Texas Tech matched its season high of 53 points last weekend while Oklahoma State has averaged 57.3 over its last three contests.
All signs point toward a shootout when the No. 12 Red Raiders take the field against the No. 25 Cowboys in Big 12 play on Saturday night at Stillwater, Okla.
The second-place Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1 Big 12) are one game behind No. 2 Utah (9-0, 6-0) in the Big 12 race. Avoiding a stumble against the Cowboys is vital to maintaining a shot at the conference championship.
“It’s probably going to be a slugfest,” Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire said. “I would bet because Oklahoma State’s one of the best in the country on offense.”
Texas Tech had to score 12 unanswered fourth-quarter points to post a 53-48 home win over West Virginia last Saturday. The Red Raiders rolled up 638 yards but gave up 582.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys (6-3, 4-2) have scored 57, 49 and 66 points while winning two of their past three games. Oklahoma State routed host Kansas State 66-28 last Saturday.
The Cowboys rank second nationally in total offense at 533.6 yards per game and are third in scoring at 43.9 points per game.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker leads the nation with 29 touchdown passes and ranks second with 2,962 passing yards. He has topped 300 yards passing in eight consecutive games.
Mestemaker passed for 313 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for a score and caught a touchdown pass in the rout of Kansas State.
“I think we’re facing the best quarterback in the nation,” McGuire said of Mestemaker. “I don’t know who’s going to be the first (NFL draft) pick, but you know I know the Jets have like three first-round picks, and I would definitely be taking him in the first round. It will surprise me if he doesn’t go No. 1 overall.”
Mestemaker and standout running back Caleb Hawkins (1,081 rushing yards, seven scores) starred at North Texas last season and followed coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State after he was hired away from the Mean Green. Hawkins has five 100-yard rushing games, including outputs of 194 and 175 the past two weeks.
Morris said a discussion about Mestemaker’s future will happen after the season.
“At the end of the year, you sit down and have a discussion with him and his mom and figure out what’s the best for the kid and his future,” Morris said. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had that conversation, nor will it be the last time we’ve had that conversation.”
Texas Tech ranks 14th in scoring at 37.6 points per game and the offense has been hot the past two games since Thomas Castellanos replaced Will Hammond as the starting quarterback. The Red Raiders have averaged 43.5 points and 555 yards during the span.
Castellanos passed for a career-best five touchdown passes in the win over West Virginia. He passed for 362 yards and rushed for 102.
“I think he makes you defend everything,” Morris said of Castellanos. “Obviously, they’ve added some quarterback run game stuff. Super-smart to do that. If you look at their numbers, just the last couple games when he’s been starting, they’d be right there at the top of the nation as far as yards per game and scoring offense.”
The Red Raiders lost receiver Coy Eakin to a broken hand and he underwent surgery on Monday. He is 10 yards shy of 2,000 for his career.
Defensively, Texas Tech has 18 sacks over the past four games and 29 overall.
Oklahoma State cornerback LaDainian Fields leads the nation with seven interceptions. He had two picks against Kansas State for his second multi-interception game of the season.
Texas Tech rolled to a 42-0 victory over the Cowboys in Lubbock last season.