“They’ve Got Our Full Attention” No. 5 Texas Tech Set For Top 25 Road Battle With Colorado
Texas Tech once again finds itself at the center of the Big 12 race and NCAA Tournament picture in October. Tech comes in ranked No. 3 by TopDrawerSoccer, No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the RPI. The Red Raiders enter the final stretch of the regular season atop the Big 12 standings – holding a one-point lead over TCU and a three-point edge over No. 22 Colorado who they face on Thursday night.
“They’ve got our full attention,” Texas Tech head coach Tom Stone said. “They’re not a group to be messed with, and it’s going to be a hard one on Thursday night in Boulder, for sure.”
The matchup in Boulder carries major implications both in the conference and nationally. The Buffaloes (11-2-3, 5-1-2 Big 12) are No. 7 in the TopDrawer poll and No. 11 in the RPI, making Thursday night’s clash one of the most high-profile meetings of the season with postseason seeding, home-field advantage, and conference title positioning all at stake.
“They’re one of the best teams in the league,” Stone said. “This is the best roster I’ve seen on them for probably a decade, and they can put a lot of pressure on you. They serve the box the whole game. They’re going to make you be good box defenders, make your goalkeeper be strong in the air, force you to be good at picking up second balls. And if you can handle that, then you’ve got a good chance.”
Few games in the country offer this kind of balance. Colorado leads the Big 12 in scoring and ranks 11th nationally, powered by Hope Leyba, who tops the league and sits second in the nation with 15 goals. Texas Tech ranks fifth in the Big 12 and 36th nationally in scoring, with Taylor Zdrojewski just behind her — second in the conference and fourth nationally with 13 goals.
Defensively, the Red Raiders have been among the nation’s best, allowing the fewest goals in the Big 12 and ranking 16th nationally. Colorado sits fifth in the conference and 49th nationally in goals allowed. Both sides also feature premier goalkeepers — Faith Nguyen, a 2024 First Team All-Big 12 selection for Tech, and Jordan Nytes, the reigning Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year for Colorado.
“There’s a lot out there in this game. Two of the best goal scorers in the country and two of the best defenses in the country, two of the best goalkeepers in the Big 12,” Stone said. “There are a lot of one-and-two matchups, and that’s what’s going to make it special. This late in the year, to have a game of this caliber is pretty exciting.”
Stone said that maturity and composure have been defining traits of this year’s team, something that will need to show up in a challenging road environment. He noted the veterans on this team can bring a sense of calm amongst the expectations they’ve put on themselves.
“There’s a bit of calm, and that all comes from maturity,” Stone said. “The captains aren’t easily rattled. That leadership lets the younger players be more calm.”
With three games remaining in the regular season, Texas Tech controls its own path toward a second Big 12 title in three years and a potential top-two NCAA Tournament seed. The road to both, however, starts with a stop in Boulder against one of the nation’s top teams.
“If we can find that calmness, I think we’ll be at our best,” Stone said. “And if not, we need to get there pretty quick, because they won’t take any prisoners up there.”
First touch is scheduled for 8pm CT on ESPN+
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