Oklahoma Schedule Preview: Texas Tech Red Raiders
The 2021 season is shaping up to be a make-or-break year for Matt Wells at Texas Tech, but his job won’t be any easier on Oct. 30.
Oklahoma will play host to the Red Raiders after their walk about against Kansas, one year after quarterback Spencer Rattler declared the Sooners needed to “embarrass” somebody.
Rattler got his wish as the Sooners pounded Texas Tech 62-28 on Halloween in Lubbock last year.
The Red Raider offense will look a bit different when it takes the field against OU in 2021.
Wells canned offensive coordinator David Yost, bringing Sonny Cumbie back to Lubbock from his stint at TCU. Cumbie brings with him a new quarterback in Oregon transfer Tyler Slough.
Slough threw 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in his seven games of action last year. Slough was benched in the Fiesta Bowl though as he was unable to keep the Ducks offense moving, and will look to capitalize on his change of scenery in Lubbock.
Oklahoma Sooners 2021 Schedule
- Sept. 4: at Tulane Green Wave
- Sept. 11: vs. Western Carolina Catamounts
- Sept. 18: vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Sept. 25: vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
- Oct. 2: at Kansas State Wildcats
- Oct. 9: vs. Texas Longhorns
- Oct. 16: vs. TCU Horned Frogs
- Oct. 23: at Kansas Jayhawks
- Oct. 30: vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Nov. 13: at Baylor Bears
- Nov. 20: vs. Iowa State Cyclones
- Nov. 27: at Oklahoma State Cowboys
On the way out the door was Alan Bowman, who flashed immense promise at the quarterback position for the Red Raiders, but could never seem to stay healthy long enough to string together great games.
Slough will slot in behind an offensive line which returns four of five starters, and added TCU transfer T.J. Storment.
Leading wide receiver Erik Ezukanma will be back in 2021 for Texas Tech, though the junior playmaker broke his arm in spring practice.
Cumbie was confident Ezukanma would heal up in plenty of time for the season, where he will look to improve on last year’s mark of 748 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 46 receptions.
Leading rusher SaRodorick Thompson also returns after rushing for 610 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Red Raiders look to return eight major contributors from last year’s unit.
Led by linebacker Riko Jeffers, the versatile Texas Tech linebacking core looks to lead the defense again.
Krishon Merriweather led the team in tackles from middle linebacker in 2020 with 75 total tackles, including a pair of quarterback sacks.
Krishon Merriweather struggles to bring down Austin Stogner in 2020's meeting between Oklahoma and Texas Tech
Michael C. Johnson / USA TODAY Sports
Colin Schooler was also able to make plays alongside Merriweather, leading the team with 3.5 sacks a year ago.
Wells landed Duke transfer safety Marquis Waters to help shore up the secondary. Waters is expected to slot in beside former LSU safety Eric Monroe on the back end of the Texas Tech defense, though the Red Raiders will have to replace both corners in 2021.
For the second straight year, the Sooners should roll the Red Raiders before launching themselves into the meat of their 2021 schedule with contests against Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State soon on the horizon as the calendar turns to November.
