Bragging Rights: Red Raiders vs. Ole Miss Texas Bowl Preview
A very successful first season under coach Joey McGuire comes to a close on Wednesday night as the Texas Tech Red Raiders play the SEC's Ole Miss Rebels in the TaxAct Texas Bowl in Houston at 8 p.m. CT.
The Red Raiders may have enjoyed unexpected success in McGuire's first season as head coach. After the firing of Matt Wells last season, interim coach Sonny Cumbie led the Red Raiders to a 34-7 win over Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl before McGuire's hiring in November 2021.
McGuire led Tech to a 7-5 overall season and a 5-4 Big 12 mark, beating two ranked teams in Houston and Oklahoma, and defeating conference rivals Texas and Oklahoma in the same season for the first time in program history.
The Red Raiders will match up with coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels in the Texas Bowl Wednesday night at NRG Stadium. It's Tech's third visit to the Texas Bowl, after having appeared in 2012 and 2015. The Red Raiders are 1-1 in previous Texas Bowl games played.
It's the third season for Kiffin at the helm in Oxford, Mississippi. The Rebels finished with an 8-4 record and 4-4 in the SEC.
Ole Miss will arrive in Houston riding a three-game losing streak after dropping the final three games of its season to Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi State.
It's the 40th bowl appearance in Texas Tech program history, and the fifth time the Red Raiders have played in the Texas Bowl. While Tech is listed as the visiting team on a neutral field, it might feel like a home game since several players hail from the city of Houston, including standout kicker Trey Wolff.
Wednesday will mark the fourth time the Rebels and Red Raiders have met in a bowl game, as Ole Miss is one of only four schools that Tech has met multiple times in postseason play.
The Red Raiders will hope to improve their 15-23-1 all-time program record in bowl games and halt Ole Miss' three-game winning streak against them in postseason play.
The two teams have met previously in the 1986 and 1998 Independence Bowls as well as the 2009 Cotton Bowl. The Rebels are 3-0 in those games and 4-2 all-time against Tech.
The TaxAct Texas Bowl can be seen on ESPN at 8 p.m. CT Wednesday night, Dec. 28.
Make sure to follow along with in-game updates as they happen at RedRaiderReview.com.
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