Game preview: The Joey McGuire era begins on Saturday

LUBBOCK, Texas – After much anticipation, the 2022 football season is here. Saturday at 7 o’clock Joey McGuire It begins when the Red Raiders host Murray State at Jones AT&T Stadium. It will be the first matchup between the two programs.

Television coverage will be provided via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Greg Mescal will provide the analysis with Taylor McHarg providing the call. Using the ESPN app, the broadcast can be accessed from any desktop or laptop computer, any personal cellular device, and television streaming services. Subscription to the subscription service can be found at ESPNPlus.com.

The Texas Tech Sports Network will also broadcast the game on 46 affiliates in Texas and the state of New Mexico as Brian Jensen calls the call with analyst John Harris and sideline reporter Chris Rank. The radio broadcast can be heard on Sirius XM channel 99 or 206 as well as on the Varsity App.

The McGuire Era began with the Racers

• After the break, full of excitement, Texas Tech officially begins Joey McGuire Saturday when the Red Raiders host Murray State at Jones AT&T Stadium. McGuire was hired last November as the 17th head coach in program history, building a new brand for Red Raider football as Texas Tech strives to become “the toughest, hardest-working and most competitive team in the country.”
• Texas Tech is 10-5-1 in head coaching debuts, having won four straight since Mike Leach took over in 2000.
• McGuire is one of 13 Power Five head coaches making their respective debuts for their programs. Along with McGuire, that list includes: Mike Elko (Duke), Billy Napier (Florida), Brian Kelly (LSU), Mario Cristobal (Miami), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Brent Venables (Oklahoma), Dan Lanning (Oregon). , Lincoln Riley (USC), Sonny Dykes (TCU), Tony Elliott (Virginia), Brent Pry (Virginia Tech), Kalen DeBoer (Washington) and Jake Dickert (Washington State).

Welcome to take three university

• Since then, “take three” has been one of the buzzwords around the Red Raider program every day. Joey McGuireIt’s hiring. This phrase is a key part of McGuire’s strategic plan to win, which emphasizes the defensive goal of creating three takeaways per game.
• Texas Tech returns six starters on defense, including sophomores as seniors. Darrion Taylor-DemersonHe led the Red Raiders with three interceptions a year ago. The defense features one of the nation’s top returners Tyree Wilsonthe Liberty Bowl defensive MVP who had 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks a year ago.

First in the history of Texas Tech head coaches

• Texas Tech head coaches have a 10-5-1 all-time record in their first game on the Red Raider side. Joey McGuire Looking to compete with Tech’s last four head coaches – Matt Wells, Kliff Kingsbury, Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach – led the Red Raiders to victory in the first game. Texas Tech head coaches are 4-0 in their respective debuts this century.
• Texas Tech hasn’t had a new head coach since 1981, when the Red Raiders fell to Colorado 45-27 under first-year head coach Jerry Moore in Boulder. Spike Dykes also lost his first game leading the Red Raiders, but the 1986 Independence Bowl came when he was promoted to head coach following David McWilliams’ move to Texas.

View on Murray State

• This will be the first meeting between Texas Tech and Murray State, a matchup that was added before the start of the 2018 season.
• Murray State competes in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).
• Murray State was picked to finish third out of seven conference members in the 2022 OVC preseason poll. UT-Martin was selected to finish first (same school as current Red Raider offensive lineman Michael Shanahan played last season) Southeast Missouri was selected second.
• The 2022 season will be Murray State’s final season in the OVC as it prepares to join the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) in 2023.

Red Raiders at FCS

• Since 1978, when the NCAA split Division I schools into two divisions, Texas Tech has compiled a 25-1 all-time record against FCS opponents. All of these games were played at Jones AT&T Stadium. Texas Tech won its last 19 games against FCS foes in the 1988 season. To recognize the diversity of football programs, the NCAA changed Division 1A and Division I-AA to FBS and FCS in 2006.
• This is the 12th time in the past 16 seasons that the Red Raiders have faced an FCS program in their home opener. Tech is a perfect 11-0 at this point.
• Texas Tech is averaging 51.0 points per game against FCS foes. For a 10-year streak (2010-19), the Red Raiders reached the 40-point mark per game against an FCS program and averaged a 40.0 margin of victory (56.7-16.7). The past two seasons, the matchups have been much closer with Tech winning 35-33 in 2020 at Houston Baptist (then in charge). Zach Keightley team as offensive coordinator) and a 28-22 win over Stephen F. Austin last season.
• Texas Tech’s only loss to an FCS program came in 1988 when North Texas beat the Red Raiders 29-24 at Jones AT&T Stadium.

A challenging program on tap

• Start to Joey McGuire It’s a challenging time for the Red Raiders, who face three ranked opponents in their first four games to start the season. Tech will follow the Murray State game by hosting No. 24 Houston before traveling to close out non-conference play at No. 13 NC State. The Red Raiders open Big 12 play against in-state rival No. 18 Texas at Jones AT&T Stadium.
• Texas Tech is currently one of four Power-Five conference schools scheduled to face at least two conference opponents in the Associated Press Top 25 during the preseason. This list also includes Pac-12 programs Oregon and Stanford with the SEC. Arkansas
• There is only one Power Five program, Mississippi State, that has fielded 25 more teams over its six-season schedule than Texas Tech. The Red Raiders’ preseason schedule pits them against five AP top-25 ranked opponents and is one of 10 Power Five teams for the 2022 schedule (Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse, Stanford, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina and Vanderbilt). .
• While both Houston and NC State remain in the top-25 polls before facing the Red Raiders, it will be the first time since 2002 that Texas Tech has faced multiple non-conference opponents in one season. The Red Raiders opened the 2002 campaign early against No. 12 Ohio State before traveling to face No. 16 NC State in week four.
• In addition to both Houston and NC State, the Red Raiders open Big 12 play against Texas, which is ranked No. 18 nationally in the AFCA Coaches Poll and also receives votes in the AP Poll. Texas Tech is followed by races in the state of Kansas, which receives votes in both polls, and then in the state of 12 Oklahoma.
• In its history, Texas Tech has started just one season in which it has won three of its first four games in the rankings, a feat the Red Raiders last did in 1978 against the likes of No. 9 Southern Cal, No. 6 Texas and No. 7. Texas A&M Tech dropped all three games, falling 17-9 to Southern Cal, then 24-7 at home to Texas and 38-9 in College Station to the Aggies. As part of a 7-4 season under Rex Dockery, the Red Raiders recovered to win their next six games.

He should return as the QB1 of the Red Raiders.

• Tyler Shaw He returns as Texas Tech’s quarterback after sitting out the final eight games a year ago. The show is tabbed by the launcher Joey McGuire Following the secondary competition Donovan Smith and a redshirt freshman Beren Morton.
• Before the injury, Shaw led the Red Raiders to a 3-0 record and was highlighted by a come-from-behind win over Houston. Shaw completed 69.6 percent of his passes and threw for 872 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for two other scores.
• He should enter the 2022 season. Shough was 8-4 as a starter during his time at Texas Tech in Oregon and led the Ducks to the Pac-12 Championship in 2020.
• Shaw has been named Texas Tech’s starting quarterback coming out of preseason camp as the senior will make his 12th start against Murray State on Saturday. Shaw got the job after his own, second-place three-way race. Donovan Smith and a redshirt freshman Beren Morton. Smith previously started the final four games of the 2021 season after Shaw was injured, earning AutoZone Liberty Bowl MVP honors after leading the Red Raiders past Mississippi State.

Ride Walk returned for McGuire’s first at Texas Tech

• Texas Tech will bring back the Raider Walk before every home game at Jones AT&T Stadium this season as the football program embarks on a revamped path under its new head coach. Joey McGuire. Fans can greet the Red Raiders as Texas Tech drops off the team buses south of the Sports Performance Center and heads to the home tunnel on the north side of Champions Avenue. The Goin’ Band from Raiderland and the Texas Tech Spirit Team will be on hand to enjoy the Red Raiders’ pregame events each week. Fans are asked to line the streets prior to the team’s arrival and then enjoy other pregame entertainment such as Raider Alley provided by Bud Light.

Get your tickets while you can

• The fun is over Joey McGuireRecruiting in Texas Tech athletics has been on the rise heading into the season opener, with the athletic department seeing a significant increase in ticket sales since last November. As of Sunday, Texas Tech will hold more than 7,000 new ticket sales this year, pushing the total to more than 28,000, which ranks in the top 10 all-time in school history.
• In addition to the increase in ticket sales, McGuire also sold out a lot as part of the Red Raider Club Wreck’Em Tour in the state of Texas. McGuire, who has spoken to more than 50 groups since being hired this past year, has sold out events in Dallas, Fort Worth, Midland, Abilene, San Antonio and Houston as part of his tour to greet donors and supporters across the state. Texas Tech benefited from a sold-out Red Raider Club Kickoff Luncheon before the season with more than 1,300 fans in Lubbock.

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