Texas Tech begins its 2018 campaign on Saturday morning, as the Red Raiders travel to play Ole Miss in the Advocare Kickoff at NRG Stadium in Houston.

The Red Raiders have a tough nonconference slate. After playing Ole Miss, the Red Raiders also have to play against Houston. Beating Ole Miss will be essential to making a bowl game.

Here are some things to keep an eye on in the season opener.

Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss details

Time: 11 a.m. CT

Date: Sept. 1, 2018

Location: NRG Stadium in Houston

What TV channel is Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss on?

Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss will be broadcast on ESPN. It can also be streamed live on WatchESPN.

How can I buy tickets to Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss?

Click here to buy tickets to the Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss game at NRG Stadium.

Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss preview

Quarterback questions

Texas Tech declined to name a starting quarterback, and all three scholarship quarterbacks are still in contention. Senior McLane Carter is the favorite to win the starting job, but Jett Duffey and freshman Alan Bowman could both get playing time too.

Carter is the only one with any collegiate starting experience, but he wasn’t impressive against Texas. He completed just 16-of-37 passes and threw a pair of picks before getting benched. Departed starter Nic Shimonek passed for nearly 4,000 yards, and that was considered a down year. Texas Tech needs one of these guys to step up in this game.

Defending a mismatch

Ole Miss doesn’t have a ton of proven talent on the roster, but wide receiver A.J. Brown is a bonafide star in Oxford. Brown caught 75 catches for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore. With another year of experience under his belt, Brown should be that much better.

But for the first time in a while, Texas Tech has legitimate talent in the secondary. Safety Jah’Shawn Johnson and nickel Justus Parker both earned preseason All-Big 12 nods. Texas transfer defensive back John Bonney should be able to contribute too.

Early barometer

Texas Tech is one of the more unknown teams in college football. While there are several returning starters on defense, it’s unclear how much better the unit will get in another year with David Gibbs. Kliff Kingsbury is an offensive whiz, but the talent is inexperienced.

Ole Miss is a program with some similarities. While the Rebels have more talent on the roster, the production hasn’t consistently been there since Chad Kelly graduated in 2015. Both teams will be fighting for bowl eligibility this season. Picking up a season-opening win over an SEC team will give Kingsbury some extra breathing room heading into Big 12 play.