Texas Tech (2-1) and No. 4/6 (Coaches/AP) Oklahoma (3-0) both open Big 12 Conference play on Saturday when the Red Raiders take on the Sooners at 11 a.m. in Norman, Ok.

Matt Wells will face Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma for his first meeting against the fellow Big 12 member. Wells addressed the media on Monday morning.

Here are the takeaways from this session.

"Good to be back at it this week. Great opportunity our guys and our coaches have in front of us with OU, tremendously talented team. Goes without saying. I mean, they're averaging 325 and 350 respectively on offense. That's pretty impressive in three weeks.

Shutout in the first quarter by their defense. Three times as many points in the second quarter. It's been three straight weeks for them of domination. And what a major challenge to our staff and our team to go in there and compete on national television. I'm excited about the opportunity, our players are. Started on it early this morning. But tremendous opportunity.

Jalen Hurts playing as good as anybody in the country. Obviously in the Heisman talk and justifiably so. Trey Sermon is a big strong, athletic back. They have a few of them. Rhamondre (Stevenson) is extremely talented and twitchy and thick. You have got to tackle him and wrap up and get population to the ball.

You look at it on defense. Kenneth Murray is a Sunday player. (Neville) Gallimore is a Sunday player. And they've got some younger guys up front and in that front seven that are long, strong and athletic.

They just haven't played a ton but you can see it on film; they flash on film. Both corners have great make-up speed. They've got track speed. They've got straight-line speed. You see them on tape get beat by a step and they're right back on guys.

So poses a big challenge. But like I say our guys are ready, looking forward to it.

With the quarterback situation for us, you're going to see both guys, (Jackson Tyner and Jett Duffey). Not sure how that's going to play out. We'll see how the week goes in practice and we'll have a plan to find exactly for those guys by the end of the week before we get on the bus to head to the airport."

Wells and the Red Raiders will be tasked with facing another dual-threat QB this week in Hurts. Last outing, Arizona QB Khalil Tate was a threat through the air and ground. Wells said he believes Hurts is a better passer than Tate is. Tate's speed is elite, according to Wells, to where Hurts has good speed.

Wells said Hurts is more of a power runner with his size but not to let that say he's unable to turn on the jets.

"No, I think Jalen Hurts throws the ball better. He's thicker. He's stronger. He's more of a power runner, but don't confuse power runner for a lack of speed. That's not the case with No. 1. He's got really good speed.Khalil Tate's got elite speed. But I don't think Khalil throws it as well as Jalen. And he's not as thick and powerful."

Wells said Oklahoma will be one of the best opportunities for his team all year.

He spoke about the Sooner offense and how quickly they've found success on that side of the ball.

"Yeah, I mean, pretty evenly balanced, explosive playmakers. Some really good H-back tight ends, the backs. Up there. I think they'll obviously be one of the best we see all year. So they're hot. They play fast and start fast. A couple of the games it's 21-0 in two of the three games in the first four series. And I think UCLA they scored 17 in the first three possessions. They're starting fast."

WR CeeDee Lamb is a home run hitter on the big play for the Sooners. Wells said his confidence and overall play makes him a threat on offense but he hopes some similarities between the Red Raider offense can help the defense prepare for the Oklahoma attack.

Q: "Do you see similarities from your offense compared to Oklahoma's that can help your defense this weekend?"

A: "In terms of pace, I think they can. As fast as we go on offense, I think that that takes a lot of defense's, some game time and game reps early in the game to be adjusted. I think from that one aspect, indirect answer to your question, yeah, I think that's going to help our guys prepare for it and at least know what's coming at them.

Wells said the Oklahoma defense will look different than compared to last year's outing in Lubbock. This is because of a new defensive coordinator and scheme.

Alex Grinch took over the Oklahoma defense after a stint in Ohio State as the Buckeyes' co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

"They're getting off the field, creating negative yardage, lost yardage plays, negative yardage plays. They're getting guys behind the chains. They're canceling out gaps up front. They're sound in the secondary.

Their guys are playing confident. And I think that is a testament to coaching because the confidence that they, to me, display on tape goes back to understanding a scheme. And if you understand something then you play confident.

Therefore, you play fast.I think in three games that's pretty evident of coach Grinch's defense, and it is a different scheme. But you can tell that they're rotating some guys in. They're getting a lot of their 2s in -- and I'm not saying when the game has gotten out of hand, certainly that's the case -- but they feel confident with some guys that they're giving them playing time early in the first quarter."

Wells was asked about going up against a top-tier Oklahoma program in the opening game of conference action.

When asked about overcoming adversity after a loss to Arizona, Wells said this:

"This ain't adversity. Adversity is the two little kids we had come out, our special spectator program. This isn't adversity. Are you kidding me?Playing Oklahoma is a challenge. It's fun. It's a lot of the reason I come to coach here and guys come to play here, but let's not confuse adversity with a college football game."

QB Alan Bowman will miss significant time with an injury he suffered against Arizona. It's now up to Tyner and Duffey to fill Bowman's shoes.

Duffey has the upper-hand in game experience but Tyner's arm strength is a plus and his hunger to gain the right to the lead Red Raiders is apparent after transferring in as a graduate student-athlete from Rice.

Right now, no starting quarterback has been named publicly for the Oklahoma game.

"I think Jett brings some experience that you mentioned in the Big 12 and he's played well at times. He is elusive. He's got some athletic ability when he does pull it down and run. Jackson has done a really nice job of coming in and learning our offense really quickly, and kind of just going through it for the first time in training camp. And from what he lacks in terms of game experience, I think he makes up in his knowledge and how quick he picked up our offense."

With Bowman's leadership voice now absent, the offensive line has to pick up in that area along with some players like Donta Thompson and TJ Vasher.

Wells said the front five with their experience and depth will be crucial in leading the offense on the field.

"Yeah, the guys that are going to have to do that are the O linemen. They're the ones that have played the most. I certainly think DontaThompson is there and T.J. are there for us on offense.Quite frankly, the guys on defense have to play a little bit better. The guys around the quarterback position, the other ten have got to play a little bit better. So the leadership, in terms of the vocal leadership or the in the locker room leadership are by some guys that continue to do that, whether it's Jordyn Brooks, it's Broderick, it's Doug Coleman, it's Travis Bruffy, it's Terence Steele.Those kind of guys. And it's been evident, but it's not like they just started talking trying to be a leader this week."

The lack in production at the X position on offense is not too much of a concern for Wells but he definitely wants to see a balanced approach in ball distribution. He said Bowman's big target in Vasher is shut down by double teams, safety help, etc.

"No, no concern. But I think the ball distribution, you want it to be decently balanced across with the Hs, the Xs and the Zs. Certainly if you get into game and a guy's got the hot hand or they're giving you something you've got to take it, that's not a coaching cliché but you've got to. But certainly it can't be an end balance in terms of T.J.'s catching all these balls. And the X position isn't --it doesn't have to be a certain guy, it can be RJ (Turner) and (Erik Ezukanma) together combined with all the Hs combined with some at the tight end spot.

Yeah, and I don't think they're taking time to get going. But they just haven't had anything big. I think they've gotten balls and I think Alan's taken the throws when they're there. But for whatever reason, the numbers aren't big yet at that spot. Certainly can be and should be. They were at that position for us last year. So it's not in terms of the scheme or the offense."