With non-conference play in the rearview mirror, Texas Tech football is preparing for its first Big 12 matchup of 2024 against new conference member Arizona State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Fans sitting on the west side of the stadium are encouraged to wear black and the east side to wear red for the Raider Power themed game.
Arizona State was one of four former PAC-12 members to join the Big 12 in August, according to the Big 12 website, adding talent and parity to a conference without the University of Texas or the University of Oklahoma standing atop it anymore.
The addition of the Sun Devils fiery brand of football is one Tech head coach Joey McGuire said makes the conference all the better.
“I turn on the film, and I just love watching them play,” McGuire said. “It’s football that they play with such a passion.”
Led by second-year head coach Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State opened its season 3-0 touting the No. 11 rushing defense in the country, according to the NCAA.
For Tech, the utilization of its run game and running back Tahj Brooks is critical in its offensive success, Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley said. However, the Sun Devils conference-best 2.2 yards allowed per carry poses a roadblock in Kittley’s run scheme.
“The biggest thing from them (Arizona State) is they fly around,” Kittley said. “… He (Dillingham) hangs his hat on taking the run away, which they’ve done a really good job of.”
Although the Big 12 conference boasts six run defenses in the top-50 nationally, it also boasts six running backs averaging over 100 yards per game including Brooks and Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo, according to the NCAA.
In a news conference on Monday, McGuire mispronounced Skattebo’s (Scat-uh-boo) name as (Scat-uh-boe) but said the senior back is a force to be reckoned with, no matter the pronunciation.
“You’re fixing to see two of the best go at each other,” McGuire said, “with Tahj Brooks, and I’ll screw up his name, I think it’s Skattebo (Scat-a-boe). I don’t know exactly how to say it, but I know he’s a bad man.”
Skattebo and Brooks’ meeting on Saturday will kick off the inaugural 16-team Big 12 season, and welcome Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah to its new conference slate. Television coverage will be provided nationally on FS1 and on the FOX Sports app.
