Fireworks in the forecast: Tech, Ole Miss pit fast offenses in Texas Bowl

HOUSTON — The Texas Tech football program has long been known for fielding exciting and explosive offenses. That's a big part of Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin's reputation, too.

If both sides hold true to form, it could make for a high-scoring Texas Bowl. Oddsmakers are expecting exactly that. Tech (7-5) and Ole Miss (8-4) square off at 8 p.m. Wednesday at NRG Stadium, and the over-under of 71 points combined is third-highest among the 42 bowls this season.

Both teams average 34 points and more than 450 yards per game.

"It could be a lot like the OU game," Tech coach Joey McGuire said, referring to the Red Raiders' 51-48 overtime victory in the regular-season finale. "They're very similar, so we've got to do a good job on defense of trying to limit big plays. Then on offense, we've got to play at a pace. We've got to play Red Raider speed."

Ole Miss and Oklahoma average 20.7 seconds per play, fastest in the FBS. The fifth fastest is Tech at 21.0 seconds per play.

Southeastern Conference rushing leader Quinshon Judkins was in high school last year, and he set Ole Miss single-season records for rushing yards (1,476) and rushing touchdowns (16).

"You don't rush for that many yards in the SEC as a true freshman and not be really special," McGuire said. "We've got to make sure there's as much cloudy in the gaps as there can be, because whenever he sees any daylight, he hits it really hard."

Though Judkins is up for national freshman of the year honors, the Rebels have an arsenal of weapons. Fellow running back Zach Evans — a high-school teammate of Tech defensive tackle Tony Bradford at Galena Park North Shore — has 899 yards rushing. Quarterback Jaxson Dart has passed for 2,613 yards and run for 548, and Malik Heath and Jonathan Mingo are 800-yard receivers.

McGuire said Tech associate head coach Kenny Perry compared facing Judkins and Evans, who have nearly 2,400 yards between them, to facing Texas' Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, who teamed for more than 2,100 this season.

Even with all the firepower, though, Ole Miss stumbled down the stretch. The Rebels went from 7-0 and ranked No. 7 in mid-October to losing four of their last five regular-season games. They dropped the Egg Bowl against rival Mississippi State 24-22 in the regular-season finale after leading 16-7.

Bowl games can turn on which team is more eager to play. Kiffin said morale isn't an issue for Rebels players.

"I think they've done a really good job," he said. "That last game was disappointing. How we finished that and how we finished the season in general kind of was like some games, where we'd start really well and then didn't finish strong. I do think that our players have done a good job. I think they've done a really good job of playing — even guys that are already in the portal and are trying to finish this thing right."

Both coaches said their teams are not being affected by opt-outs. Tech players Tyree Wilson, Donovan Smith, Reggie Pearson and Kobee Minor — Wilson an NFL draft entry, the others with their names in the NCAA transfer portal — already have left the team. Everyone on the depth chart for the Texas Bowl, however, has been practicing with the Red Raiders the past several days at Rice.

Tech won its last three regular-season games for the first time since 1995.

Even though defensive back Adrian Frye said recently Tech players overwhelmingly wanted to go to the Cheez-It Bowl in sunny Orlando, Houston native Tony Bradford said their minds are right.

"This is the last game of the year," Bradford said. "We plan on emptying out the tank. There's no sense on holding back on anything.

"There's going to be more Red Raiders there than you can imagine, so I'm pretty much looking at this as like a home game for us, because we've got Red Raiders all over the state of Texas and they're coming in from all areas to support us, so we want to represent the program well and make them proud."

Quick hits

Tech tight end Henry Teeter will stay with the team for another season, McGuire said.

Tech has 23 seniors with the option of returning in 2023 on the Covid-bonus year. Teeter is the 13th known to exercise that option. Seven have declined the extra year, and quarterback Tyler Shough, defensive back Cameron White and punter Austin McNamara are the remaining players with decisions unannounced.

Only six Tech seniors from 2021 used the extra year and stayed for 2022. Linebackers Krishon Merriweather and Kosi Eldridge and safety Marquis Waters had banner seasons in doing so.

"Some of those guys like Tony (Bradford) and Boog (Jaylon Hutchings), they're playing their best football they've ever played, and they see that," McGuire said. "And so they have an opportunity to grow off of that and put a tape together that gives them a legitimate chance to play at the next level." ...

McGuire said there's no resolution on the possible eligibility of linebacker Kosi Eldridge for 2023. The determination revolves around how many games Eldridge played in his freshman year at Kilgore College before he underwent season-ending knee surgery. His eligibility is exhausted unless that year is reinstated.

"We're still waiting to hear on Kosi," McGuire said. "It's kind of going at the pace of turning everything in and checking all the boxes to see if we get him back one more year." ...

McGuire said starting cornerback Rayshad Williams and backup linebacker Tyrique Matthews have looked good since Sunday when they returned to practice in pads. Both players were running on the side during the team's first on-site practice in pads Saturday, Williams recovering from a strained groin muscle and Matthews from a strained calf.

College football

Who: Texas Tech vs. Mississippi

What: the Texas Bowl

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, NRG Stadium, Houston

Where: NRG Stadium, Houston

TV: ESPN

Records: Texas Tech 7-5, Mississippi 8-4

Rankings (CFP/AP/coaches poll): Texas Tech unranked in all. Mississippi unranked/receiving votes/receiving votes

Line: Mississippi by 3 1/2. Over-under: 71 points.

Radio: FM 97.3, FM 100.7, FM 106.5, AM 950 in Lubbock. FM 95.7, AM 1440 in Amarillo.

Satellite radio: Sirius/XM 134 or 199

Follow Along: Follow @AJ_DonWilliams and @cmsilvajr for live game updates, with post-game recap and interviews to follow at www.lubbockonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Fireworks in the forecast: Tech, Ole Miss pit fast offenses in Texas Bowl