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by Jessica Warner \/ The Related Press
The extremely anticipated matchup between the No. 9 Texas Tech Purple Raiders and the No. 8 BYU Cougars resulted in a blowout, with Texas Tech profitable 29-7.
Tech took an early 10-point lead within the 1st quarter, and held management filter out till the 4th quarter, with BYU scoring a landing with simply over seven minutes left.
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LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) \u2014 Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire is all-in on the hype forward of the No. 9 Purple Raiders' largest dwelling recreation in properly greater than a decade, a matchup with No. 8 BYU that has playoff implications and could possibly be a preview of the Large 12 title recreation.
He'd create extra if he may.
McGuire visited and chatted with college students camped outdoors the stadium days forward of kickoff. He texted ESPN's \u201cFaculty GameDay\u201d crew with Lubbock eating suggestions and a promise they’d have full entry to his crew earlier than the sport.
The wind-swept plains of West Texas haven't hosted a recreation like this since 2008, when No. 1 Texas rolled into city, solely to lose to then-No. 6 Texas Tech on Michael Crabtree's landing catch within the ultimate seconds. That was additionally the final time ESPN did its standard pregame present from there.
McGuire desires his crew, the campus, and all the metropolis to embrace the brand new second at hand.
\u201cI can\u2019t look forward to Saturday. I believe the setting goes to be completely unbelievable,\u201d McGuire mentioned. "They've earned the appropriate to play on this recreation. … Now they've bought to go earn the appropriate to win it.\u201d
It's huge for the league, too.
BYU (8-0, 5-0 Large 12, No. 7 CFP) and Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1, No. 8 CFP) are assembly within the Large 12's first convention matchup of high 10 groups since 2021. The Cougars are the league's final undefeated crew.
\u201cI\u2019m simply attempting to get the crew prepared,\u201d BYU coach Kalani Sitake mentioned. \u201cIt\u2019s a whole lot of enjoyable to go see these locations that you simply\u2019ve by no means been capable of play at earlier than. … However yeah, I\u2019m not involved about all that stuff with the rankings and all the things. There\u2019s a possibility for us to get to play the sport, so I\u2019m wanting ahead to that.\u201d
The Purple Raiders would seem primed and prepared for the second. Quarterback Behren Morton returned final week after lacking two video games due to a proper leg harm, and Tech's tenacious protection is led by playmakers Jacob Rodriguez, who leads the nation in compelled fumbles with seven, and nationwide sacks chief David Bailey (11 1\/2).
High offenses and high defenses
The Purple Raiders not solely lead the Large 12 with 43.6 factors and 492.3 complete yards per recreation, they’ve the highest protection permitting solely 13.2 factors and 271.3 yards per recreation.
With true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier and league speeding chief LJ Martin, BYU ranks third each in scoring 36.3 factors and permitting 17 per recreation. The Cougars common greater than 216 yards speeding per recreation, whereas Texas Tech has given up solely 75 yards per recreation on the bottom and hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher.
Bachmeier has six video games this season with touchdowns passing and speeding. That’s tied for probably the most in FBS.
Texan working with Cougars
BYU working again LJ Martin averages 98.6 yards and has 5 100-yard video games. He carried solely 5 occasions within the first half of BYU's final recreation at Iowa State earlier than exiting with a shoulder drawback. An open date allowed the El Paso, Texas, native, who Tech did recruit, some additional restoration time and he returned to observe this week.
Uncommon matchup
That is the primary time two top-10 Large 12 groups have performed one another since No. 9 Baylor beat No. 5 Oklahoma State within the league's 2021 championship recreation.
The Purple Raiders haven't had such a matchup since that 2008 season, once they performed three in a row: the win over Texas, adopted by a 56-20 win over No. 8 Oklahoma State and a 65-21 loss at No. 5 Oklahoma that stored them from making the Large 12 championship recreation.
BYU\u2019s final league title, Tech nonetheless looking for one
BYU final gained a convention title within the Mountain West in 2007, 4 years earlier than the Cougars started 12 seasons of independence till becoming a member of the Large 12 in 2023.
The Purple Raiders are one in all six groups which were a part of all 30 Large 12 seasons. They and Kansas are the one ones in that group that haven\u2019t performed in a Large 12 championship recreation.
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