KU Jayhawks vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Five things to know entering Saturday’s game

Bowl eligible with three games left in the regular season, Kansas’ football players and coaches can now concentrate on securing an invitation to the best postseason game possible.

The Jayhawks (6-3, 3-3) say they’re not finished making noise in the regular season — and perhaps catching the attention of bowl committees — with Big 12 games left against Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas State.

“We’re not done yet,” sophomore running back Devin Neal said after Saturday’s 37-16 home win over Oklahoma State.

“None of us are satisfied,” senior linebacker Rich Miller said. “We’ve got a game next week. We celebrate this 24 hours and then it’s on to the next game.”

The Jayhawks with three games left have not been eliminated from contention for a spot in the Big 12 championship game, Dec. 3 in Arlington, Texas. That game matches the top two teams in the regular season standings.

Right now, KU is in a tie for fifth in the league with Oklahoma State at 3-3.

TCU is in first at 6-0 with three teams (Kansas State, Texas, Baylor) tied for second at 4-2. Oklahoma and Texas Tech are tied for seventh at 2-4. Iowa State and West Virginia are 1-5.

A victory over Texas Tech on Saturday (6 p.m., Lubbock) would have KU over .500 in league play at 4-3 heading into a home game against Texas and road game versus Kansas State, two teams just a game ahead of the Jayhawks.

Here are the remaining schedules of the teams at the top of the league standings.

TCU: at Texas, at Baylor, Iowa State.

Texas: TCU, at Kansas, Baylor.

Baylor: Kansas State, TCU, at Texas.

K-State: at Baylor, at West Virginia, Kansas.

Oklahoma State: Iowa State, at Oklahoma, West Virginia.

Kansas: at Texas Tech, Texas, at K-State

THE DETAILS

Kickoff: 6 p.m., Saturday

Where: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas

Streaming: ESPN+

Radio: WHB (810) in Kansas City; KFH (1240 AM, 97.5 FM) in Wichita

Early betting line: Texas Tech is favored by 3.5 points

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Texas Tech (4-5, 2-4 Big !2) was picked to finish ninth of 10 teams in the Big 12 Conference preseason media poll. The Cowboys in league play have lost to Kansas State (37-28), Oklahoma State (41-31), Baylor (45-17) and TCU (34-24) and defeated West Virginia (48-10) and Texas (37-34, OT). In nonconference play, Tech beat Murray State (63-10), Houston (33-30, 2 OT) and lost to Houston (27-14).

2. Texas Tech leads the all-time series against KU 21-2. The Red Raiders beat KU last season 41-14 at Booth Memorial Stadium. Kansas is 1-11 against Texas Tech in games played in Lawrence and 1-10 in Lubbock.

3. Texas Tech has a first year coach in Joey McGuire. McGuire, 51, previously served as the associate head coach and outside linebackers coach at Baylor from 2017 to 2021. Prior to Baylor, he was a head coach at the high school level in Texas.

4. Kansas’ defense accounted for three interceptions Saturday vs Oklahoma State. Cobee Bryant, Mello Dotson and Rich Miller had the picks. Kansas has grabbed at least two interceptions in back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 23, 2018 vs. Texas (2) and Aug. 31, 2019 vs. Indiana State (2). It’s the first time with multiple interceptions in consecutive games in the same season since Sept. 8, 2018 at Central Michigan (4) and Sept. 15, 2018 vs. Rutgers (3). Sophomore cornerback Bryant has three interceptions on the season. His three picks are most in a season by a Jayhawk since 2018, when Hasan Defense and Shakial Taylor each had three interceptions

5. KU has scored effectively on the ground and through the air in 2022. Kansas scored four touchdowns Saturday, including two on the ground and two through the air, marking the fourth time this season the Jayhawks have had multiple rushing and multiple passing touchdowns in the same game. Kansas is 3-1 in games with multiple touchdowns in each category