Game time, venue, and channel: Saturday, December 6, 9:00am PT/12:00pm ET (ABC)
Spread: -12.5 (Texas Tech)
BYU’s Conference Championship Game History
BYU has played in two conference championship games in the school’s history, and have split them. They won the 1996 WAC Championship against Wyoming. BYU squeaked out the 28-25 victory with a game-winning field goal in overtime, which sent them to the Cotton Bowl against Kansas State. Kicker Ethan Pochman made two clutch field goals late to drive BYU to victory.
Two seasons later, BYU played Air Force in the WAC title game. After BYU led for the majority of the game, Air Force rattled off 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter that propelled them to the 20-13 win over BYU. That Air Force team went 12-1.
BYU vs. Texas Tech Round Two
To put things lightly, Round One in Lubbock did not go well for BYU. Texas Tech’s defense flummoxed Bear Bachmeier and Company. The Cougars did not score a single point until 7:35 left in the fourth quarter. BYU averages nearly 195 rushing yards this season. Against the Red Raiders, they only got 67.
While BYU’s defense played well, holding Texas Tech to mostly field goals in the red zone, the dam eventually broke with the offense being shut down completely. The Red Raiders rolled to a 29-7 victory.
This will be a chance at redemption for BYU. This is the first time BYU has played a repeat opponent in the season since 2007, when they lost to UCLA on the road in September then got revenge in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Texas Tech Offense vs. BYU Defense
As mentioned, BYU’s defense mostly held their own against Texas Tech’s offense the first go-around. The Cougars held the Red Raiders to around 100 yards less than their season average for total offense. Veteran QB Behren Morton is fresh off of lighting up West Virginia for 310 passing yards and three touchdowns. He is a savvy quarterback who efficiently distributes the ball to the playmakers in Lubbock.
Against BYU’s vaunted defense, the running back duo of Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams combined for 198 rushing yards. That kept Texas Tech on the field long enough to collect field goals before Dickey finally broke the dam with a rushing score early in the fourth quarter.
They are ninth in the FBS in passing yards per game, and 25th in rushing. They are as balanced as it gets. The biggest playmaker Texas Tech has in the passing game is Caleb Douglas. He is a monster on the perimeter, at six-foot-4 and leads the Big 12 with 12 catches of at least 20 yards downfield. BYU needs to be on red alert for deep shots to Douglas, even as they try and contain the Red Raider running game.
BYU Offense vs. Texas Tech Defense
This is likely where the game will be decided. Does BYU’s offense show up? It certainly didn’t the first matchup in Lubbock. Bachmeier at times looked overwhelmed. The running game got stifled. Three turnovers by the Cougar offense doomed them more than anything else in that game.
This needs to be a completely different result. LJ Martin needs to lead the way in the rushing attack, as he has of late. He had just 35 yards rushing in Lubbock. However, he has rushed for 405 yards in three games since that meeting in Lubbock. Hopefully, Martin can ride that wave of momentum with the offensive line to a much better outcome in the BYU run game.
BYU is getting Chase Roberts and Sione Moa back from injury. That should provide a much-welcome boost. They need all the help they can get against a Chuck Bednarik Award finalist in Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The Red Raiders rank third in scoring defense and sixth in total defense.
This game will be decided by how well BYU’s offense can move the ball.
3 Stats That Lead to a BYU Win
0 Turnovers
125+ Rushing Yards
2+ Takeaways on Defese
Prediction: Texas Tech 30, BYU 20
