Saturday, October 20th, 3:30 p.m. (et) Bookmaker.com EXtra Bonus!
GAME NOTES: The 22nd-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders bring their high-flying act to Columbia to take on the 15th-ranked Missouri Tigers in what should be a thrilling Big 12 Conference affair. Texas Tech has won three straight to move to 6-1 on the year. Last week’s 35-7 pasting of rival Texas A&M earned the Red Raiders their first national ranking since late 2005, and marks the team’s 15th straight season in which it will participate in a bowl game. Tech is 2-1 in conference play and its only loss of the season came on the road at Oklahoma State on September 22nd. As for Missouri, it suffered its first loss of the campaign last weekend, falling to Big 12 bully Oklahoma, 41-31, in Norman. The setback means the Tigers are now 1-1 in conference. They are however, unbeaten at home this season (3-0) and are a stellar 22-6 in Columbia since the 2003 season. Texas Tech is the third straight ranked foe Mizzou has faced. The Red Raiders and Tigers have met just six times previously, with the latter holding a 4-2 series advantage. Missouri has won four of the five meetings since the formation of the Big 12, including a 38-21 decision in Lubbock last season.
BOOKMARK BETTING SCORES AND UPDATES AT: BETTING77.COM
Boasting the nation’s most prolific passing attack, the Red Raiders come into this contest looking to make a statement. Led by QB Graham Harrell, Texas Tech is averaging 50 points and 582 yards of total offense per game. Harrell has completed an eye-popping 74.4 percent of his passes and is averaging 450 ypg through the air. He has 31 TD passes against only three INTs — all remarkable stats considering how often coach Mike Leach has Harrell looking downfield. As a result of Harrell’s exploits, Michael Crabtree has taken his game to another level as evidenced by his 78 receptions, 1,244 yards and 17 TDs in just seven games. Danny Amendola has also benefitted from the pass-happy attack, hauling in 60 balls for 755 yards and five scores. When Tech decides to keep the ball on the ground, it is Shannon Woods who gets the call most often, and he has responded with 409 yards and eight TDs, averaging a robust 5.5 ypc along the way. Harrell threw for 425 yards and three TDs while rushing for another score in last week’s dismantling of Texas A&M. Crabtree finished with eight receptions for 170 yards, but was held without a TD catch for the first time this season. Helping the cause, Woods rumbled his way to 93 yards and a score.
Texas A&M gained 366 yards in last week’s clash, including 233 on the ground. The Aggies averaged 5.4 yards per rushing attempt, clearly taking advantage of Texas Tech’s front line. Still, the Red Raiders allowed just 133 yards passing and held TAMU to just a 5-of-13 success rate on third down. Joe Garcia led the Tech stand with 11 tackles, while Darcel McBath was hot on his heels with 10. The Red Raiders failed to log a sack in the game and came up with just one turnover. So far this season, opponents have been rather balanced in their approach to attacking the Texas Tech defense, rushing for 163.3 ypg and passing for 178.6 ypg. Garcia is the team’s top tackler, having logged 43 stops to this point, while Marlon Williams and Paul Williams are just off the pace with 42 and 41 stops, respectively. With just 15 sacks and 12 takeaways, the Tech defense is rather average in terms of big-play ability. Jamar Wall has three of the team’s six interceptions.
While Harrell is arguably the nation’s top signal caller, Missouri’s Chase Daniel can certainly hold his own. Daniel comes into this contest ranked fifth in the country in total offense (376.7 ypg), and he is hitting 68.9 percent of his passes for 345.5 ypg with 16 TDs against just six INTs. Martin Rucker is the team’s leading pass catcher (44 receptions, 474 yards, three TDs), and Chase Coffman (34 receptions, 341 yards, three TDs) is enjoying a solid season as well despite starting just once in six games. The Tigers held a narrow lead over Oklahoma in the fourth quarter of last week’s Big 12 tilt, but a costly turnover gave the Sooners the momentum they would need to post the 10-point victory. Daniel was highly efficient in completing 37-of-47 passes for 361 yards and a TD, but two picks proved costly. Coffman led all receivers with 10 grabs for 102 yards, and the Mizzou ground assault managed just 57 net yards, with Jeremy Maclin leading the way with 32 yards on just four totes. He did score a pair of TDs, however, to help keep the Tigers in contention.
The Missouri defense held the Sooners to 118 yards rushing last week, but three TDs on the ground helped power Oklahoma to victory. Mizzou defenders pounced on two fumbles, but the Sooners were successful on 10 of their 14 third-down conversion attempts and scored on all five trips to the red zone. Mizzou’s Brock Christopher and Sean Weatherspoon both tallied double-digit stops in the contest with 12 and 10, respectively, and the two currently rank sit atop the team’s tackles chart for the season. Christopher is tied for the club lead in TFLs with five, while Weatherspoon has posted 57 total stops and has broken up four passes. Foes are putting up 24.5 ppg behind 403.2 total ypg this year, with the pass being their most productive mode of attack (265.3 ypg).
I’m on the OVER 74
Good Luck,
Tommy Mac
