Texas Tech, West Virginia look to finish strong in Big 12 regular season finale
West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene (6) rushes the ball against Kansas State during the frist half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Morgantown, W.Va. Credit: AP/William Wotring
West Virginia (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) at Texas Tech (7-4, 5-3), Saturday, 12 p.m. EST (FS1)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas Tech by 3 1/2.
Series record: West Virginia leads 7-6.
What's at stake?
West Virginia and Texas Tech cling to faint hopes of reaching the Big 12 championship game but must win and get plenty of help. West Virginia coach Neal Brown remains on the hot seat and could reinforce his argument for keeping his job by finishing 4-0 on the road in conference play this season.
Key matchup
Texas Tech QB Behren Morton against West Virginia's pass defense. Morton completed 37 of 53 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns last week at Oklahoma State. Morton should surpass the 3,000-yard passing mark this week. He's thrown for 25 touchdowns with seven interceptions. The Mountaineers have allowed numerous long pass plays in blown coverage. Their 14.3 yards allowed per completion are the worst among Power Four schools.
Players to watch
Texas Tech: LB Jacob Rodriguez leads the Big 12 with 112 total tackles, including 68 solo stops. He had 13 tackles against Oklahoma State, his seventh double-digit tackles game this season. He also recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown with 4:45 left in the game, then had a game-clinching interception in the end zone with 7 seconds left.
West Virginia: QB Garrett Greene. The Big 12's top rushing quarterback has 649 yards on the ground. He's struggled to get the passing game going at times with a 55.5% completion rate, 12 TD passes and nine interceptions.
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) during an NCAA football game against Arizona on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz. Credit: AP/Rick Scuteri
Facts & figures
West Virginia has been outscored in the second half in nine of 11 games this season. ... Texas Tech is going after its third straight win over the Mountaineers in Lubbock, Texas. ... Texas Tech is seeking its first eight-win regular season since 2009. ... The Red Raiders have an FBS-best seven games this season with both a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver. ... Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech’s career rushing leader, has more than 100 yards in all 10 games he has played this season, matching the single-season school record held by Byron Hanspard and Bam Morris. West Virginia is bowl eligible for the fourth time in Brown's six seasons, while Texas Tech has become bowl eligible in each of coach Joey McGuire's three seasons.
