TECH-IOWA ST.
Red Raiders try to regroup after collapse against West Virginia.
Records: Texas Tech 4-2, 1-2 Big 12; Iowa State 4-2, 2-1. Series history: Texas Tech leads 11-4. Key players: Texas Tech — QB Nic Shimonek, WR T.J. Vasher, S Jah’Shawn Johnson; Iowa State — QB Kyle Kempt, RB David Montgomery, FS Kamari CottonMoya.
Who has the edge
Offense — Texas Tech. The Red Raiders’ offensive machine is down slightly from last year’s production going into this game, but they’re still seventh in total offense (543.7), fifth in passing (376.0) and fourth in scoring (44.8). However, as good as they were with QB Patrick Mahomes last season, they stumbled against Iowa State, which limited them to 306 yards and intercepted Mahomes twice. The Cyclones, on the other hand, are improved, up to 29th in scoring (35.7). Defense — Iowa State. Again, the Cyclones held Tech to 10 points last season, shutting down its running game (2.8 yards per rush) and, more importantly, limiting Mahomes to 222 yards and one TD on 50 percent passing (18of-36). Last week, the Cyclones shut out Kansas, which managed only 106 total yards and five first downs. LB Joel Lanning had a team-high 10 tackles. Special teams — Iowa State. This is more by default as the Red Raiders’ kicking game is a mess without all-Big 12 K Clayton Hatfield, who’s missed all but one game this season. K Michael Barden went 0-for-3 last week against West Virginia, missing from 43, 23 and 37 yards. Freshman walk-on K Michael Ewton missed two FGs against Houston, leaving Red Raiders kickers a combined 6-of-12. Notable: The Cyclones snapped a four-game losing streak to Texas Tech with a 66-10 win last season in Ames, Iowa. The Red Raiders rolled 66-31 in 2015, but the previous two contests were
WHEN: 11 A.M. SATURDAY. WHERE: JONES AT&T STADIUM, LUBBOCK. TV: FS1. RADIO: 1230 AM.
closer, with the Red Raiders prevailing 42-35 in 2013 and 34-31 in 2014. The Cyclones won 41-7 in 2011 and 52-38 in 2010.
About Texas Tech: The Red Raiders blew a 35-17 third-quarter lead with their kicking woes and questionable coaching decisions, falling 46-35 to West Virginia — and the annual midseason slide is on. They were 3-1 last season before losing three straight and six of their final eight. And now they face a revitalized Iowa State team that already whipped them last season. Shimonek threw for 323 yards and four TDs last week, giving him 2,134 yards, 18 TDs and four interceptions on 164 of 234 passing.
About Iowa State: The Cyclones surpassed their win totals from each of the past four seasons with a 45-0 rout of Kansas, which came a week after Kempt — a fifth-year senior and long-time scout-team QB who’d thrown two passes in his career — beat Oklahoma in Norman in his first start. Kempt completed 13 of 20 passes for 122 yards and one TD against Kansas, and Montgomery rushed for three scores.