Houston @ Texas Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2017 ) Texas Tech 27, Houston 24

Two up-tempo and efficient offenses will collide when Texas Tech hosts former Southwest Conference foe Houston on Saturday. The high-scoring Red Raiders rank tied for 11th nationally while averaging 52 points and Houston is 25th at 45 per game.

Houston junior quarterback D'Eriq King leads the country with 31.0 points per game responsible after recording 10 touchdowns and a two-point conversion in two contests. Freshman quarterback Alan Bowman has the Red Raiders ranked eighth nationally in average passing yards (370.5) after taking over for junior McLane Carter early in Week 1. Carter's high-ankle sprain will be evaluated throughout the week, Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters, so the Cougars will have to prepare for both quarterbacks. The Cougars lead the series 18-12-1 - including an 8-6 mark at Texas Tech - but have lost two of the three meetings since the SWC disbanded in 1995.

TV: 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox. LINE: Texas Tech -1

ABOUT HOUSTON (2-0): King has thrown for 566 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 64 yards along with three more scores while Patrick Carr leads the Cougars' ground attack with 136 yards. Houston has gotten big plays from sophomore receiver Marquez Stevenson, who has seven catches for 147 yards and two scores, three rushes for 120 yards and a score and two kickoff returns for 54 yards. Senior safety Garrett Davis has two interceptions while sophomore end Isaiah Chambers (team-high three sacks) and junior tackle Ed Oliver each have four tackles for loss.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (1-1): Bowman has thrown for 555 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and no sacks. Texas Tech held out Da'Leon Ward (team-high 90 rushing yards, two TDs) last week but got big production from quarterback Jett Duffey (81 rushing yards, one TD) and Demarcus Felton (69 rushing yards, two TDs) in a lopsided win against Lamar. The Red Raiders forced four turnovers last week - including redshirt freshman Adrian Frye's 48-yard interception return for a touchdown - to push their streak to 16 consecutive games with a takeaway.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas Tech has scored at least 50 points at home 13 times since 2015, which leads the nation during that span.

2. Houston ranks third nationally with 19 plays of at least 20 yards, with six of them going for touchdowns (four passing, two rushing).

3. Kingsbury (2008-11), defensive coordinator David Gibbs (2013-14) and three Texas Tech defensive assistant coaches previously coached at Houston.

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 37, Houston 34