Texas Tech football spring practice: defensive backs strip drill
Texas Tech football defensive backs Dontae Balfour (20), Tarrion Grant (23), A.J. McCarty (1) and Luke Dillingham (39) go through a ball-strip drill
The final three games of the 2025 regular season will make or break the Texas Tech football team’s chances of getting to the Big 12 championship game.
Based on our predictions so far, the Red Raiders will head into their Nov. 8 home matchup with BYU fresh off a big road win at Kansas State and sporting a 7-2 record. That leaves little room for error for Joey McGuire’s squad against a Cougars team that has some unexpected questions going into the season for head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU and Texas Tech have only faced one twice in their history, the most recent being a brutal Red Raiders loss in Provo when true freshman Jake Strong got his first career start. It did not go well, especially after Texas Tech became BYU’s only win in its final seven games of the 2023 season.
Will the Red Raiders be able to return the favor this time around?
Get to know Texas Tech football opponent: BYU Cougars
It wasn’t quite the same rags-to-riches story as Arizona State, but last year’s BYU football team ascended to a high level when few saw it coming. Coming off a 5-7 record in their first year in the Big 12, the Cougars started the year 9-0 before back-to-back setbacks kept them out of the conference title game.
The Cougars were supposed to return their No. 1 quarterback, running back and wide receiver from last year’s team. While LJ Martin and Chase Roberts are back, they will not have Jake Retzlaff giving them the ball. An offseason full of negative attention for Retzlaff eventually led the junior quarterback to withdraw from BYU.
BYU will now turn to either Treyson Bourguet, a Western Michigan transfer, or McCae Hillstead, a Utah State transfer, to man the quarterback position. Whoever it is will rely heavily on Martin and Roberts to ease them into the offense on short notice.
The Cougars have just four returning defensive players, including Isaiah Glasker, who totaled 70 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions. Leading sack man Jack Kelly is also back.
One BYU football stat for Texas Tech football fans to know
BYU made a drastic defensive improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 in the Big 12. After giving up nearly 30 points and 420 yards of offense per game in 2023, those numbers dropped to 19.6 points and 309 yards allowed on defense in 2024. Will the Cougars be able to have that sort of defensive impact with just four returning starters?
Score prediction for Texas Tech football vs. BYU
Texas Tech 35, BYU 20: It once again comes down to taking care of business at home for Texas Tech. With just three games left before the end of the regular season, the Red Raiders have to down the Cougars to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive. Motivation should not be lacking at this point.
