The calendar says Saturday afternoon in Lubbock, and Texas Tech football is staring at a Big 12 test that looks manageable on paper. Arizona State comes in at 3-2, has not yet logged a convincing win over a Power-4 opponent, and is only 1-2 against teams from one of the four major conferences. Its lone victory in that stretch was a 7-point win over a poor Kansas team.
But the matchup has a way of looking different once the ball is in the air.
That is where Arizona State can cause real problems for Texas Tech, because the Sun Devils have two wideouts who can turn a game fast: Reed Harris and Omarion Miller. And for a Red Raiders defense that has been one of the worst pass units in the country, that is bad news.
Tech is allowing 262.2 passing yards per game, which ranks 124th out of 138 FBS teams. Arizona State, meanwhile, is putting up 272.8 passing yards per contest, good for 34th nationally. The numbers point straight to the same place: the Sun Devils should be eager to attack through the air.
Harris is the headliner. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound receiver leads all Big 12 players with 590 receiving yards in 2026, and he is averaging 17.4 yards per catch.
He has been held below 90 yards only once in five games, and he has topped 125 yards three times. That includes a huge outing at Texas A&M in week two, when he caught nine passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
He has also found the end zone seven times this season, and Arizona State has made sure to feature him heavily. Harris has caught six passes or more in four games in 2026.
Across from him is Miller, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound transfer from Colorado who has compiled 31 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns.
Put together, Harris and Miller are a problem Tech has to treat with urgency. They are both productive enough that either one would lead the Red Raiders in receiving yards right now, and no Texas Tech player has reached 300 yards on the season.
That leaves the pressure on a secondary that has already been vulnerable. In five games, four opposing receivers have gone for at least 90 yards against the Red Raiders. Cornerbacks Bryce Pollock and Davin Martin will need to hold up, and the safeties are going to be tested as well.
That part matters because Arizona State already showed what it wanted to do against Tech last season in Tempe. The Sun Devils worked to isolate the Red Raider safeties on a receiver and challenge them deep, and the plan paid off with completions of 49, 45, and 39 yards, plus two pass interference penalties.
Brenden Jordan took a beating in that game, and it is probably one he would like back. The personnel around him may be different now on the Arizona State side, but the approach likely will not be.
So Tech’s back end is the spot to watch. If the Red Raiders cannot handle Harris, Miller, and the deep-ball stress that comes with them, this one could get uncomfortable in a hurry.
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The pressure does not stop there for the leagues most scrutinized sideline voices. Colorados recent play-sheet controversy and skid have only added to the noise around Deion Sanders, while Joey McGuire and Texas Tech are trying to protect an unbeaten start as outside attention keeps building. For Texas Tech, that means every week feels a little heavier, because staying perfect is no longer just about the standings, but about proving the program can handle the spotlight that comes with being chased. [Read more 🡒]