What matters, doesn't matter for Texas Tech in Big 12's Week 0 opener?

Following Iowa State and Kansas State's Ireland showdown, what is of note for Texas Tech and the Big 12?

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The 2025 college football season opened with a ranked Big 12 matchup between Kansas State and Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland. This was the first ranked-versus-ranked matchup in Ireland, and it was the perfect precursor to what could be an exciting season of college football and Big 12 antics.

Texas Tech entered the season as the Big 12 co-favorites (+550, tied with No. 17 Kansas State and No. 11 Arizona State), and after the Iowa State Cyclones took down the K-State Wildcats, what does and doesn't matter for Texas Tech following the Big 12's season opener?

Does matter: Iowa State's offense takes on new look

The Cyclones sent a pair of 1,000-yard receivers to the NFL in Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, as well as a pair of offensive linemen in Jalen Travis and Jarrod Hufford. After having more success in the air (39th in yards per game) than on the ground (70th), there was a bit of a tone shift in Week 0 against the Wildcats, particularly in the second half.

Iowa State relied on heavy formations with multiple tight ends, which immediately changed the trajectory of its running game. The team averaged 1.2 yards per rush on 20 attempts in the first half but gained 4.1 yards per rush on 26 attempts in the second half (23 yards vs. 107 yards).

Carson Hansen impressed with three rushes and one reception of 10+ yards in the fourth quarter, including the game-clinching fourth-down pickup. Texas Tech does not face Iowa State in the regular season, but the Cyclones remain a threat in 2025 after reaching the Big 12 title game in 2024. They will sit atop the Big 12 for the first few weeks with a 1-0 record.

Doesn't matter: First-half turnovers

The weather at Aviva Stadium was far from ideal, and when paired with some questionable field quality. The rain mixed with the natural grass field led to some chaos in the first half — each team fumbled twice, with the opposing team recovering all four.

According to CBS Sports reporter Tom Fornelli's comedically named "Whoopsy Daisy Rate," which measures fumbles and interceptions per snap, Iowa State ranked 19th-best and Kansas State 45th-best in the country in keeping the ball out of harm's way in 2024.

Last season, Iowa State ranked 19th nationally with a Whoopsy Daisy Rate of 2.12%. Kansas State was 45th at 2.73%. However, they played zero games in the rain in Ireland to start the season last year.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) August 23, 2025

After both teams keyed in during the second half with zero turnovers and scores on five of the final six non-end-of-game drives, it's safe to assume this was a blip rather than a trend.

Does matter: Kansas State has holes on offense and defense

It did not help the Wildcats that running back Dylan Edwards went down on his very first play. After muffing a punt, he did not return. With 546 rushing yards in 2024 behind DJ Giddens, Edwards was set to be the team's RB1. His injury status is not yet clear.

Kansas State has depth concerns at running back, with redshirt sophomore Joe Jackson (43 career carries) and redshirt freshman DeVon Rice (one career carry) leading the way; wide receiver Jayce Brown finished second in rushing yards.

While Iowa State's rushing offense paved the way in the second half, Kansas State's defense failed to hold the Cyclones back. Iowa State moved the ball as it pleased, finishing its final four drives: in the end zone, at the 16-yard line (34-yard field goal), in the end zone, and at the 3-yard line (end-of-game kneel-down).

On Iowa State’s final four offensive drives: 214 yards (91.8% of available), 17 points and 17:53 minutes off the clock.

And that should really be 216 yards and 24 points, but the kneel down to end the game changes it.

— Mason Voth (@TheRealMasonV) August 23, 2025

Without the ability to stop Iowa State's ground game, the Cyclones turned up their play-action offense on the Wildcats in the second half; Rocco Becht went from a 6-for-14 first half to an 8-for-13 second half.

Texas Tech takes on Kansas State on November 1. Plenty can change between now and then, but Iowa State showed some of the Wildcats' flaws.

Following Quinten Joyner's injury, there are similar concerns for the Red Raiders' running game. If J'Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey can emerge as solid options, Behren Morton has proven the ability to man a play-action passing attack. He averaged 9.1 yards per play-action pass attempt in 2024, fourth in the Big 12 among players with at least 45 drop-backs.

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