Matchup: Texas Tech vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff

Date: September 6th, 2025

Location: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas

Kickoff: 6:30 pm

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The Red Raiders got off to a magnificent start in week one of the 2025 season with a weather shortened 67-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. I expect a similar result, sans the weather, in week two against Kent State. 

In week one everything I needed to see, I saw. Behren Morton looked like he had some serious zip back on his throws as he dotted a slant to Reggie Virgil for the game’s first score. He continued looking good on touchdowns to Terrance Carter, twice, and Coy Eakin added some YAC to Morton’s totals with a great run after catch. The injury scare with Morton’s leg is hopefully a footnote on a prolific season from the gunslinger. 

Elsewhere in week one, the rushing attack looked potent with Cam Dickey and J’Koby Williams leading the way as Albany legend Adam Hill cleaned up the second half. The offensive line and tight ends looked like they were blocking an inferior opponent. Not always the case for Texas Tech vs an FCS team. 

Defensively, the retooled defensive line looked as advertised as all four starters tallied at least a partial sack. Romello Height was particularly explosive in just 24 snaps off the EDGE. Joey McGuire and defensive coordinator Shiel Wood both expressed that they got pretty much everyone they wanted to see into the game, something I expect them to have another opportunity at in week two. 

In fact, a carbon copy replay of week one would be just fine by me. Kent State is a program who just snapped a 714-day losing streak by beating D2 Merrimack and needed an electric 100-yard kickoff return from Da’Realyst Clark to do so. I respect the job interim head coach Mark Carney has in front of him, but I don’t envy the task of facing Texas Tech. 

At every position, in every way, Texas Tech should dominate Kent State. I appreciated the attitude of the Red Raiders against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and the urgency with which they played. Even up 47-0 at halftime, Joey McGuire told his team at halftime that, “The standard was the standard.” He urged his team to not be complacent and singled out QB Will Hammond telling him, “We aren’t going out there to run the ball, we’re going to try to score points.” 

It wasn’t about embarrassing Pine Bluff either. It was about ensuring that Texas Tech was improving with every rep. These previews will certainly be more in depth on the opponent as the season continues, but in week two against Kent State the standard is the standard. 

If Texas Tech plays with the same intensity, this time for 60 minutes instead of 46 minutes, the result will speak for itself. 

I’ll take the Red Raiders to cover the -48.5 line and hit the over of 58.5 themselves.

Final score: Texas Tech 70, Kent State 9.