The Texas Tech Raiders, fresh off a butt kicking of Bret Bielema’s Arkansas Razorbacks, head back home looking to dish another upset victory when they host the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs. That would be easier said done, however, as the Horned Frogs sport one of the best offenses in the nation with Trevone Boykin running the show. Will the Red Raiders be able to take down Big 12 hotshot TCU? Or will Boykin and company stop Texas Tech’s win streak?
Read on for a preview of this matchup. You can also click here for a breakdown of the matchup between Mississippi State and Auburn.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]TCU Horned Frogs vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders Preview
Where: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock
When: Saturday, September 26, 4:45 PM ET
Line: TCU Horned Frogs vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the TCU Horned Frogs
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Where would the Horned Frogs be without Trevone Boykin? The Heisman Trophy candidate went berserk in TCU’s 56-37 victory over SMU, passing for 454 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 50 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground.
Of course, it helped Boykin to have tremendous targets down field in Josh Doctson and KaVontae Turpin in the SMU game. Doctson had a season-high 171 receiving yards with two touchdowns on five receptions. Turpin, on the other hand, had a breakout game, as the freshman wideout had 79 rushing yards and a touchdown on just two catches.
Expect Boykin to give Turpin more looks against a susceptible Texas Tech defense that has allowed 238.3 passing yards per game thus far this season. Aaron Green is another player who could make a big difference in next week’s game in Lubbock. Greene, TCU’s leading rusher, had a field day against SMU. Greene had his way through the Mustangs’ defense, as he rushed for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
Together with Boykin, Doctson and Green was instrumental in the Horned Frogs’ 82-27 thrashing of Texas Tech last season. In that game, Doctson racked up 76 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Green rushed for 105 yards and a score.
On defense, the Horned Frogs have some issues to fix after letting SMU gash their defense for 336 passing yards. Containing Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ targets, however, appear to be a challenge for TCU now that cornerback Ranthony Texada is considered out for the season with a knee injury.
TCU is 4-0 SU in its last four road games.
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Betting on the Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Red Raiders return home still undefeated. Led by Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech recorded its third-straight victory of the season in upset fashion, defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville on Saturday, 35-24. Up ahead, however, is a tough assignment in the form of the TCU Horned Frogs.
Mahomes demonstrated why he’s among the top Big 12 quarterbacks with a sterling performance against Arkansas. Mahomes threw for 243 yards and a touchdown on 26 of 30 passing, albeit with two interceptions. Both of Mahomes’ passing TDs were caught by Reginald Davis, who had 115 receiving yards on five receptions. In addition, Mahomes also went loose on the ground for 58 yards and two touchdowns to cap an amazing evening for Kingsbury’s boys.
Aside from Davis, Mahomes also has the pair of Jakeem Grant and Devin Lauderdale to count on when he orchestrates Texas Tech’s spread offense against TCU. Grant leads the team with 287 receiving yards, while Lauderdale has 197 receiving yards and three touchdowns thus far this season.
While the Red Raiders’ offense kept humming against Arkansas, their defense still looks like a work in progress. Texas Tech allowed the Razorbacks to rack up 424 total yards. That said, it’s a much better effort by Texas Tech’s stop unit than in last year’s meeting with the Razorbacks, when it gave up 499 yards (61 passing, 438 rushing) in a 49-28 loss. Defensive coordinator David Gibbs is looking for the same kind of improvement by his group when it takes on the high-scoring Horned Frogs. Last season, TCU unloaded 785 total yards against the Red Raiders on its way to a crushing 82-27 victory.
Texas Tech is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
TCU wins, 48-35.
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