Arizona Football (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) will play its first Big 12 Conference game against Texas Tech (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) at Arizona Stadium on Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. Salt Lake City’s dominant victory over the University of Utah was the hosting team’s first Big 12 matchup. The Wildcats will look to build on their momentum with a key matchup against a strong Texas Tech team.
Texas Tech University
The Red Raiders are on a three-game winning streak against the University of North Texas, ASU, and the University of Cincinnati. In a recent matchup against Cincinnati, they narrowly escaped with a 44-41 home win. It was a back-and-forth game, and the Red Raiders got off to a slow start, but ultimately won with a crucial interception at the end of the third quarter.
Taj Brooks of the Red Raiders had 172 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the game. This made him the sixth-best running back in the nation in yards. The team’s quarterback, Behren Morton, has also been very effective throwing for 1,426 yards so far this season, ranking 12th in the nation in passing.
Texas Tech’s defense was limited for most of the contest. Overall, the defense is allowing 34.4 points per game, with the best defensive holding coming against North Texas, where they held the Mean Green to 21 points. They’re also the second-worst team in handling the passing offense, allowing 1,547 yards so far this season.
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The Wildcats will look to carry that momentum home with a 23-10 win over Utah. Quarterback Noja Fifita started showing signs of his old self during the win over Utah, passing for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
Teitairoa McMillan will also definitely be looking to step up after falling twice late against the Utes. In the passing game, the Wildcats could perform well against Texas Tech’s struggling defense. Keyan Barnett also showed he is one of the Wildcats’ best options at tight end with a 76-yard and touchdown performance.
Arizona’s run defense was outstanding against Utah running back Micah Benard, holding him to less than 100 yards for the second time this season.
Arizona’s pass defense also had its best performance with two key interceptions and a lockdown performance from Takario Davis. Arizona’s goal line defense kept the Utes out of the end zone and held them to just a field goal on their first three red zone drives.
key to success
Arizona needs to hone its offensive capabilities to counter the powerful Texas Tech offense. The defense will also need to play full time. If the Wildcats can limit the Red Raider offense, they can take home the victory. If they keep Taj Brooks as well as Micah Benard, the Wildcats can expect a similar game to Utah.
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