What to know about Texas Tech football opponent Arkansas-Pine Bluff

As the calendar flips to July, it’s time to get ready for the most anticipated Texas Tech football season in quite some time.

Over the next four weeks, we’ll take a look at every team on the Red Raiders’ 2025 schedule, previewing each of the 12 regular season contests to see if Joey McGuire’s team can live up to the hype and get to Arlington for the Big 12 Championship game in December.

We’ll start with Texas Tech’s season opener against FCS opponent Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Led by head coach Alonzo Hampton, the Golden Lions have an opportunity to disrupt the Red Raiders before they really get started. Last year’s season opener against Abilene Christian, another FCS school, sent an early message that Texas Tech’s defense was going to be a major problem in 2024. What can Pine Bluff reveal about this year’s version of the Red Raiders?

Get to know Texas Tech football opponent: Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Life as an FCS team can be a struggle in the age of name, image and likeness and the transfer portal. That’s certainly the case for Arkansas-Pine Bluff heading into the 2025 season.

The Golden Lions finished 3-9 overall and 2-6 in SWAC play, losing games by scores of 70-0 (Arkansas), 56-17 (Central Arkansas) and 41-3 (Jackson State). They had a scoring margin of negative-12.25 in 2024, but that didn’t prevent their best players from finding new landing spots elsewhere.

Receiver Javonnie Gibson had 70 catches for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns last season, the only player on the APB roster with 20 catches or more. He wound up transferring to Oklahoma.

Dual-threat quarterback Mekhi Hagens is also gone, having transferred first to Lamar than to Alabama A&M — which handed the Golden Lions a 52-24 loss in early November. Backup running back Johness Davis also left, winding up at Duquesne.

All hope is not lost with the team’s top two…

Source link : https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/sports/college/red-raiders/2025/06/30/texas-tech-football-2025-schedule-preview-arkansas-pine-bluff/84287090007/

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Publish date : 2025-06-30 09:03:00

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