Texas Tech @ West Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 11, 2014 ) West Virginia 37, Texas Tech 34

Texas Tech takes its high-scoring offense on the road to face West Virginia on Saturday and the Red Raiders - like the Mountaineers - should appreciate playing a team more its size. Texas Tech and West Virginia each have four conference losses to teams that are a combined 30-1 in No. 2 Baylor, No. 3 TCU, No. 10 Oklahoma State and No. 13 Oklahoma with the Mountaineers losing to those schools over their last four games.

"They’re like the previous teams we have faced,'' Mountaineers defensive line coach Bruce Tall told reporters about the Red Raiders. "Everyone is similar. They all come from that same family tree and every guy tries to put his own wrinkle on it. They’ve all been very productive in doing what they’re doing.'' Texas Tech boasts the No. 4 offense in the nation at 47.3 points per game, which is good for only third in the Big 12 behind Baylor (61.1) and TCU (48.9); is third in total offense (603.7 yards per game) behind Baylor (686.1) and TCU (616.3); and second in passing offense (413.4) to Bowling Green (434.1). The catalyst to the juggernaut is sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who completes 64.7 percent of his passes with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. West Virginia appears to have the better defense based on common opponents as it has been outscored 179-98 in its Big 12 losses, allowing 72 fewer points than the Red Raiders (251-167).

TV: Noon ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: West Virginia -8.5

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (5-4, 2-4 Big 12): Mahomes threw for a career-high 480 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in a 70-53 loss to Oklahoma State last week. His top target is senior wide receiver Jakeem Grant (13.8 yards per 69 receptions, five touchdowns), who recorded a 90-yard catch, a 12-yard TD reception and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score - the school-record fourth of his career - last week. Senior running back DeAndre Washington (10 touchdowns) needs 68 yards to become the first Red Raider to rush for 1,000 in back-to-back seasons since Byron Hanspard in 1995 and 1996.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (3-4, 0-4): The Mountaineers could control the game on the ground as they average 208.7 yards and face the fourth-worst rushing defense among the 127 FBS teams in the nation at 270.7. Junior running back Wendell Smallwood (791 yards, 6.5 per carry, five touchdowns) is expected to carry the biggest workload after rushing for 113 yards in the 40-10 loss at TCU on Oct. 29. Cornerback Daryl Worley, who will likely draw the assignment on Grant, is tied for 10th in the nation with 1.6 passes defended per game and owns two interceptions to rank tied for second on the team behind injured Karl Joseph (five).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mahomes has eight rushing touchdowns, two shy of the school record for a quarterback set by Rodney Allison in 1976.

2. The series is tied 2-2 with Texas Tech 2-1 since West Virginia joined the Big 12 in 2012 after the Mountaineers' 37-34 victory last season.

3. The Mountaineers are 17-3 when scoring 40 or more points under coach Dana Holgorsen.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 45, Texas Tech 37