LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – After two straight weeks of 11 a.m. kickoffs, No. 13 Texas Tech (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) is preparing for an 8:30 p.m. showdown against West Virginia (5-3, 2-3) on Saturday.
Texas Tech enters the matchup following a win over Arizona in which quarterback Thomas Castellanos threw for 144 yards and rushed for 117. Running back J’Koby Williams added 175 rushing yards, including a 64-yard touchdown. Together, the two have given the Red Raiders offense a much-needed identity of a team capable of scoring from anywhere at any time. For running back Cameron Dickey, this will be his second game back from his ankle injury suffered weeks ago at Colorado.
West Virginia presents its own set of offensive challenges, particularly on the ground. The Mountaineers average 261.5 rushing yards per game, ranking first in the Big 12, sixth nationally.
“Number one, they stress you on the perimeter at a really high level,” said Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire. “They do a lot of different stuff, a lot of different formations to put their guys in good position to where you’re going to have to make one-on-one tackles.”
Leading the Mountaineers is dual-threat quarterback Michael Hawkins, who has passed for 1,598 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions in eight games. Hawkins has also rushed for 836 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood said Hawkins’ versatility makes him difficult to contain.
“I think he’s opportunistic. Obviously, he runs the football a lot. They’re the 6th ranked rushing offense in the country and quarterback run game is a big part of what they do,” Wood said. “… I think that what they ask him to do in the passing game, he can do at a really high level, so he’s another dual threat guy and those are tough, tough guys to defend, so we’ve got our hands full.”
Hawkins is joined by running back Cam Cook, who has rushed for 923 yards and seven touchdowns on 186 carries.
“He’s really good, he’s got speed and explosion, he can make you miss. He can break tackles and plays really hard,” Wood said. “… So, if you can get two guys there, better, but sometimes based on the scheme of the plays you’re seeing, it does come down to some one-on-one matchups in the run game and that’s where Cook and Hawkins are really good because they’re so elusive.”
Defensively, West Virginia has allowed 483.9 yards per game, the most in the Big 12, 137th in the nation. However, the Mountaineers showed improvement in their 24-20 victory at TCU two weeks ago.
“I think that game against TCU gives them some confidence and it’ll be a good challenge for our guys,” said Texas Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich. “But, just like last week, we got to play with great effort and great physicality and control what we can control and be ready for a challenge this week.”
McGuire said the Red Raiders are adjusting their pregame routine to account for the additional time.
“We’ll spend a little bit more time in this building, we’ll start with a stretch and then we’ll do our walkthroughs and then we will have a big group of guys that will stay. We’ll bus one group over and then we’ll have a big group of guys that will stay and get extra treatment,” McGuire said. “… So, we really have a good plan, and we’ll be ready to go!”
Saturday’s game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. A victory would keep Texas Tech in contention near the top of the Big 12 standings, especially with the conference’s other top two teams BYU and Utah playing each other earlier that morning.
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