ScoopDuck Roundtable: Player to Watch from TTU

It’s game week, officially, and Oregon faces a much bigger task than it did in week one. With Texas Tech hungry for redemption, they will throw everything they have at the Ducks in Lubbock this weekend.

This Texas Tech team is not short on talent. They have playmakers on both sides of the football.

Here is the list of names we are expecting to have big games for the Red Raiders on Saturday.

Jarrid Denney: Jerand Bradley

In 6-foot-5, 220-pound sophomore Jerand Bradley, Texas Tech has one of the top playmakers in the Big 12. 

A former 3-star recruit from DeSoto, Bradley caught 51 passes for 744 yards and six touchdowns last season. He’s a preseason all-conference selection and is on the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list. In Week 1, he caught eight passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Shough targeted him 14 times — six more than any other Red Raiders’ pass-catcher. 

Khyree Jackson and Trikweze Bridges are both big, physical cornerbacks who should provide interesting matchups against Bradley this Saturday. 

Joel Gunderson: Tyler Shough

The Texas Tech team we saw against Wyoming Saturday night is not the one Oregon will face in Lubbock. Don’t let the final score fool you; the Ducks are in for a big test, and their quarterback will have a big hand in determining Oregon’s fate. 

While the Ducks’ defense looked vastly improved against Portland State, it comes with a major grain of salt; Shough and the Red Raiders have the firepower that the Vikings couldn’t even dream of, and the 5th-year senior and former Duck would love nothing more than to end Oregon’s playoff hopes early. 

Slow Shough, and leave with a nice win. Let him do his thing and you’re in for a major fight. 

Justin Hopkins: Tyler Shough

I really don’t like going with a quarterback and someone that is already picked, but I had to go with Shough. Simply because of the ‘revenge factor’ I think he’ll have facing his former team. And in fact, if you think about it, the Wyoming loss might have hurt Oregon more than it helped them. Now Tech is going to be on full alert and even more hungry to get its first win. I think Shough has a big game and Oregon will have to really get after him to keep him from ripping through the defense.

Corpatty: Jesiah Pierre

Pierre is a very active linebacker who is the leader of Tim DeRuyter’s defense.  Pierre compiled 4.5 sacks last season and registered 14 tackles in the Red Raiders’ opener.  DeRuyter moves him around a lot and uses him in a number of exotic blitz packages.  The Oregon offensive line will need to know where Pierre is lined up at on every play so that he’s not overly disruptive to the Oregon offense. 

Doug Scott: Tyler Shough

The former Oregon signal caller will look to have a big showing against his former team. Can the Ducks rattle him into some high pressure mistakes, or will Shough be able to make some plays with his arm and legs and give Tech a chance to win this one.  How Shough performs on Saturday may well decide if Oregon wins handily or if this one goes down to the the wire