The Red Raiders are looking for a road upset

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Texas Tech came close to beating Houston in a doubleheader at Jones AT&T Stadium last week, overcoming the first major challenge of the Joey McGuire era.

The Red Raiders, however, need to play harder to stay undefeated in their non-conference division.

Tech (2-0) is a 10-point underdog against No. 16 North Carolina State (2-0) at 6 pm CDT Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Years ago in the same stadium, the Wolfpack destroyed teams coached by Spike Dykes and Mike Leach. The allocation figure is no less scary this time.

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Under 10th-year head coach Dave Doren, NC State has had three nine-win seasons and eight winning campaigns in the last five years. Expectations are high this year because the Wolfpack returns school record quarterback Devin Leary from last year’s 9-3 team, four starters on the offensive line and 10 starters on defense.

“I’ve never been to North Carolina State,” McGuire said. “I’ve never played in that environment, but everything I hear from anybody is an electric environment. It’s a great challenge.”

NC State went undefeated at home last year, beating Clemson in the process, and extended its home win streak to 11 last week with Charleston Southern’s win. Saturday’s game is sold out and the Wolfpack will wear all black.

“There’s nothing better than a night game at Carter’s when it’s rockin’,” Doren said.

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McGuire and Doeren both said this week that they became friends 20 years ago, when Doeren was an assistant at Kansas and was employed at Cedar Hill High School while McGuire was the head coach there. McGuire called Doreen “one of the nicest people in the world” and Doreen said, “I’m thrilled to see (McGuire) become the head coach at Tech.”

“I remember eating with the team before a game,” Doren said. “He had the best chicken fried steak and gravy you’ve ever had before the game. I was with him. He’s a great guy, and his team will be ready to play.”

McGuire has some history with Leary, the Wolfpack quarterback who threw 35 touchdown passes last season. Although McGuire was not directly involved in Leary’s recruitment, Baylor offered Leary a scholarship when McGuire was a Bears assistant under Matt Rhule.

Now, one of the keys for the Red Raiders is the 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior defense.

“He’s a pro. He’s going to play in the NFL,” McGuire said. “He’s the real deal, so it’s going to be a real challenge for us.”

Last week’s win was Tech’s first against a non-conference opponent in the regular season since 1989, and the Red Raiders beat Arizona in the opener by 20 to finish 9-3. This month marks the first time Tech has faced two ranked opponents in a non-conference schedule since 2002, when the Red Raiders lost at No. 13 Ohio State and at home against No. 17 NC State.

The following season, NC State defeated Tech 49-21 in Raleigh, the last time the two programs met. Philip Rivers was the Wolfpack’s quarterback in both games before going on to a 17-year NFL career.

Last year, the two teams shared a common rival, Mississippi State. The Bulldogs beat NC State 24-10 in the second week of the 2021 season, then lost to Tech 34-7 in the Liberty Bowl.

“A lot of that team is back,” Doreen said of the Red Raiders. “They’re a team with a chip on their shoulder. A lot of times, some of the schools in Texas maybe don’t have the prestige of Texas and Texas A&M, and I think those kids play with a chip on their shoulder there. So I have a lot of respect for Texas Tech and always have.

In his first five games as a college quarterback, Tech sophomore Donovan Smith did his best work when his opportunity was with the Red Raiders. Last week, Tech rallied from 20-17 deficits in the final half-minute of regulation, 27-20 in the first overtime and 30-27 in the second overtime. He started the kickoff return at the end of regulation with a 27-yard run. He converted a 21-yard pass on OT’s fourth-and-20 in the first and won the game with a 9-yard touchdown run.

Last year, Smith led Tech to victories as a tight end against Iowa State and Mississippi State.

“Their quarterback has run and a great arm,” Doren said. “You can see him throw hash routes down the field, he’s easy to work with and he can make plays with his feet. Last week, he won the game with brutality with his feet.”

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