pickup to convert on third-and-8 and put Texas Tech at the 7 with 31 seconds to go.

Garibay calmly drilled the game-winner after Baylor coach Dave Aranda called a timeout to ice the kicker.