Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Iowa State Cyclones Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 2nd 2024

Preview and Prediction

Texas Tech kicked off its Big 12 Conference schedule with a strong start, winning three consecutive games. However, they now head to Ames, Iowa, on a two-game losing streak to face the No. 11 ranked Iowa State team.

During Iowa State's (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) bye week, the Red Raiders (5-3, 3-2) suffered a heartbreaking loss to TCU, giving up 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and dropping to sixth in the conference.

In their last two losses, Texas Tech has allowed a total of 94 points to their opponents, prompting head coach Joey McGuire to issue a challenge to his defense.

"We need to step up our game on defense," McGuire stated. "I feel like we have been lacking in tackling our opponents in open space in our last two games against Baylor and TCU. This is something we will be addressing with the team."

One obstacle that Texas Tech was able to overcome was the loss of their quarterback, Behren Morton, who left the game at halftime with a non-throwing left shoulder injury. True freshman Will Hammond stepped up and threw for 121 yards and rushed for a touchdown, completing 10 out of 15 passes without any interceptions.

"I have been extremely impressed with the young quarterback who stepped in for them," said Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. "At halftime, he comes in and on their first drive, he completes all nine of his passes and leads them to a touchdown. It just goes to show how well they are coached and how dedicated they are to their system."

McGuire has not ruled out the possibility of Morton playing in Saturday's game, stating that anyone listed as questionable on the injury report will be ready to play. The decision on who will start at quarterback will be made after this week's practice.

Iowa State also has a talented quarterback in Rocco Becht, who led the Cyclones to a 38-35 victory over UCF on October 19th. In the final 30 seconds of the game, Becht scored a 1-yard touchdown to cap off an 11-play, 80-yard drive where he either ran or passed on every play. The entire drive lasted only 78 seconds.

"Their quarterback is playing at a high level. They also have two NFL caliber receivers and a trio of running backs that they rotate," McGuire commented on Iowa State's offensive threats.

Adding to their already impressive lineup, Iowa State may also have tight end Ben Brahmer back in the game after he left in the second quarter of their win over UCF. Brahmer averages 17.9 yards per catch and is a key player in Iowa State's balanced rushing attack, providing crucial blocking for their running backs.

The bye week also allowed for other players on Iowa State's team to recover from injuries, making this the healthiest the team has been since September.

"The bye week was a pivotal time for our football team," Campbell stated. "We will most likely be at our strongest since our game against Arkansas State on September 21st."

A win for Iowa State would secure their best start to a season, surpassing their 7-0 start in 1938. It would also keep them tied for first place in the Big 12 standings with No. 9 ranked BYU, who has a bye week this week.

PREDICTION

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Iowa State Cyclones

Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Iowa State Cyclones

Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes, Breece Hall rushed for two scores and No. 24 Iowa State's defense put the clamps on Texas Tech's potent offense in a 31-15 victory at Ames, Iowa, on Saturday.

Iowa State, 3-1 overall, is 3-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since 2002.

Texas Tech (1-3, 0-3) entered the game averaging 512 yards, ranking ninth in the nation, but mustered only 270 against the Cyclones.

The Big 12's leading receiver, KeSean Carter (21 receptions, 215 yards), did not play for the Red Raiders because of an ankle injury.

Purdy completed 32 of 43 pass attempts for 302 yards. He did not have an interception. He spread his completions to 11 different receivers, led by Xavier Hutchinson's nine receptions for 77 yards.

Hall, the leading rusher in the Big 12 coming into Saturday, gained 135 yards on 27 carries.

Iowa State responded after Texas Tech opened the scoring with a 90-yard blocked field goal return by Zech McPhearson with 8:00 left in the first quarter. Eli Howard got a hand on the 20-yard attempt by Connor Assalley.

The Cyclones had touchdowns on their next three possessions to take a 21-7 lead at halftime. Hall rushed for two of the scores and Purdy completed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Chase Allen.

By halftime, Hall had 108 yards on 19 carries and Purdy completed 19 of 25 passes for 187 yards.

Texas Tech had only 69 yards in total offense at halftime. It boasted a 100-yard rusher in the first three games but its leading rusher at halftime, Xavier White, had only 12 yards on four carries.

White finished with a team-high 21 yards on seven carries.

Purdy's 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Charlie Kolar with 3:06 remaining in the third quarter gave Iowa State a 28-7 lead. Assalley added a 26-yard field goal with 12:07 left in the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech quarterback Alan Bowman completed 13 of 22 pass attempts for 97 yards before being replaced by Henry Colombi in the fourth quarter. In his first drive, Colombi completed 6 of 8 passes for 63 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown pass to Erik Ezukanma with 5:00 left.