It’s an afternoon kickoff for West Virginia vs. Texas Tech, as the Mountaineers head to Lubbock, Texas. The Mountaineers will be looking for revenge as they have been on the losing end in the three most recent matchups.
This will be the 12th all-time meeting between the two teams. Only once did the universities face off as members of different conferences. You’ll need to go all the way back to 1938 to find that game, which ended up being a 7-6 West Virginia win. We’ll take a look at the important factors necessary for West Virginia if they wish to pull off the win in Lubbock.
Important Fourth Downs
Getting off the field on defense is always an important factor for teams on game day. That will be crucial for the Mountaineers when it comes to Saturday’s matchup. Texas Tech is not afraid to roll the dice on fourth down in order to keep possession. On the season, the Red Raiders have already converted on 56 percent of their fourth down attempts. For comparison, Tech is converting 34 percent of their third down attempts. Of course, the third down numbers will be higher, but Texas Tech being able to convert on 14 of 25 attempts is nothing to take lightly.
Continued Run Success in the West Virginia vs. Texas Tech Matchup
West Virginia bounced back last week with great success running the ball against the Baylor Bears. In that game, the Mountaineers found success running behind the left side of their line behind LT Wyatt Milum, LG James Gmiter, and C Zach Frazier. Each of the three is graded with a mid to low 70’s run blocking grade accord to Pro Football Focus.
Additionally, West Virginia is slated to get back freshman RB C.J. Donaldson, who missed last week’s game with a concussion. Donaldson is averaging 6.9 yards per carry and has rushed for 6 touchdowns thus far. Sophomore RB Tony Mathis Jr. picked up the slack in Donaldson’s absence with 163 yards on the ground against Baylor. Mathis Jr. has racked up 459 yards and 5 touchdowns in the previous six games. Slowing down the Mountaineer rushing attack should be a top priority for the Red Raiders’ defense.
Win the Turnover Battle
After last week’s performance against Baylor, the Mountaineers are finally on the good side of the turnover margin. This could be another important stat to note going into this matchup on Saturday. Texas Tech is coming into the game with a turnover margin of negative seven. A number that could have the Mountaineer defense on high alert. Quarterback Donovan Smith has already thrown seven interceptions on the young season.
Additionally, the Red Raiders have fumbled the ball 10 times. To this point, they have been lucky to have recovered seven of those. West Virginia will be hoping to capitalize on an errant pass or get a lucky bounce on a fumble. It will be a tough challenge to slow down the fast-paced, aggressive offense of Texas Tech. Creating some chaos and taking advantage of mistakes could really swing the game in the Mountaineers’ favor.
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