Texas Tech hosts No. 22 Texas in Big 12 opener
University of Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is making his first trip to Lubbock for a Big 12 opener Saturday against Texas.
Even though Sarkisian has never been to Jones AT&T Stadium, he has some idea of what to expect, given the charged atmosphere for Tech-Texas basketball games last season when former Red Raiders coach Chris Beard went against his former program for the first time.
The hostility might not match that level for Sarkisian, but the hot environment for Saturday's 2:30 p.m. kickoff figures to involve more than the forecast low-90s temperature. Both teams are 2-1 going into the Big 12 opener, which was an announced sellout five days in advance.
"It'll be a great environment for football," Sarkisian said this week. "This is what it's about. Going on the road, a game like this against a quality opponent, if you love football, you love this opportunity."
The two teams are opening their Big 12 schedules against one another for the third year in a row. For the second year in a row, the build-up involves the future as much as just the game at hand. Though Texas is leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference no later than the summer of 2025, the Longhorns could negotiate an earlier exit, in which case Saturday's game would be UT's last in Lubbock for the foreseeable future.
Tech wants to continue the series after the UT departure, citing the need to make up the financial shortfall it's likely to face in a weakened Big 12 that won't be as attractive to multimedia partners. Tech athletics director Kirby Hocutt, President Lawrence Schovanec, current and former Chancellors Tedd Mitchell and Kent Hance and Regent Cody Campbell have asked Gov. Greg Abbott to lobby UT AD Chris Del Conte for a 20- to 25-year series between the Red Raiders and the Longhorns.
The game is also Tech coach Joey McGuire's first against the Longhorns as a head coach. In a rare twist, the Red Raiders feel better about their defense three games into a season than their offense. Since starting quarterback Tyler Shough went down in the season opener, Donovan Smith has been sacked nine times and thrown five interceptions in the past two weeks.
Tech's rushing defense, on the other hand, ranks among the best in the Big 12 and top-20 nationally.
Texas has an unsettled quarterback situation of its own, but there's no denying the talent level of running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Xavier Worthy, both of whom were first-team All-Big 12 last season. And McGuire says there's no denying what Sarkisian brings to an offense.
"He's got a great reputation as a play caller," McGuire said. "Definitely their strength is what he can do with their skill players, and he has a lot of skill on that team, and so really excited to play against him."
Dating to last season, Tech has held its past six opponents under 31 points. However, the Longhorns have topped 40 against the Red Raiders four years in a row and six of the past seven meetings. They won 70-35 last year in Austin. Casey Thompson, since transferred to Nebraska, threw five touchdown passes in last year's game, three to Worthy. UT finished with 639 yards total offense, including 336 on the ground.
McGuire says the defensive focus starts with not letting the running backs, Robinson and Roschon Johnson, go off.
"They're guys that really make that team go," McGuire said. "They're physical. You can tell as the game goes on, they just get stronger with the carries they get, so something we really have to do a good job of is tackling this week and trying to minimize the extra yards."
Texas lost six Big 12 games in a row last season, when it stumbled to a 5-7 finish. But the Longhorns got the college football world's attention two weeks ago in a 20-19 loss against then-No. 1 Alabama, which needed a field goal with 10 seconds left to win.
Now the Longhorns face their first road game of the season, against an opponent whose fans get up for them.
"I get it: Passionate fans, college towns, that's what it's about," Sarkisian said. "Like I said, you've got to like these environments. That's the beauty of why we get to do what we do. We'll embrace it and we'll go for it."
College football
Who: Texas Tech vs. Texas
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Jones AT&T Stadium
Records: Texas 2-1, Texas Tech 2-1
Rankings (AP/coaches): Texas 22/19; Texas Tech unranked
Line: Texas by 7
TV: ESPN
Radio: FM 97.3, FM 100.7, FM 106.5, AM 950 in Lubbock. FM 95.7, AM 1440 in Amarillo.
Satellite radio: Sirius 109, XM 200
Follow Along: Follow @AJ_DonWilliams and @cmsilvajr on Twitter for live game updates, with post-game recap and interviews to follow at www.lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football hosts No. 22 Texas in Big 12 opener
