Texas Tech Football Preview 2025: The Red Raiders Might Be the Big 12's Best Team
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFNTexas Tech Offense BreakdownTexas Tech Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to SeasonFor all the old "get off my lawn" types who need to take a nap after shaking their fists and wagging their fingers at how college football is finished because of how NIL is taking over …Texas Tech is showing EXACTLY how it's supposed to work.
(Sorry, Texas Tech fans who read my stuff. I know I've hammered on this next point for, like, 20 years in a row, but now it really does matter, and in a good way.)Texas Tech has won next to nothing since before almost everyone reading this was born.The last outright conference championship was in 1955, and even then, it was in a four-game Border Conference season.
Outside of a few bowl games, the late Mike Leach never won anything. Neither did Kliff Kingsbury. Spike Dykes won half of a Southwest Conference title going 4-3 in 1994, and that's pretty much it.And this is where the NIL side of things comes in. The Ohio States, Alabamas, and Michigans can afford anyone and anything, but lost in all of the unfettered free agency and professionalization of the sport is that this new era allows other programs, who aren't used to knowing a whole lot of success, to get very good, very fast.
Cranking it up with a ton of good transfers doesn't guarantee anything but a little bit of improvement, as the all-frosting-no-cake Colorado Buffalo program has shown. However, if you're someone like Texas Tech, and being a factor in conference title chases is just a rumor, the portal might be enough to help get you over the hump.Joey McGuire put together three strong seasons since taking over in 2022, going 23-16 with two bowl wins and a third appearance. But the defense, especially last year, was powerfully awful.So what did Texas Tech do? It thunder-dunked the transfer portal, putting together what might be one of the best defensive lines in the Big 12.
Offense hasn't been an issue, but it replaced a superstar college back like Tahj Brooks with Quinten Joyner out of USC.The O line was okay, but KABOOM … the Red Raiders got two outstanding tackles in Howard Sampson (North Carolina) and Will Jados (Miami University), who could start for anyone in America, to go along with the versatile Hunter Zambrano (Illinois State) with NFL potential at guard or as a swing tackle.
The Red Raiders instantly upgraded the overall talent level and depth to go with a base that would've been good enough to finish 7-6ish back in the pre-NIL era. And now?If the new guys on defense can take that side of the ball from being the second-worst in the nation to merely meh, this could be the best team in the Big 12. Going to the College Football Playoff isn't just a realistic goal - if Arizona State, SMU, and Indiana could do it … - it's on the table.This is the year Texas Tech is good enough to win something.Texas Tech Offense Breakdown Texas Tech Defense Breakdown Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season
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USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Texas vs Texas Tech softball score: Longhorns take Game 1 of WCWS finals
Texas vs Texas Tech softball score: Longhorns take Game 1 of WCWS finals Show Caption Hide Caption Why Texas Tech, Texas will win 2025 WCWS It's a Lone Star State Women's College World Series this year, and reporter Jenni Carlson breaks down one reason Texas Tech will win and one reason Texas will win the WCWS. Texas softball needed one swing of the bat to come away with a win in Game 1 of the national championship series against Texas Tech on Wednesday. Longhorns catcher Reese Atwood came up to bat with runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Texas trailed 1-0. Texas Tech and ace pitcher NiJaree Canady opted to intentionally walk Atwood, however, Canady's pitch in a 3-0 count got too much plate, and Atwood roped a single into left field to give Texas a 2-1 lead, which stood. The pitch was a brutal mistake for the Red Raiders, as Canady was having no issues with Texas' lineup until leaving a pitch meant to be out of the strike zone over the plate. Longhorns pitcher Teagan Kavan was also outstanding, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Atwood's first hit at the 2025 WCWS came at a perfect time, and Texas moves one win away from its first national title in program history. Here are the highlights from Texas' 2-1 win over Texas Tech on Wednesday: TEXAS VS. TEXAS TECH: How WCWS finalists fared in regular season Texas vs Texas Tech softball highlights This section will be updated TEAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F Texas Tech 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 Texas 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 2 Texas vs Texas Tech softball live updates This section will be updated Reese Atwood's two-run single is enough to win it, as Teagan Kavan shuts the door in the top of the seventh to secure Texas' 2-1 win. Kavan goes seven innings, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Wow, Texas Tech opts to intentionally walk Texas' best hitter in Reese Atwood with two outs and two runners on base, but Atwood swings anyway and drives in two runners on a single to left field. What a swing from Atwood, who gives Texas a 2-1 lead. Texas' social media account also threw some shade at the umpires in its post of Atwood's swing. Texas puts runners on 1st and 3rd base with 2 outs Texas puts runners on first and third after Kayden Henry and Mia Scott hit back-to-back singles with two outs. NiJaree Canady up to 5 strikeouts NiJaree Canady is now through five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit on five strikeouts. She is dealing against the Longhorns. Texas designated player Victoria Hunter blasts a pitch from NiJaree Canady over the left-field fence, but the ball narrowly falls left of the foul pole. That ball was crushed, but unfortunately for Texas was not in fair territory. An obstruction and an error come back to haunt Texas, as Mihyia Davis bloops a single into shallow right field that scores Logan Halleman from second base. Texas Tech leads 1-0 after the controversial call. Logan Halleman reaches first base with one out after an infield error by Kaydee Bennett before Halleman then appears to get thrown out at second base by catcher Reese Atwood. Halleman got to stay at second, however, as the umpiring crew found there was obstruction on the tag attempt. Texas Tech with a runner in scoring position with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. NiJaree Canady sets Texas down in order once again, raising her strikeout total to four on the night. Canady has been nails through four innings. Bailey Lindemuth also made a nice play on a groundball in the bottom of the fourth inning. Teagan Kavan and NiJaree Canady have been sensational so far, as the game is still tied at 0-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Kavan has allowed two hits with two strikeouts and Canady has allowed one hit with three strikeouts. One run for either team might be enough for a win at this rate. Former Georgia and Oregon softball player Geri Ann Glasco, the son of Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco, was coached by now-Texas coach Mike White with the Ducks. Geri Ann tragically died in a car accident in 2019, which was set to be her first year on Glasco's staff at Louisiana. Now, her former coach and dad are facing off for a national title. Three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes is giving back to his alma mater, as he sent a gift to Texas Tech softball that included a letterman jacket and Adidas shoes. Mahomes and the Red Raiders are both sponsored by the sports brand. NiJaree Canady hits Katie Stewart with a pitch but forces three outs on balls in play to get out of the second inning. Canady has faced seven hitters through two innings. No issues for Teagan Kavan to start the second inning, as she forces two groundouts and a flyout. Both pitchers for Texas and Texas Tech look good so far. NiJaree Canady gets a groundout and two strikeouts for an easy first inning, as she only needed 12 pitches. Mia Scott fields a groundball and fires home, getting out the lead runner before NiJaree Canady is thrown out by the catcher at first base to complete the 5-2-3 double play. Teagan Kavan then gets an inning-ending groundout, getting out of the early jam. Texas Tech squanders its opportunity. Hailey Toney follows up with another single, putting runners on first and third base with no outs. Texas Tech with an early scoring chance in the top of the first inning. Nice start for Texas Tech, as leadoff Mihyia Davis swings at the first pitch and ropes a single into left field. We're underway from Oklahoma City. As expected, Texas is starting Teagan Kavan and Texas Tech is starting NiJaree Canady in the circle. It's a rematch from their regular season matchup that went nine innings and ended with a 2-1 Texas win. RF Ashton Maloney CF Kayden Henry 3B Mia Scott C Reese Atwood 1B Joley Mitchell LF Katie Stewart SS Leighann Goode DP Victoria Hunter 2B Kaydee Bennett CF Mihyia Davis SS Hailey Toney 1B Lauren Allred P NiJaree Canady 2B Alexa Langeliers RF Alana Johnson LF Demi Elder C Victoria Valdez 3B Bailey Lindemuth Time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET Date: Wednesday, June 4 Wednesday, June 4 Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City) First pitch for Game 1 of the WCWS finals is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. TV channel: ESPN ESPN Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+ Game 1 of the national championship series between Texas and Texas Tech will air live on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN app (with a cable login) and ESPN+, the latter of which serves as the network's streaming service. WCWS schedule Wednesday, June 4: Texas vs. Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN (ESPN+) Texas vs. Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN (ESPN+) Thursday, June 5: Texas vs. Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN (ESPN+) Texas vs. Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN (ESPN+) Friday, June 6: Texas vs. Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN (ESPN+) * * If necessary The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Texas Tech softball's NiJaree Canady takes ownership of failed intentional walk to Reese Atwood
OKLAHOMA CITY — NiJaree Canady is usually blunt and to the point whenever speaking to the media. She was even more straightforward Wednesday night after Game 1 of the Women's College World Series championship series. Canady was cruising through the first 5-2/3 innings, allowing just one hit and totaling seven strikeouts as the Texas Tech softball team built a 1-0 lead over Texas. She appeared on her way to another statement win. Advertisement Texas began mounting a comeback, hitting a pair of singles to get runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Canady looked at her pitch communications watch and shook her head. She was being asked to walk Texas' All-American catcher Reese Atwood. Texas Tech head coach Gerry Glasco said he didn't want to take a chance against someone he considers among the best hitters in the country with a base open. "Maybe it's the wrong decision," Glasco said. "Maybe we should've went at her." Atwood said the first pitch from Canady was a bit in the zone, so she was paying attention to where the next few balls were thrown throughout the at-bat. Advertisement "I knew I was gonna have to take a risk," Atwood said, "to do something for my team." On the 3-0 offering, Atwood swung and drove a ball into the outfield, scoring the game-tying and game-winning runs. Texas Tech got a runner on base in the top of the seventh but was able to mount a comeback of its own, giving the Longhorns a 1-0 lead in the series. Texas Tech pitcher NiJaree Canady (24) looks up after giving up two runs in the seventh inning Game 1 of the Women's College World Series championship series between the Texas Longhorns at Texas Tech Red Raiders at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Texas won 2-1. Canady said after the game that wasn't her first time trying to intentionally walk somebody in her career, but she put the burden of the moment on herself. "I made that mistake," Canady said. "That loss is on me and I apologize to my team." Stoic and staring straight ahead between inquiries about the game-deciding play, Canady was again asked about attempting to intentionally walk Atwood. Advertisement "I'm a college pitcher," Canady said." I'm a junior now, so I should be able to do that." Atwood had been hitless in the WCWS up until that game-winning hit off of Canady. "She was 0-for-10 (in the WCWS) and they were intentionally walking her," Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan said. Glasco credited Atwood for being in the moment and seeing where the pitches were, and for not settling for the walk and letting that be that. "You've gotta give credit to Atwood right there, Glasco said. "She wanted to play ball. She wanted to make a play, and she made a difference in the game at the time when we were trying to take her out of the game." This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: What Gerry Glasco, NiJaree Canady said about botched intentional walk in WCWS
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Texas softball tops Texas Tech 2-1 in bizarre Game 1 of NCAA Championship Series
The Women's College World Series Championship Series certainly didn't lack drama in Game 1 of the best of three series. In the end, the Texas Longhorns outlasted Texas Tech 2-1 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The game was a pretty standard pitchers duel through four innings. But in the top of the fifth inning, things got weird. Tech's Logan Helleman, on first base after a UT infield error, attempted to steal second, but was thrown out by Texas catcher Reese Atwood. The call was overturned on video review because of obstruction on Texas infielder Leighann Goode. It was ruled Goode's toe was an inch too far into the basepath, even though her foot wasn't close to the runner. Advertisement Tech capitalized as Mihyia Davis' bloop a single into shallow right field scored Halleman from second. The Red Raiders took a 1-0 lead and the way Tech starting pitcher NiJaree Canady was dominating, it looked like a dark night for the burnt orange. But the weirdness wasn't over. In the bottom of the sixth. Canady had struck out the first two batters in the inning when Kayden Henry slashed a hit to left. She then stole second. Mia Scott reached on an infield hit and also stole second. Texas had runners at second and third with Atwood coming up. Atwood is one of the most feared hitters in college softball, but she is hitless in the postseason. Tech coach Gerry Glasco called for an intentional walk. Canady hasn't thrown an intentional walk all season. Atwood watched the first three pithes go high, but the fourth pitch was low enough to be hittable. Atwood lined the 3-0 pitch into center field plating Henry and Scott to give Texas a 2-1 lead. That was all Teagan Kavan needed in the Top of the 7th. Kavan allowed a base runner, but still got three outs and the complete game win. Advertisement Texas now leads the series 1-0. Game 2 is set for tomorrow night at 7 p.m. CT. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas softball tops Texas Tech 2-1 in bizarre Game 1 of NCAA finals
