Bad news for the Texas Longhorns, who on Saturday lost Jonathon Brooks, the dynamic 1,100-yard rusher, for the season to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Celebrating a player injury is bad form, and we don’t of course, but not having to defend Brooks on Thanksgiving weekend is a significant development for the Texas Tech football team.
Regardless, No. 7 Texas still will be a sizable favorite in the regular-season finale. The Longhorns are rolling toward their best finish since the Mack Brown years.
If Texas Tech is going to extend its season into December, the Red Raiders almost certainly have to get it done this Saturday at home. Becoming bowl eligible is the goal for Tech and first-time visitor Central Florida, both 5-5 with two regular-season games left.
The Knights have a 2-5 Big 12 record in their debut season coming over from the American Athletic Conference. They’re a three-point underdog in the 4 p.m. game. They can ruin the Red Raiders’ senior day, though. Oklahoma State was riding high with five consecutive victories, including ones over Kansas State, Kansas and Oklahoma, when UCF socked the Cowboys 45-3 last week.
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Sounds odd to say of a team with five losses, but UCF can big-play an opponent to death. The Knights are tied for first in the FBS in scrimmage plays of at least 50 yards (11), tied for third in scrimmage plays of at least 30 yards (35), tied for sixth in scrimmage plays of at least 40 yards (18).
They have a 1,000-yard rusher in R.J. Harvey, who went for 206 against Oklahoma State, his fifth game in a row to reach 100. Receivers Javon Baker and Kobe Hudson, each with more than 30 catches for more than 700 yards, average better than 20 yards per…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/much-stake-texas-tech-football-220106531.html
Author : Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Publish date : 2023-11-14 22:01:06
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