Two 6-1 teams meet under overcast, 55-degree skies in Lubbock on Halloween morning. Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege comes back to the stadium where Doege once played quarterback for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are laying 3.5, and I'm taking the points. Start with the quarterbacks. Noah Fifita is 167 of 225 for 2,064 yards, 18 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and has averaged nearly 10 yards per attempt over the last three games. Will Hammond has 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and Tech now plans to give Thomas Castellanos significant snaps too. Joey McGuire called Hammond's play a "roller coaster." That's a staff still searching for answers. Third down tells the same story. Arizona has converted 47 of 86, while Tech has converted 33 of 86 and just 10 of 38 over its last three games. The two defenses are nearly even on third down, so that gap comes from the offenses. Tech also keeps settling for field goals. Over the last three games, the Red Raiders reached the red zone 15 times and scored 5 touchdowns, and Stone Harrington made 11 field goals. An offense that keeps kicking threes produces close games, and close games favor the team getting 3.5. Then there's Cincinnati, the one opponent both teams have played. Arizona beat the Bearcats 34-7 and held them to 89 rushing yards. Tech lost 37-24 at Cincinnati, gave up 265 rushing yards and turned it over three times. Arizona's injury list also looks worse than it is. Tre Spivey hasn't played since Oct 3, and Arizona scored 52 and 39 without Spivey. Chris Hunter III and Gio Richardson are back. The risks are real. Jay'Vion Cole started all seven games at corner and is out, and Kenny Johnson has 7 catches in each of the last two games. Tech's defense has 14 takeaways, five returned for touchdowns. Castellanos gives Tech a red-zone and short-yardage weapon, Michael Salgado-Medina is 7 of 11 on field goals, and kickoff is 9 a.m. on Arizona's body clock. Still, Arizona has the steadier quarterback and the better third-down offense, and the hook protects against a Tech field-goal win. Give me the Wildcats and the points.
Two 6-1 teams meet under overcast, 55-degree skies in Lubbock on Halloween morning. Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege comes back to the stadium where Doege once played quarterback for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are laying 3.5, and I'm taking the points.
Start with the quarterbacks. Noah Fifita is 167 of 225 for 2,064 yards, 18 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and has averaged nearly 10 yards per attempt over the last three games. Will Hammond has 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and Tech now plans to give Thomas Castellanos significant snaps too. Joey McGuire called Hammond's play a "roller coaster." That's a staff still searching for answers.
Third down tells the same story. Arizona has converted 47 of 86, while Tech has converted 33 of 86 and just 10 of 38 over its last three games. The two defenses are nearly even on third down, so that gap comes from the offenses.
Tech also keeps settling for field goals. Over the last three games, the Red Raiders reached the red zone 15 times and scored 5 touchdowns, and Stone Harrington made 11 field goals. An offense that keeps kicking threes produces close games, and close games favor the team getting 3.5.
Then there's Cincinnati, the one opponent both teams have played. Arizona beat the Bearcats 34-7 and held them to 89 rushing yards. Tech lost 37-24 at Cincinnati, gave up 265 rushing yards and turned it over three times.
Arizona's injury list also looks worse than it is. Tre Spivey hasn't played since Oct 3, and Arizona scored 52 and 39 without Spivey. Chris Hunter III and Gio Richardson are back.
The risks are real. Jay'Vion Cole started all seven games at corner and is out, and Kenny Johnson has 7 catches in each of the last two games. Tech's defense has 14 takeaways, five returned for touchdowns. Castellanos gives Tech a red-zone and short-yardage weapon, Michael Salgado-Medina is 7 of 11 on field goals, and kickoff is 9 a.m. on Arizona's body clock.
Still, Arizona has the steadier quarterback and the better third-down offense, and the hook protects against a Tech field-goal win. Give me the Wildcats and the points.
Arizona +3.5