LUBBOCK, Texas – When No. 12 West Virginia hosts Texas Tech on Saturday, the game will showcase quarterbacks at opposite ends of the experience spectrum when Heisman Trophy contender Will Grier leads the Mountaineers against true freshman surprise Alan Bowman, who passed Texas Tech over then-No. 14 Oklahoma State squad on the road last week.
TV: Noon ET, ESPN2. LINE: West Virginia -3.5.
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Grier enters the contest ranked second in the nation in passer efficiency (215.8), fourth in total offense (370 yards per game), third in passing yards per game (372.3) and first in touchdown passes per game (4.7), including five in last week's 35-6 win over Kansas State, but coach Dana Holgorsen isn't worried about placing too much pressure on the senior as the Mountaineers challenge for a Big 12 title. "I’m not worried about overloading him. He’s mature, he’s grounded, he’s comfortable with where he’s at," Holgorsen told reporters after Grier passed for 356 yards against the Wildcats. "He puts high expectations on himself, so us adding to it doesn’t affect him one bit. He grew up in a football office, (as) a coach’s kid. I’ve said it 100 times. He knows how to handle this. He’s a professional that’s in college." Bowman, who took over in the opener from an injured McLane Carter, is guiding the nation's top offensive unit (623.5 yards per game) while leading the country in passing yards per game (389.3) and completing 72 percent of his passes with 10 TDs and just two interceptions.“(Bowman's) not hesitant for a young guy to do what he's doing," coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters this week. "I've been in his shoes and coached young guys, and he just cuts it loose. I saw that he had some moxie (in high school). He's a quick learner and a hard worker so he had a lot of intangibles that you look for to play early."
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (3-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Grier completed 25-of-35 last week with three of his TDs coming on 1-yard throws to David Sills V, another coming on an 82-yard catch-and-run by Marcus Simms and a fifth on a 62-yarder to Tevin Bush. Sills, who tied for the national lead in TDs a season ago with 18, leads the team in catches (19) and touchdowns (five) while Simms has the most yards (295). Kennedy McKoy (167 yards, 6.2 per carry), Leddie Brown (171, 5.5) and Martell Pettaway (151, 5.6) split carries in the backfield. The Mountaineers are tied for first in FBS in scoring defense (12.3), and the defense kept Kansas State on its side of the 50 in the first half and out of the end zone entirely.
ABOUT TEXAS TECH (3-1, 1-0)
Bowman completed 35-of-46 passes for 397 yards and two touchdowns last Saturday against Oklahoma State after throwing for 605 yards and five TDs the previous week against Houston. Antoine Wesley has hauled in 30 passes for 511 yards and four touchdowns - all team highs - and ranks tied for second nationally in receiving yards (511), ninth in receptions per game (7.5) and 13th in receiving touchdowns (four). After giving up 47 points to Ole Miss in the opener and 49 two weeks ago in a 14-point win over Houston, the Red Raiders limited Oklahoma State to 386 yards and just 3-of-13 on third down while forcing a couple of turnovers.
EXTRA POINTS
1. West Virginia has won four straight in the series, including 46-35 last season despite being outgained 513-396. The win snapped a nine-game losing streak to ranked teams.
2. The Red Raiders are looking for wins over top-15 opponents in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008 when Tech topped No. 1 Texas (39-33) and No. 8 Oklahoma State (56-20).
3. The Red Raiders rank No. 1 among power-five teams and fifth overall nationally in time of possession (36 minutes per game). The Red Raiders have not finished higher than 48th nationally in time of possession since the NCAA started tracking the stat in 2005.
PREDICTION: West Virginia 49, Texas Tech 31