BYU (8-0, 5-0) at Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1)
- Kickoff: Saturday, 10 a.m. MDT
- Venue: Jones AT&T Stadium (capacity: 60,229)
- TV: ABC
- Livestream: espn.com/live
- Radio: KSL 1160 AM/102.7 FM/BYU Radio Sirius XM 143
- Series: Tied 1-1
The trends
For BYU: The Cougars are 8-0 for the second-consecutive season, standing as the Big 12’s only unbeaten team and possessing the conference’s best College Football Playoff résumé thus far.
They’re also coming off a bye, having been out of action since defeating Iowa State 41-27 on the road two weeks ago.
Saturday will be the first-ever top 10 matchup in BYU program history. A win would separate the Cougars as the clear Big 12 title favorite, but a loss wouldn’t put a CFP appearance out of reach.
Most oddsmakers have Texas Tech favored by more than 10 points on Saturday; however, since the start of 2024, BYU is 7-1 as an underdog.
For Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are an exceptional football team. They hold the country’s second-best scoring margin at 26.6 points per game, trailing only the juggernaut Indiana Hoosiers.
Texas Tech is 8-1, with its lone blemish coming in a game where starting quarterback Behren Morton was sidelined with an injury.
Additionally, Texas Tech stands atop the Big 12 in both scoring offense (42.6 points) and defense (13.2 points). BYU ranks third in both categories.
This will be the Red Raiders’ first top-10 matchup since 2008, when Mike Leach’s squad orchestrated a thrilling upset of No. 1 Texas.
What to watch for
Texas Tech has an elite pass rush, headlined by David Bailey, Romello Height and their combined 17.5 sacks. The battle between Tech’s defensive front and BYU’s offensive line will be critical.
The Red Raiders’ Morton and BYU tailback LJ Martin will both play, but both will be at less than 100% health-wise as they recover from various injuries. Morton and Martin are incredibly valuable to their respective offenses, so watch for how they perform and if they appear limited at all.
On the subject of Morton, his backup, Will Hammond, who came on in relief when Morton was injured during victory over Utah and was outstanding, has been ruled out for the season. With Morton’s own health concerns, perhaps Texas Tech tries to be more conservative with his usage in order to prevent having to put a QB3 on the field.
BYU had a bye prior to heading to Lubbock, giving Jay Hill and his defense an extra week to prepare for the Red Raiders. That kind of advantage isn’t nothing.
And of course, there is Bear Bachmeier, BYU’s true freshman breakout star at quarterback. He’s been exceptional thus far in 2025, but this weekend against Texas Tech on the road will be a test unlike anything he’s faced before.
Watch to see if Bachmeier can maintain his trademark poise and composure amid the hostility, high stakes and everything else on his plate in Lubbock.
Key player
Jacob Rodriguez, senior, linebacker, Texas Tech
There may not be a better defensive player in all of college football than Jacob Rodriguez.
Texas Tech’s fifth-year senior is a true one-man wrecking crew, with a bit of Heisman buzz starting to grow around him.
Pro Football Focus rates Rodriguez as the No. 2 defender in the sport with a 93.2 player grade. He’s racked up 74 total tackles with a sack, two interceptions, a fumble recovery touchdown and a whopping seven forced fumbles.
Rodriguez is the best opposing defender BYU has faced in years, and it will be difficult for the Cougars to keep him quiet on Saturday when he’s capable of impacting the game in so many different ways.
Quotable
“All we know is that when we saw the schedule and we knew that we were going to go out to Lubbock this time, that we had to prep for that opportunity to play that game. I am looking forward to the matchup. They have an awesome fanbase there, and obviously they won’t be cheering for us, but it’s a lot of fun to go see these places that you’ve never been able to play at before.
“... I was really impressed with Texas Tech and their entire group, all their players, that they brought to the media day this summer (in Frisco, Texas) and they carried themselves in a really respectful (way) and carry themselves with a lot of confidence. You can see a lot of that working through what they’ve done this season, what they’ve accomplished.” — BYU coach Kalani Sitake
“I can’t wait for Saturday. I think the environment is going to be absolutely incredible. They’ve earned the right to play in this game. ... Now they’ve got to go earn the right to win it.” — Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire
Next up
- BYU: vs. TCU on Nov. 15
- Texas Tech: vs. UCF on Nov. 15
BYU schedule
- Aug. 30 — defeated Portland State, 69-0
- Sept. 6 — defeated Stanford, 27-3
- Sept. 20 — defeated East Carolina, 34-13
- Sept. 27 — defeated Colorado, 24-21
- Oct. 3 — defeated West Virginia, 38-24
- Oct. 18 — defeated Utah, 24-21
- Oct. 25 — defeated Iowa State, 41-27
- Nov. 15 — TCU
- Nov. 22 — at Cincinnati
- Nov. 29 — UCF
