Texas Tech heads to Corvallis on Saturday evening with a chance to quiet plenty of the noise that followed its uneven opener against Abilene Christian. And if the Red Raiders are looking for the clearest path to a road win, it starts where football games are often decided: up front.
That’s where this matchup tilts hard toward Texas Tech. Oregon State already showed in Week 1 that life on the lines of scrimmage could be a problem, and Tech has the kind of size and depth that can turn that weakness into a long night.
The Beavers opened with a 33-20 loss at No. 23 Houston, and for a while they were right there, trailing only 26-20 with under six minutes left before the Cougars put the game away with a late touchdown.
Oregon State also showed last season that it can be a tough out at home, even in defeat. The Beavers took Houston to overtime in Corvallis before falling 27-24, and in that game they were ahead 24-10 with six minutes remaining before the collapse.
Still, the broader issue is what Oregon State looked like in Week 1. The Beavers managed just 25 rushing yards on 26 carries, and that kind of production puts immediate pressure on everything else in the offense. It forced them to throw it 48 times, but even that came with risk, since they gave up four sacks.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, got strong work from its defensive front against Abilene Christian. The Red Raiders held ACU to 75 rushing yards while piling up three sacks and six tackles for loss.
They may also get another boost this week, with true freshman LaDamion Guyton expected to make his debut after missing the opener with a minor injury. The former 5-star recruit from Georgia is not being asked to carry the whole pass rush right away, but he adds another body to a group that already looked active.
On the other side of the ball, Texas Tech should have reasons to lean on its ground game. Oregon State was gashed by Houston for 228 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 41 carries, which came out to 5.6 yards per rush. That lines up with last season’s issues too: the Beavers allowed 157.4 rushing yards per game, 81st nationally, and against Tech a year ago they gave up 121 yards on 40 carries, or 3.0 per attempt.
This year, though, the Red Raiders appear built to do more damage on the ground. With a dangerous trio of running backs and a bigger, more physical offensive line, Tech should have every reason to test Oregon State early and often.
And if Will Hammond is asked to throw, the expectation is that he won’t be under much heat. Texas Tech did not allow a sack in Week 1, while Oregon State managed just one sack against Houston on 31 pass attempts.
Put it all together, and the Week 1 tape from Oregon State points to trouble on both sides of the line. Texas Tech has spent the past two offseasons investing heavily in those areas, and if the Red Raiders play to that level in Corvallis, this one could get away from the Beavers fast.
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Texas Tech Already Has One Problem Oregon State Could Expose
Texas Tech got the kind of opener it wanted against Abilene Christian, building a 17-0 halftime lead and cruising to a 33-10 win while giving up only a kickoff return touchdown late. The Red Raiders moved the ball well enough to reach the red zone on all five trips and still came away with points each time, but the offense did not finish every drive in the most damaging way possible, leaving a few finishing touches on the field as the week turned toward Oregon State.
That matters because Oregon State arrives looking to make life harder in the trenches after a 33-20 loss to Houston, with first-year coach JaMarcus Shephard pushing for better line play and a steadier rushing attack. If Texas Tech is going to be sharper against a team trying to establish itself physically, the questions from the opener are less about moving the ball and more about what happens when drives get tight inside the scoring area. [Read more 🡒]