Texas Tech @ Kansas preview
David Booth Memorial Stadium (Lawrence, KS)
Last Meeting ( Nov 10, 2012 ) Kansas 34, Texas Tech 41
No. 22 Texas Tech takes its high-powered offense on the road Saturday when it visits Big 12 rival Kansas, which conversely has struggled to put up points. The Red Raiders are averaging 520 yards of offense and 38.8 points a game, while the Jayhawks are 103rd in the FBS with an average of 19.3 points per contest. "We have to score way more points than what we have been scoring. It's really that simple," Kansas coach Charlie Weis said at his weekly news conference.
Scoring points against Texas Tech might prove to be difficult, however, as the Red Raiders — a program not known for its defensive prowess — are holding opponents to an average of 13.3 points through four games this season, tied for 10th best in the FBS. This comes after Texas Tech allowed 31.8 points a game last year. The Jayhawks are also among the top 20 teams in scoring defense, with opponents averaging just 15.7 points.
TIME: Noon ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Texas Tech -17.5.
ABOUT TEXAS TECH (4-0, 1-0 Big 12): The Red Raiders are off to their third 4-0 start in a row, but are looking to win their first five games for the first time since 2008. First-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury, a former Texas Tech quarterback, rotates two freshmen under center but will again start Baker Mayfield (1,120 yards, eight touchdowns) over Davis Webb (514 yards, four TDs). As usual, the offense does almost all of its damage through the air (408.5 yards per game, third in FBS) — the team's leading rusher, Quinton White, has nine carries for 105 yards for the season.
ABOUT KANSAS (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): The Jayhawks open conference play looking to snap a 21-game losing streak in the Big 12. They ended another long skid — 22 losses in a row against FBS opponents — in their previous game, beating Louisiana Tech 13-10 on Sept. 21 on Matthew Wyman's 52-yard field goal as time expired. Kansas figures to lean heavily on running back James Sims, whose 93.7 yards rushing per game ranks second in the conference.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Texas Tech is 13-1 in the series, including 7-0 in Lawrence, but needed double overtime last season before beating Kansas 41-34.
2. Kingsbury played under Weis, his then-offensive coordinator, with the New England Patriots (2003-04).
3. Kansas' last conference victory was in 2010 against Colorado, a team that has since moved to the Pac-12.
PREDICTION: Texas Tech 35, Kansas 17