Texas Tech football vs. Oregon: Scouting report, predictions
The biggest non-conference game in the recent history of Texas Tech football has lost a little bit of luster, though it may be more important than before.
Coming off a disappointing double-overtime loss at Wyoming, the Red Raiders (0-1) are set to welcome 13th-ranked Oregon to Jones AT&T Stadium in front of a sellout crowd of 56,200. The Ducks (1-0) are coming off an 81-7 win over Portland State in which Oregon put up 729 yards of offense.
Saturday will mark Tech's first time hosting a Power 5 opponent in non-conference play since 2017 (Arizona State). Oregon is also the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to visit Lubbock since No. 1 Nebraska came to town in 1994.
Texas Tech last started a season 0-2 in 1990. Its last loss in a home opener came in 1999.
When Texas Tech football runs
Zach Kittley called Tech's rushing attack against Wyoming "pathetic," and he's right. The revamped offensive line produced 93 rushing yards and 2.8 yards a carry. Tahj Brooks, who has averaged 5.0 yards a carry for his career, only carved out 3.5 yards an attempt. Even in a blowout win over a mid-tier FCS team, Oregon surrendered 4.0 yards a carry against Portland State, just below last year's season average of 4.3.
Advantage: Even
When Oregon football runs
The Ducks have no problem running the ball. Bucky Irving rushed for more than 1,000 yards on 6.8 yards/attempt in 2022 and needed four carries to reach 119 yards and two scores last week. Oregon's rushing offense reached a six-year high a season ago (216 yards a game) and had 348 in the opener. By most accounts, Tech fared fine against Wyoming's run-heavy attack, surrendering 3.9 yards an attempt. But the Red Raiders have historically struggled against running QBs, and Oregon has a pretty good one in Bo Nix. He totaled more than 500 yards and 14 TDs last season.
Advantage: Oregon
When Texas Tech football passes
Former Oregon QB Tyler Shough wasn't perfect in the Wyoming debut, but he still put up 338 yards and three touchdowns. He continued to show a tendency for interceptions, getting picked off once against the Cowboys and just missing on another errant throw. The Ducks' passing defense was among the worst in the nation in terms of yards allowed, though it was opportunistic, coming up with 16 interceptions, good for eighth in the country. If Shough avoids interceptions, he should have success.
Advantage: Texas Tech
When Oregon football passes
The Bo Nix marketing campaign has been hard to miss this offseason. The former Auburn transfer has compiled 48 career starts and found his groove in his first year at Eugene. Nix is coming off a 23-for-27 showing where he totaled 287 yards and 3 TDs. This after a season in which he threw for 3,594 yards and had a career-high 29 TDs compared to seven interceptions. He's also far more accurate than Wyoming's Andrew Peasley, which will test the Red Raider secondary.
Advantage: Oregon
Texas Tech vs. Oregon: The specialists
It was a rough debut for Gino Garcia. Tech's new kicker was 2 of 5 against Wyoming with one blocked kick, one doink and one missing wide right before the half. Austin McNamara remained solid, averaging 49.8 yards on his four punts in Week 1. Oregon didn't need special teams much against Portland State. Kicker Camden Lewis hit his lone attempt from 41 yards and Ross James had a punt of 58 yards.
Advantage: Oregon
Score prediction: Oregon 42, Texas Tech 24
Texas Tech Projected Starters
Position | Jersey Number | Projected Starter |
TEXAS TECH OFFENSE | ||
Quarterback | 12 | |
Running Back | 28 | Tahj Brooks (5-10, 230, Sr.) |
X Receiver | 11 | Loic Fouonji (6-4, 215, Sr.) |
H Receiver | 10 | |
Y Receiver | 1 | Myles Price (5-10, 190, Sr.) |
Z Receiver | 9 | |
Tight End | 80 | |
Left Tackle | 71 | Monroe Mills (6-6, 315, Jr.) |
Left Guard | 70 | Cole Spencer (6-4, 300, Sr.) |
Center | 53 | |
Right Guard | 56 | Dennis Wilburn (6-3, 325, Sr.) |
Right Tackle | 76 | Caleb Rogers (6-5, 310, Sr.) |
TEXAS TECH DEFENSE | ||
Nose Tackle | 95 | Jaylon Hutchings (6-0, 305, Sr.) |
Defensive Tackle | 97 | Tony Bradford Jr. (6-1, 300, Sr.) |
EDGE | 6 | |
WILL | 8 | Jessiah Pierre (6-2, 240, Sr.) |
MIKE | 13 | Ben Roberts (6-3, 230, Fr.) |
Outside | 7 | |
STAR | 9 | C.J. Baskerville (6-3, 215, Jr.) |
Cornerback | 0 | Rayshad Williams (6-3, 215, Sr.) |
Safety | 1 | Dadrian Taylor-Demerson (5-11, 195, Sr.) |
Safety | 18 | Tyler Owens (6-2, 210, Sr.) |
Cornerback | 12 | |
TEXAS TECH SPECIALISTS | ||
Punter | 31 | Austin McNamara (6-4, 210, Sr.) |
Kicker | 99 | Gino Garcia (6-2, 215, Sr.) |
Long Snapper | 30 | Jackson Knotts (5-11, 190, Jr.) |
Kickoff | 38 | Reese Burkhardt (6-1, 205, Jr.) |
Holder | 31 | Austin McNamara (6-4, 210, Sr.) |
Kick Returner | 4 | |
Punt Returner | 1 | Myles Price (5-10, 190, Sr.) |
Oregon Projected Starters
Position | Jersey Number | Projected Starter |
OREGON OFFENSE | ||
Quarterback | 10 | Bo Nix (6-2, 217, Sr.) |
Running Back | 0 | Bucky Irving (5-10, 195, Jr.) |
Wide Receiver | 2 | Gary Bryant Jr. (5-11, 185, So.) |
Wide Receiver | 15 | Trez Johnson (5-10, 160, Jr.) |
Wide Receiver | 11 | Troy Franklin (6-3, 187, Jr.) |
Tight End | 88 | Patrick Herbert (6-5, 255, Jr.) |
Right Tackle | 65 | Ajani Cornelius (6-5, 308, Jr.) |
Right Guard | 74 | Steven Jones (6-5, 340, Sr.) |
Center | 58 | Jackson Powers-Johnson (6-3, 320, Jr.) |
Left Guard | 55 | Marcus Harper II (6-3, 325, Jr.) |
Left Tackle | 76 | Josh Conerly Jr. (6-4, 305, So.) |
OREGON DEFENSE | ||
Defensive End | 1 | Jordan Burch (6-6, 290, Jr.) |
Nose Tackle | 50 | Popo Aumavae (6-3, 315, GS) |
Defensive Tackle | 98 | Casey Rogers (6-5, 305, Sr.) |
Outside Linebacker | 32 | Emar'rion Winston (6-4, 255, Fr.) |
Inside Linebacker | 2 | Jeffrey Bassa (6-2, 230, Jr.) |
Inside Linebacker | 28 | Bryce Boettcher (6-2, 220, Jr.) |
Outside Linebacker | 90 | Jake Shipley (6-3, 255, Jr.) |
Cornerback | 5 | Khyree Jackson (6-3, 195, Sr.) |
Safety | 13 | Bryan Addison (6-5, 198, Sr.) |
Safety | 0 | Tysheem Johnson (5-10, 195, Jr.) |
Cornerback | 8 | Dontae Manning (5-10, 185, Jr.) |
*starters from Portland State game |
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football vs. Oregon: Scouting report, predictions
