This game marked the Red Raiders' 66th meeting with the Aggies. Coming in, A&M led the series 34–30–1, though 1993 was the last time the Aggies won at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock. Coach Dennis Franchione has a 1–3 record with Texas Tech as A&M head coach, and Tech coach Mike Leach has a 5–2 record with A&M as Tech head coach. In their previous meeting, the Raiders outscored the Aggies 31–27, after Tech redshirt sophomore quarterback Graham Harrell made a 37-yard touchdown pass with 26 seconds left in the game.
