No. 22 Arizona heads to Lubbock on Saturday afternoon for a Big 12 showdown with No. 13 Texas Tech, a matchup that brings together one team trying to keep its surge rolling and another looking to shake off its first setback of the year.
Arizona enters at 5-1 after the Week 2 loss at BYU, and the Wildcats have been rolling ever since. Their latest statement came last week in a 39-3 win over Iowa State. Texas Tech was 6-0 before running into trouble at Cincinnati, where the Red Raiders, listed as 10.5-point favorites, fell 37-24.
The Red Raiders already own the head-to-head edge from 2024, when they picked up a 28-22 road win at Arizona.
A big reason Arizona has stayed in the thick of things is Noah Fifita. In his fifth year with the program and fourth as a starter, the senior quarterback is putting together his best season yet.
He has 2,064 passing yards, which ranks 13th in the nation, along with 18 touchdown passes, tied for ninth-most, and only four interceptions. That production has helped him to an 82.0 QBR, good for 15th nationally.
Fifita has had his struggles against Texas Tech before. In the meeting two years ago, he completed 28 of 49 passes for 301 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
This game stands out as one of the better ones on the Week 9 slate, especially with an early kickoff to open Saturday’s action. Arizona gets a road test after a blowout win, while Texas Tech is trying to respond after absorbing its first loss.
On the betting side, the side is less clear, but the total looks appealing. Arizona has been better at limiting scoring at home, though West Virginia still managed 31 points against the Wildcats and Washington State scored 24. At the same time, Arizona should be able to put up four or five touchdowns.
Texas Tech has gone 5-2 to the OVER this season, and that trend is the one to lean on here.
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His absence has shown up most clearly in short-yardage and red-zone situations, where the Red Raiders have struggled to finish drives. Getting Dickey back should give Texas Tech a better chance to convert those chances into points, even if it does not solve every issue in an offense that has still been searching for rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Arizonas Surge Faces Its Toughest Big 12 Test Yet
No. 22 Arizonas rapid rise in the Big 12 now runs into one of the leagues most complete teams, with a trip to Lubbock to face No. 13 Texas Tech offering a clear measuring stick for where both programs stand. Each team enters at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play, which only sharpens the stakes in a matchup that feels more like an early November statement game than a midseason stop.
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Texas Tech Faces One Early Roster Problem It Must Solve Fast
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Bassala Bagayoko and Darrion Williams loom especially large in that plan, with both expected to help offset the size gap through physicality and activity. Texas Tech will have to win some battles the hard way early on, using intensity to make up for what it lacks in inches, while waiting for JT Toppin to return from injury and give the roster a different look. For a team with bigger goals, solving that rebounding issue fast may be one of the first real tests of the season. [Read more 🡒]