Ole Miss and Texas Tech meet Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the 2022 Tax Act Texas Bowl in Houston. Justin Apodaca of Texas Tech's Rivals.com affiliate -- RedRaiderSports.com -- answers five questions about Ole Miss' Big 12 opponent.
Motivation and opt-out seem to be a bowl game indicator. How excited is Texas Tech for this game and what's been the reaction to playing such a familiar non-conference opponent in Ole Miss?
For the Red Raiders there has been a ton of excitement surrounding this game and there hasn’t been any opt-outs that weren’t expected. Standout edge rusher and projected first round pick, Tyree Wilson, opted out of the final few games of the season after an ankle injury against Kansas.
Related: Texas Tech football schedule
However, the Red Raiders will be without a few due to the transfer portal, but most were depth. Safety Reggie Pearson is likely the biggest loss, but the new Oklahoma Sooner was rumored to have lost his starting spot for the bowl game to Tyler Owens. Tech will also be without QB Donovan Smith, DL Phillip Blidi and DB Kobee Minor due to the portal.
The Red Raiders won their last three games of the season. Did anything change and what were the keys to Tech finishing the regular season strong?
All three games had different stories, but the biggest key is the healthy return of the pre-season starter at quarterback, Tyler Shough. Against Kansas, the Red Raiders clicked on offense from the jump and never looked back.
In Ames, it was a slugfest with Iowa State in below-freezing temperatures and against Oklahoma, it was an instant classic that the Red Raiders shouldn’t have won statistically. In all three, Tech just found a way to win, something that the Red Raiders have done all year long under first-year head coach Joey McGuire.
What is Tech's quarterback situation and what do you expect from that position during the game?
As I mentioned previously, Tyler Shough, the starting quarterback coming out of fall camp, is healthy and expected to play. Without Donovan Smith, the Red Raider backup will be redshirt freshman Behren Morton who played really well against Oklahoma State and West Virginia earlier in the year. Beyond that, Tech would have to turn to a scout team guy in either Jaden Morris or Cooper LeFebre.
Texas Tech is 90th nationally in run defense. What will the Red Raiders do defensively to counter Ole Miss on the ground?
The Red Raider defense this season has been one of the better ones in a while around here and this defense has made plays when it matters this season. The run has been a bit of a problem this season as Deuce Vaughn (K-State), Bijan Robinson (Texas), Kendre Miller (TCU), and Eric Gray (Oklahoma) all have had excellent games on the ground this season.
The Red Raiders have the bodies to stop the run with DTs Jaylon Hutchings and Tony Bradford along with heir-apparent to Tyree Wilson on the edge in Joseph Adedire. It will be a massive challenge for Tech to stop the extremely talented running back room the Rebels have, and Zach Evans has already done it to the Red Raiders last season with the Horned Frogs.
What will a Texas Tech win look like? What will an Ole Miss win look like?
The Red Raiders will have to win the turnover battle, keep the Rebels under 150 yards on the ground, and limit mistakes on the offensive side of the ball to come out on top. If the Tech offense can click, the Red Raiders should be in good shape.
On Ole Miss’ side, the Rebels will need to impose their run game and keep possession of the football. The Rebels have the chance to run at will with an uber-talented running back room and it will be the story of the game either way.
