Texas Tech readies for first Big 12 tangle with BYU

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will make its first-ever trip to the state of Utah on Saturday when the Red Raiders face BYU at 6 p.m. CT inside LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. It will be only the second all-time meeting between the Red Raiders and Cougars as Texas Tech prevailed, 21-20, in the only other contest in 1940.

Television coverage will be provided by FS1. Alex Faust will be behind the mic for play-by-play duties and will be joined by analyst Petros Papadakis. Fans can access the game from their mobile or streaming device by using the FOX Sports app.

Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game over 46 affiliates throughout the state of Texas and New Mexico as Brian Jensen will have the call alongside analyst John Harris and sideline reporter Chris Level. The radio broadcast can also be heard on SiriusXM channel 135 or 199, as well as on the Varsity app.

BROOKS AMONG NATION’S BEST RUSHERS

• While he may have narrowly missed out on a fifth-consecutive 100-yard game against Kansas State, Tahj Brooks remains one of the nation’s leading rushers entering this week as he is fifth in the FBS with 786 rushing yards and sixth in rushing yards per game (112.3).
• Brooks needs 214 yards over the final five games of the season to become only the second 1,000-yard rusher for the Red Raiders since Texas Tech moved to a spread offense in 2000.
• He would also move into the top 10 in the career rushing record book with 201 additional rushing yards.

ROBERTS PACES RED RAIDER DEFENSE

• Ben Roberts has excelled since being thrust into the starting lineup as only a redshirt freshman against Oregon in only the second game of the season.
• Since then, Roberts has reached double digits for tackles in four of six games as he leads the Red Raiders with 56 stops already this season.
• Among freshmen nationally, Roberts ranks second in the FBS with 56 total tackles this season and third for tackles per game (8.0).
• He leads all Big 12 freshmen in both categories and ranks fifth overall in the conference for total tackles per game.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

• 2: This weekend’s matchup will place the NCAA FBS level’s top two active punters for career average against each other in Texas Tech’s Austin McNamara (46.1) and BYU’s Ryan Rehkow (47.1).
• 22: BYU will be the 22nd different team Jaylon Hutchings has potentially made a start against during his career as he has started in 53-consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the FBS.
• 786: Tahj Brooks’ 786 rushing yards in only seven games are already the most by a Red Raider since Justin Stockton had 797 in 2017 and is on pace to be the most in a season since Ricky Williams in 1998.

TEXAS TECH-BYU CONNECTIONS

• The trip to Provo will be special for Austin McNamara’s family as his parents, Brian and Mindy McNamara, are both BYU graduates. Brian McNamara previously played collegiate golf at Long Beach State before earning degrees from the University of Texas and BYU.
• The BYU game will also be a family affair for Texas Tech outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You as he is the uncle to BYU linebacker Chaz Ah You and the brother to BYU Assistant Athletics Director for Football Academics Jasen Ah You (Chaz’ father). His father, Charles Ah You, also played running back at BYU as did his brother, Matt Ah You.
• Texas Tech defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter likely has the most experience in traveling to Provo on the Red Raider staff as this will be his 10th trip of his career, both as a player and as a coach. Over his successful coaching career, DeRuyter has faced BYU as an assistant coach at both Air Force (1985, 1989-92, 2007-09) and Cal (2018) and as the head coach of Fresno State in 2015. He previously played in Provo as a student-athlete at the Air Force Academy from 1982-84.
• The trip to Provo will be new to many on the Texas Tech staff but facing the Cougars will not be a first for Joey McGuire and two other coaches who were on the Baylor staff that defeated BYU, 38-24, in 2021. McGuire was on a Baylor staff that also featured current Red Raider assistants such as Justin Johnson (running backs coach), Josh Bookbinder (defensive quality control) and several support staff members.
• BYU junior wide receiver Keanu Hill is the son of Texas Tech great Lloyd Hill, who remains one of the top wide receivers in school history. Hill starred at Texas Tech from 1990-93 as he was a first team All-American in 1992 and a two-time All-Southwest Conference honoree. Hill became the first Red Raider in program history to record 3,000 career receiving yards as his 3,059 yards through the air still rank fourth in program history.

INSIDE THE BYU SERIES

• This will only be the second all-time meeting between Texas Tech and BYU as the two schools previously met in Lubbock during the 1940 season. The Red Raiders won that game, 21-20, for their third of eight-consecutive victories that season as part of a 9-1-1 overall record.
• The 83-year gap between games with Texas Tech and BYU is the third-longest between meetings of teams facing each on the 2023 football slate. Nevada and USC previously met Sept. 2 after 94 years since their last matchup. Louisiana Tech and Jacksonville State, meanwhile,  close the regular season against each other Nov. 18 in what will be their first meeting since 1939 (84 years).
• Texas Tech has never played a football game in the state of Utah until this weekend. In its history, Texas Tech has faced three other schools from the state of Utah with previous contests against Utah (2-0), Utah State (2-0) and Weber State (1-0). It will be the first time Texas Tech has faced a school from the state of Utah since the Red Raiders trounced Weber State, 64-21, in 2010.

RED RAIDERS AT NIGHT

• The BYU trip will mark Texas Tech’s sixth game that has started at 6 p.m. CT or later already this season as the Red Raiders will play at least eight night contests. The Red Raiders already know three of their final five game times on the year as only the Nov. 11 trip to Kansas and Nov. 18 home finale are still under the 12-day television window. Texas Tech will also have a 6 p.m. start Nov. 2 at home against TCU and a 6:30 p.m. kick Nov. 24 at Texas.
• Dating back to the start of the 2000 campaign, Texas Tech has only played eight or more night games in a season three times previously as the Red Raiders also had eight kicks at 6 p.m. CT or later in both 2009 and 2013 and then nine night kicks in 2000.
• Texas Tech’s loss to Kansas State this past weekend dropped the Red Raiders to 47-21 in night games dating back to 2002. That record includes a 4-3 mark under Joey McGuire and a 1-2 clip this season as the Red Raiders previously split their opening two games against Oregon and Tarleton State.

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Release provided by Matt Burkholder Texas Tech Athletics