No. 7 Texas Tech, one of 11 undefeated FBS teams, will bring a 6-0 record and the most statistically dominant team in the FBS into a Big 12 game at defending league champion Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Raiders are the only FBS team that has not trailed this season, and their average margin of victory of 35.3 is first in the nation.
TCU will aim for the fifth 7-0 start in program history.
“A huge week for us,” said Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire, whose team is tied with BYU and Cincinnati for the Big 12 lead at 3-0. “We’re expecting a really tough game.”
Arizona State (4-2, 2-1) enters after its worst showing of the season, a 42-10 loss last week at now-No. 23 Utah on a soggy Salt Lake City field in which the Sun Devils gave up 276 yards rushing. Quarterback Devon Dampier led the Utes’ option ground attack with 120 yards and three touchdowns.
Texas Tech won at Utah 34-10 on Sept. 20. The Red Raiders beat the Sun Devils 30-22 in Lubbock last season for one of Arizona State’s two conference losses.
“They are a better version of themselves from last year,” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said. “They leveled up in every way, shape and form from last year. A team that can win a national championship this year.”
The Sun Devils played without starting quarterback Sam Leavitt at Utah, and his availability for Saturday will be determined after practices early this week, Dillingham said.
“I expect him to play,” Tech’s McGuire said. “He’s smart. He’s a guy who is going to play on Sunday.”
The Red Raiders also have injury concerns around starting quarterback Behren Morton, who was removed in the second quarter of a 42-17 victory over Kansas last week after aggravating a shin injury that has bothered him since the season opener.
“He’s shown the ability to play at a very high level” without practice, McGuire said, seemingly indicating that Morton will be available.
Morton has completed 104 of 152 passes for 1,501 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, with three interceptions. Backup Will Hammond was 7 of 16 for 42 yards against Kansas and has thrown for 411 yards and rushed for 231 this season.
Without Morton, Texas Tech turned to the running game in which Cameron Dickey was dominant. Dickey was named the Big 12 offensive player of the week after rushing for 263 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against the Jayhawks.
“We put a lot of pressure on people,” said McGuire, whose team is averaging 47.5 points a game, second to Tennessee (48.2) in the FBS.
Dickey, who is 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds, has 591 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on the ground and has a similar style and body type to former Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo.
“Will run you over,” Dillingham said of Dickey. “Will run through you.”
Leavitt has thrown for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns this season, with three interceptions. Backup Jeff Sims was 18 for 38 for 124 yards in his start last week.
Texas Tech has won four straight road games, dating to a 23-22 over Iowa State last Nov. 2.
“We’ve used different things,” McGuire said about their approach to road games. “Special forces. Special forces have never won a game at home that we know of. They have to go on the road, we talk about that, being mission-focused.”
–Field Level Media
