This is it. One final hurdle for Joey McGuire’s team to clear to play in a 13th game, this program has never played in. A Texas Tech week 14 road visit to West Virginia is all that stands between the Red Raiders and a chance to claim a Big 12 trophy in their bougee football facility. Through the course of the season, there have been specific focal points on a weekly basis for this team. But with 11 games of data, the game plan for this regular-season finale is simple. Show up, play the same game they have played all season, and punch their ticket to Arlington.
Morton Momentum
Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton has been playing injured most of this season. But, with the extra rest, he should be looking to build on a career in which he has feasted on West Virginia. Morton will be making his third career start Saturday against the Mountaineers. In his previous two games against West Virginia, he has thrown for a combined 842 passing yards, five touchdowns, and one interception. Of course, the best-case scenario is for this game to play out exactly like the one-sided win over UCF did. Morton was pulled from the game before halftime, as it was 35-0 when a healthy Morton was pulled from the game. Even if the score doesn’t get that one-sided that quickly, the one/two combination of Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams should keep pressure off of Morton.
This Is West Virginia’s “Super Bowl”
It is not exactly breaking news to report that year one under Rich Rodriguez 2.0 has not gone smoothly. Yes, they won the Backyard Brawl, and that is worthy of defining the season as successful. But other than that, this team has struggled most of the season. They rank 95th in scoring offense (23.7), 83rd in total offense (364.9 yards), and 99th in scoring defense (29.2). However, much of that dealt with an unsettled quarterback position. But the last month of football has seen improvements on the offense.
Scotty Fox Jr. took over as the full-time starter four games ago against TCU. Since then, the offense is averaging 383.8 yards (would be good for 70th nationally) and 28.5 points per game (would be good for 62nd nationally). The Mountaineers are also coming off their second bye week like the Red Raiders. This Texas Tech week 14 showdown is the last time West Virginia will play football in 2025. It is Senior Day for the home team, and they will make every effort to impress in hopes of ruining the Red Raiders’ season.
Heisman Moment?
Shiel Wood’s defense should smother this West Virginia offense. In November, Heisman contenders have game-defining moments to help cement their resume. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has been gaining Heisman consideration over the last few weeks. Rodriguez has been playing some of his best football over the last month. He has forced five turnovers in the past four games. As a result, Rodriguez is now the only FBS player since 2005 to have at least five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and four interceptions in the same season. He is the catalyst behind one of the nation’s top defenses. Texas Tech is tied second nationally with 25 takeaways and fourth in points allowed per game (12.3 points).
Texas Tech Week 14 Prediction
The domination that the Red Raiders have demonstrated all season is impressive. They are the only team in the country with 10 or more wins by 20 or more points in 2025. Texas Tech currently leads the nation with an average margin of victory of 33.8 points. The Red Raiders will not have any wild Morgantown weather to deal with. While it will be in the upper 30s/lower 40s for the game, the forecast is calling for light winds and zero precipitation.
This will be the healthiest this Red Raider team has been since week one of the season. A Friday night loss by Arizona State against Arizona would guarantee Texas Tech’s appearance in the Big 12 championship game, win or lose. However, there should not be any reason to expect this team to take this game lightly, regardless of that. Even in their lone loss against Arizona State, it took a herculean effort by the Sun Devils’ offense to muster 26 points. The only other team to score at least 20 points against the Red Raiders was Kansas State (20). The Mountaineer defense will not be able to keep the Texas Tech offense at bay. The Red Raider defense will make the freshman quarterback feel pressure all game (ask Bear Bachmeier what it was like to face this defense). Expect an emphatic punching of a Big 12 championship ticket in Morgantown by the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech 42, West Virginia 13
Main Image: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
