Oct. 17, 2024 12:37 PM EST

Texas Tech Is On A Roll After A Rough Start And Now Welcomes Baylor For A Big 12 Clash

By The Associated Press
Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson (13) looks to pass over Iowa State defensive end Tyler Onyedim (11) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 43-21. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Charlie Neibergall, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson (13) looks to pass over Iowa State defensive end Tyler Onyedim (11) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 43-21. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
FILE - Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks (28) rushes for a first down during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas, Nov. 11, 2023, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley, File)
View All (2)

Baylor (2-4, 0-3 Big 12) at Texas Tech (5-1, 3-0), Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas Tech by 6 1/2.

Series record: Baylor leads 41-40-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Texas Tech looks to continue an impressive bounce-back from a rough two-game stretch to start the season. The Red Raiders have a six-game home winning streak that's their longest since a school-record, 12-game run from 2007-09. Baylor is on an eight-game Big 12 losing streak just three years after winning the conference. Both teams were off last week. Texas Tech won 28-22 at Arizona in its previous game while the Bears lost 43-21 at Iowa State after leading 14-3 in the second quarter.

KEY MATCHUP

Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks vs. Baylor run defense. Brooks ranks third nationally at 135.8 yards rushing per game. The Bears are 13th in the Big 12 in run defense, allowing 162 yards per game.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Baylor: QB Sawyer Robertson is set to play in his hometown for the first time. He was the 2020 Texas high school player of the year at Lubbock Coronado. Robertson was the backup to Toledo transfer Dequan Finn before Finn got hurt against Utah. He has averaged 245 yards passing per game with eight touchdowns and three interceptions in four starts.

Texas Tech: WR Caleb Douglas is coming off his first career 100-yard game. He had five catches for 116 yards against Arizona. His 57-yard catch late in the first half set up Gino Garcia's field goal on the final play before the break. A 32-yarder late in the fourth quarter led another field goal, which put Texas Tech up for good at 21-19.

FACTS & FIGURES

Baylor's four losses are to teams with a combined 20-4 record. ... Each of Texas Tech's last seven victories have been one-score games. The Red Raiders are 11-3 under coach Joey McGuire in one-score games. ... McGuire spent five seasons as an assistant at Baylor, his first college job after a long career as a high school in Texas. ... McGuire reached 20 wins in 32 games, the fastest for Texas Tech since Steve Sloan started 23-9 from 1975-77. ... Baylor WR Josh Cameron has four touchdowns and leads the team with 18 catches for 277 yards. ... The Red Raiders have 68 points off turnovers, already their most in a season since 2017.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Topics

Organizations in this Story

People in the Story