West Virginia is going with a familiar look for its road trip to No. 15 Texas Tech: glossy blue helmets, white jerseys and gold pants.
It’s the kind of uniform combo Mountaineer fans know well, and it comes with a decent track record attached. The traditional road set has been worn 129 times, making it the second-most-used combination in program history. WVU is 64-65 in it, a 50% win rate, and the last time the Mountaineers put it on was in 2025 at UCF.
The matchup itself has not gone WVU’s way much lately. West Virginia has dropped six of the last seven meetings with Texas Tech, and the last two losses have been especially rough, with the Mountaineers outscored 101-15 combined. They’ve also lost three straight in Lubbock.
There was a stretch before that skid when WVU handled the trip to West Texas better, winning three of the first four games there. But the recent results have been ugly, including a 48-10 loss in 2022 and a 52-15 defeat in 2024.
Texas Tech has also turned its home field into a real problem for visitors. The Red Raiders have won 13 straight at Galaxy Stadium, which matches the longest home winning streak in program history. West Virginia will try to stop that run with a team that, as the source notes, has more explosive playmakers on offense now with Mike Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook than those earlier Mountaineer squads did.
Kickoff is set for approximately 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The radio call will be on the Mountaineer Sports Network with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning.
After the game, West Virginia On SI will have its Mountaineer Postgame Show with former WVU running back Eugene Napoleon and the author, who will break down the action and look ahead for the Mountaineers.
In Other News...
WVU Basketball Just Opened The Door For More West Virginia Families
West Virginia basketball is once again being used as a bridge between the program and the state it represents. The WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Mountaineer Athletic Club have teamed with DAC Energy to buy $100,000 worth of mens basketball tickets, with the goal of getting them into communities across West Virginia through outreach programs.
The tickets will be spread around for nonconference games and select Big 12 matchups, giving more families a chance to get into the building and see the Mountaineers in person. DAC Energy, led by Ken and Jennifer Mason, has long been involved in supporting WVU athletics and community efforts, and this latest partnership keeps that connection going in a very visible way. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Gets Encouraging Returns Before Texas Tech But Questions Remain
West Virginias availability picture is looking better heading into its matchup with Texas Tech, with the Mountaineers downgrading two players and clearing three others for the upcoming game. There has also been movement on the Red Raiders side, where one additional player has been ruled out and three more have been moved to probable, giving both staffs a little more clarity as kickoff approaches.
The report also notes that some players who had been listed as probable are now cleared to play, which is the kind of late-week development coaches and fans alike tend to watch closely. With the game set for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, the final injury updates could still shape how both teams approach the night in Lubbock. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginias Upset Chances May Hinge On One Dangerous Texas Tech Threat
Texas Tech brings one of the more dangerous offenses West Virginia will see this season, and the matchup has the feel of a game where the margins could be thin despite the Red Raiders carrying the edge on paper. Phil Steeles read is straightforward enough: Texas Tech is the better team, but the Mountaineers can keep this one in play if they can slow down the ground game and force the Red Raiders to work for everything.
For West Virginia, that makes the opening script pretty clear. The Mountaineers know they will need to match Texas Techs offensive punch, but the real test may come on the other side of the ball, where one dangerous threat could dictate whether this turns into a shootout or a game the home team can hang around in deep into the fourth quarter. [Read more 🡒]