Texas Tech @ Texas preview

Texas Tech at Texas

Last Meeting ( Nov 1, 2014 ) Texas 34, Texas Tech 13

Texas Tech and host Texas will each have their hands full trying to stop the other's offense during Thursday night's Big 12 matchup. The Red Raiders own one of the nation's top passing offenses while the Longhorns have a strong - but banged up - ground game.

Texas' top two running backs - D'Onta Foreman (finger) and Johnathan Gray (foot) - are both unlikely as the Longhorns come out of a bye week. Texas will also likely be without freshman offensive guard Patrick Vahe (knee) against a Red Raiders defense that is giving up 259.9 rushing yards. Texas Tech has gaudy numbers through the air - quarterback Patrick Mahomes II is ranked fourth nationally with an average of 355.5 yards and 31 touchdowns - but DeAndre Washington has been a solid rusher in the Big 12. The Red Raiders are trying to win at Texas for the first time since 1997 after losing the past eight visits by an average of 26.3 points.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Texas -1.5

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (6-5, 3-5 Big 12): Jakeem Grant averages 94.4 receiving yards and has six TD catches and two kickoff returns for scores. Washington has 1,282 rushing yards, including a league-best 402 yards after contact against Big 12 opponents, for an offense averaging 46.5 points. The Red Raiders rank 122nd in FBS in rushing defense and second-to-last in total defense (546.8) after holding Kansas State to 123 rushing yards in their last game.

ABOUT TEXAS (4-6, 3-4): Freshmen Chris Warren III (18 carries, 88 yards) and Kirk Johnson (five carries, 12 yards) will get the bulk of work if Foreman (681 yards, five TDs) and Gray (489 yards, three TDs) can't play. Quarterbacks Jerrod Heard (1,202 passing yards, five TDs) and Tyrone Swoopes (334 passing yards, three TDs) combine for 858 rushing yards and 12 scores. Texas, which is 41-13-1 at home on Thanksgiving Day, has rushed for 256.4 yards during its past five games.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Warren's father, Chris Jr., played 11 seasons in the NFL and Johnson's father, Johnnie, played at Texas before a 10-year NFL career.

2. Mahomes needs 89 passing yards to give Texas Tech a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher (Washington) and 1,000-yard receiver (Grant) in the same season for the first time.

3. Gray (2,607 yards) needs 58 yards to pass Hodges Mitchell for the 10th most rushing yards in Texas history.

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 32, Texas 24