Texas Tech vs. Nevada football preview

Red Raiders Face Nevada On The Road

Nevada vs. Texas Tech
Saturday September 5th 2008, McKay Stadium
6:00 PM

Tech looks to build on their Week 1 victory

QB Graham Harrell threw for over 500 yards in their opener last weekend against eastern Washington. Harrell’s Red Raiders face another fierce offense in Nevada on the road in Week 2. Last Saturday Techs offense racked up 639 yards with 49 points, however Texas Tech’s defense allowed 341 passing yards, worrying for a school playing in the deepest QB conference in the nation.

Nevada in Week 1 were just as potent on offense as The Red Raiders, scoring 49 of their own points with 629 yards of total offense, almost the exact same numbers as Tech. Led by dual-threat QB Colin Kaepernick and WAC rushing phenomenon Luke Lippincott.

This game will be all about offense, the firepower that The Red Raiders possess is incredible, but the Wolfpack’s offense isn’t shoddy in any way. Which leaves question marks over both teams defenses, the game could come down to turnovers something these two know little about. Each team’s turnover margin from the start of 2007 is at -4, a stat that could come back to haunt one of these schools.

One worrying fact for Nevada is they really have no cornerbacks with a lot of experience, something that will play into Harrell’s hands as he looks to top his 48 TD’s from 2007. And with Michael Crabtree to cover it could again be a week where the lesser known Tech receivers step up. If the Wolfpack do choose to double team Crabtree it could also open up the running game, this was a surprising strong point for Tech last weekend.

Nevada’s offense cannot be underestimated. QB Colin Kaepernick had 19 passing touchdowns in 2007 with 6 on the ground, combine that with the fact he only played half a season is startling. Kaepernick was also named WAC Freshman of the year, and in Week 1 He scored three TD’s on the ground. RB Luke Lippincott will most likely be given a larger workload compared to the opener; Lippincott scored 18 times last year, a stat The Red Raiders should not overlook.

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This game could well see 1,200 yards of combined offense. Scary, huh. If Texas Tech doesn’t hurt their selves with needless penalties they should outscore the Wolfpack. Furthermore, if Nevada’s crowd are allowed to get into it early and Kaepernick is allowed time, The Red Raiders may struggle to find a way back.

Predicted Score: Texas Tech 48, Nevada 34

By Matt Nuttall
Big 12 Fans Texas Tech Correspondent

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