West Virginia takes its league-best rushing attack into Lubbock on Saturday for a Big 12 test against No. 15 Texas Tech, a matchup that pits a 5-3 Mountaineers team against a 7-1 Red Raiders squad that has won three of its last four. The two programs have met every season for 14 years since West Virginia joined the Big 12, and this edition kicks off at 9:30 p.m. ET at Galaxy Stadium in a game that will decide little in the standings but carries plenty of weight for both teams’ bowl positioning.
West Virginia Vs Texas Tech Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock, Texas
- TV: ESPN
- Series: Big 12 Conference, all-time series favors Texas Tech 8-7
- Weather: 48 degrees, 4% chance of precipitation
The late kickoff stands out on its own. According to On3, it marks the latest start time Texas Tech has hosted since a 9 p.m. kickoff against Texas A&M back in 2003.
By The Numbers
- Points per game: West Virginia 35.9, Texas Tech 35.6
- Total offense per game: West Virginia 468.1 yards, Texas Tech 425.8 yards
- Rushing yards per game: West Virginia 261.6, Texas Tech 207.0
- Passing yards per game: West Virginia 206.5, Texas Tech 218.8
- Third-down conversion rate: West Virginia 47.90%, Texas Tech 38.24%
- Turnover differential: West Virginia 0, Texas Tech -2
- Sacks allowed per game: West Virginia 1.9, Texas Tech 1.6
- Total giveaways: West Virginia 8, Texas Tech 13
West Virginia Outlook
West Virginia enters off an open week and carries the top rushing attack in the Big 12 at 261.6 yards per game, according to CBS Sports data. Oklahoma transfer quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has thrown for 1,598 yards with 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions while also rushing for 836 yards and a league-leading 16 rushing scores, a dual-threat profile that explains the Mountaineers’ 10.1 yards per pass attempt.
Jacksonville State transfer running back Cam Cook has carried the ground game with 923 yards and seven touchdowns on 186 attempts, ranking second in the Big 12 in rushing. West Virginia’s third-down offense has converted 47.90% of its chances, the strongest number on either side of this matchup, and the Mountaineers have an even turnover margin despite throwing just two interceptions on the year.
Texas Tech Outlook
Texas Tech is 7-1 and ranked No. 15 after a bounce-back win over then-No. 22 Arizona, a game in which transfer quarterback Thomas Castellanos started and the Red Raiders rushed for more than 300 yards. The Red Raiders’ only loss in their last five games came on the road against Cincinnati, 37-24, sandwiched between blowout wins over Arizona State and the Arizona victory. Texas Tech leans on a run game led by J’Koby Williams, who has 794 yards and six touchdowns on 100 carries, while Kenny Johnson paces the receiving corps with 35 catches for 548 yards. The Red Raiders average 35.6 points per game but have given the ball away 13 times against only 11 takeaways, a turnover differential of minus-2 that stands as their most concerning statistical number heading into Saturday.
Key Matchup
West Virginia’s rushing attack against Texas Tech’s defense is the matchup that will shape this game. The Mountaineers average 261.6 yards on the ground compared to Texas Tech’s 207.0, and with Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins Jr. both capable of breaking off long runs, the Red Raiders need to limit explosive plays on early downs to keep West Virginia off schedule. Texas Tech showed it can run the ball itself, piling up more than 300 yards on the ground against Arizona with Castellanos at quarterback, which means ball control could become a factor for both sides given West Virginia’s giveaway total of eight compared to Texas Tech’s 13.
Players To Watch
Michael Hawkins Jr., QB, West Virginia
The Oklahoma transfer leads the Big 12 with 16 rushing touchdowns and has thrown for 1,598 yards with 11 touchdowns against only two interceptions, giving West Virginia a dual threat at the position.
Cam Cook, RB, West Virginia
Cook ranks second in the Big 12 with 923 rushing yards on 186 carries and has found the end zone seven times, anchoring the league’s top rushing attack.
Thomas Castellanos, QB, Texas Tech
The transfer quarterback started Texas Tech’s win over Arizona and helped produce a 300-yard rushing performance for the Red Raiders in that game.
What To Watch
Texas Tech is looking to extend its current run to four wins in five games, while West Virginia tries to build momentum off its open week against a ranked opponent. Last year’s meeting ended in a 49-0 shutout by Texas Tech in Morgantown, and the all-time series sits at 8-7 in the Red Raiders’ favor. A West Virginia win would snap that shutout streak and hand Texas Tech its second loss in three games, while a Texas Tech victory would keep the Red Raiders firmly in the Big 12 title conversation.
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