College football week three preview: Oregon State vs. No. 21 Texas Tech

The Oregon State Beavers’ toughest two weeks of the 2025 season begins in the Lone Star State this Saturday.

Following a demoralizing week two loss to Fresno State, Oregon State (0-2) heads to Lubbock for a date with one of college football’s hottest programs, No. 21 Texas Tech (2-0). The road test is the Beavers’ first of 2025. The trip kicks off back-to-back matchups against ranked opponents as a date with No. 4 Oregon at Autzen Stadium looms.

Second-year head coach Trent Bray and his Beavers enter Jones AT&T Stadium looking to clean up what Bray called a litany of “self-inflicted wounds.” Despite the struggles and winless record, the coach says he hasn’t lost faith in his team.

“When you watch the film, it’s there,” Bray said. “The proof is on the tape of what they are capable of being… When you watch the offense and when you watch the defense and what they did, it is very encouraging. We are the team that we can be if we eliminate the self-inflicted things that took place (last) Saturday.”

Oregon State will need a clean game operationally if it wants to keep pace with the Red Raiders as 24.5-point underdogs.

More dough than a tortilla factory

After posting an 8-5 record with a bowl game loss to Arkansas in 2024, Texas Tech, apparently, got very serious about the way it attacks NIL and the dawning revenue-share era of college athletics. And that isn’t limited to just college football.

A story by The Athletics’ David Ubben, Justin Williams and Chris Vannini stated that Red Raiders’ athletes are set to earn a collective $55 million this season. Softball pitcher NiJaree Canady alone earned two seven-figure payouts, as did basketball star JT Toppin.

Exact numbers for head coach Joey McGuire’s football team aren’t available, but are reportedly the second-biggest spenders in the sport. A survey by On3’s Pete Nakos ranked Texas Tech ahead of Oregon, Michigan and Miami among others. Only the in-state rival Texas Longhorns have deeper pockets, according to the survey.

McGuire added 21 transfers via the portal to his roster this offseason, including 13 four-stars. Texas Tech landed at No. 2 in 247Sports’ transfer-portal rankings, trailing only LSU. Texas Tech prioritized its trenches specifically, with its six highest-ranked transfer additions coming on the offensive and defensive lines,

The Red Raiders’ recruiting has paid off on the field thus far. Texas Tech picked up a 67-7 win over FCS Arkansas Pine-Bluff in week one and followed it up with a 62-14 romp of Kent State last Saturday. McGuire’s squad hasn’t allowed a point before the fourth quarter this year, but says he isn’t overlooking the Beavers.

“I hear great things about (Bray) and their staff,” McGuire told Lubbock-area reporters earlier this week. “Like they’re going to come in — I can just imagine if I’m (a coach) coming off that game. There’s probably disappointment and embarrassment, (but) we get to go in a place and ruin a hot streak. So, there’s going to be a lot of momentum for (Oregon State).”

Red Raiders’ high-powered offense presents challenge for Oregon State

A solution to Oregon State’s long-snapping woes wasn’t revealed during weekly press conferences, but one of Jackson Robertson or converted-linebacker Will Haverland are expected to handle the job.

But if the Beavers want to keep up with the Red Raiders’ high-octane offensive output, punting might not be an option. Texas Tech averaged 604.5 yards of offense through its first two matchups and has only punted twice this year.

Oregon State’s coach said his defense has to execute at a high level to keep pace.

“It’s execution,” Bray said about what it’ll take to slow down Texas Tech. “(It’s) making sure that we’re where we need to be. Not only in the run game, but (staying) on top of routes in the passing game… They’ve got talent and speed all over, so it’s just going to be a challenge from that standpoint.”

Quarterback Behren Morton leads The Red Raiders’ passing offense. The talented redshirt-senior’s career has been hampered by injuries. But so far, Morton’s been healthy and has Texas Tech rolling.

He’s tossed seven touchdowns on 46 passing attempts this season, completed 74% of his passes and racked up 459 yards so far. While Morton isn’t much of a dual threat, second-stringer Will Hammond adds juice in the run game with four carries for 91 yards and a pair of scores.

Reggie Virgil, a 6-foot-4 transfer receiver from Miami (OH), leads a deep group of Red Raider pass-catchers. Texas Tech’s quarterbacks targeted 12 times in the first two weeks, Virgil hauled in nine of them for 106 yards and three scores.

Texas Tech lost its highly-touted running back transfer, Quinten Joyner, for the season with a knee injury, but has backfilled production nicely. Adam Hill, J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey contribute to a three-deep rotation in the backfield, combining for 415 yards and four scores.

Beavers passing-attack faces fearsome Texas Tech defensive line

Oregon State quarterback Maalik Murphy and his offensive line will have their work cut out for them against the Red Raiders front seven.

Through two games, Texas Tech has sacked opposing quarterbacks seven times and created 51 quarterback pressures. Stanford-transfer David Bailey, the prize of Tech’s portal additions, leads the way with 10 pressures despite just one sack. Romello Height, a Georgia Tech transfer, is the categorical leader with a pair of sacks.

Beavers’ offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson praised the opposing defensive-line group.

“The front four are a really physically impressive group,” Gunderson said. “Four transfers, but four senior transfers. Four guys who have played a lot of football (and) can get after the passer. But it’s not like they’re just pass-rushers, they’re active in the run game, too.”

The Beavers posted 528 offensive yards in week two. Oregon State’s rushing attack is still finding itself, but the offense found a great rhythm as a passing offense against Fresno State. Murphy, redshirt-junior receiver Trent Walker and redshirt-sophomore Taz Reddicks linked up for 18 grabs and 257 yards to lead the way.

The trio’s effort caught the eye of Texas Tech defensive back Brice Pollock.

“They have a good one, (Trent Walker), he’s pretty good,” Pollock said. “Their quarterback is very experienced, so that helps them a lot. But yeah, we know (Oregon State) is a lot better than the last two teams (we played), but we’re going to prepare the same way.”

Week Three: No. 21 Texas Tech (2-0) vs. Oregon State (0-2)

When: Saturday, Sept. 13

Time: 12:30 PT

Where: Jones AT&T Stadium; Lubbock, Texas

TV: FOX

Favorite: Texas Tech (-24.5)