Tag: Red Raiders

Texas Tech defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter gestures during a drill during football practice, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, at the Sports Performance Center.

Texas Tech fires DC DeRuyter, secondary coach Yates

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After Texas Tech allowed the second-most passing yards in the country this season, it cost defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and secondary coach Marcel Yates their jobs on Sunday.

The Red Raiders (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) beat West Virginia 52-14 on Saturday to close their regular season but finished last in the conference in passing yards allowed (305.3).

DeRuyter, 61, had been Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator since 2022 following a season in the same role at Oregon. Among many collegiate coaching jobs since 1989, he served as Fresno State’s head coach from 2012-16.

Yates, 47, has been a college assistant coach since 2001, joining the Red Raiders’ staff in 2022 as passing coordinator. This was his first season as Texas Tech’s secondary coach.

“I appreciate the work Coach DeRuyter and Coach Yates have provided our program the past three seasons,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said in a statement. “This was a difficult but necessary decision as we continue to elevate this program to competing annually at the highest levels of college football.”

Texas Tech will name an interim defensive coordinator for its bowl game, McGuire said.

–Field Level Media

Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire looks on against Colorado in a Big 12 game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Texas Tech outscores Oklahoma State in wild offensive display

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Behren Morton threw for four touchdowns and Tahj Brooks ran for three and caught another as Texas Tech prevailed in a wild game with Oklahoma State, winning 56-48 on Saturday at Stillwater, Okla.

With all the offense, it was a defensive play that perhaps made the biggest difference. Instead of Oklahoma State pulling even as had been the trend on the afternoon, Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez scooped a fumble and ran for a touchdown with 4:45 remaining for the first of his two key late-game plays.

Suddenly, the Red Raiders (7-4, 5-3 Big 12 Conference) held a two-possession lead. But Maealiuaki Smith connected with Rashod Owens for a 10-yard touchdown (the extra-point attempt failed) to close the gap to eight points with 2:35 left in regulation.

Morton finished 35-for-50 for 366 yards with an interception.

Ollie Gordon II rushed for three touchdowns and 156 yards for Oklahoma State (3-8, 0-8), which lost its eighth consecutive game.

Smith threw for two touchdowns and 326 yards with one interception for the Cowboys. Smith played in place of Alan Bowman, a former Texas Tech player who had led Oklahoma State in passing in every game this season.

After Owens’ late touchdown, Texas Tech tried to keep possession to run out the clock. Morton had a 12-yard run on third-and-11. Still, the Red Raiders ended up punting, but Oklahoma State’s last-ditch effort was doomed by Rodriguez interception at the 50 with 7 seconds remaining.

Caleb Douglas, Jalin Conyers, Mason Tharp and Brooks made TD receptions for the Red Raiders. Brooks also gained 133 rushing yards on 28 carries, and Douglas accumulated 105 receiving yards on five catches.

Oklahoma State’s De’Zhaun Stribling (133 yards) and Owens (124) were tops in receiving yards.

Texas Tech never trailed, but the score was tied at 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42.

Brooks put the Red Raiders up 49-42 on his 1-yard touchdown run with 6:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. That was his third touchdown run in a 15-minute span.

The feisty nature of the game resulted in unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against both teams in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) reacts after made a first down against UCF during the first quarter in the week-8 NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Ames, Iowa.

Texas Tech tries to contain Rocco Becht, No. 11 Iowa State

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Texas Tech started its Big 12 Conference schedule strong, winning three straight, but now head to Ames, Iowa, on a two-game losing streak to face No. 11 Iowa State.

While Iowa State (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) was on a bye week, the Red Raiders (5-3, 3-2) lost a heartbreaker to TCU 35-34, giving up 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to fall to sixth in the conference.

In its past two losses, Texas Tech allowed 94 points to its opponent, forcing head coach Joey McGuire to challenge his defense.

“We’ve got to continue to play better on defense,” McGuire said. “I felt like we got out tackled in space the last two games with Baylor and TCU, those are things we’re going to challenge the guys at.”

A hurdle Texas Tech was able to jump was the loss of quarterback Behren Morton, who left at halftime after injuring his non-throwing left shoulder. True freshman Will Hammond stepped up to both throw and rush for a touchdown, throwing for 121 yards on 10-for-15 passing without an interception.

“I’ve just been so impressed with the young man who’s their quarterback he goes out,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said. “And at halftime, the first drive I think he’s 9-for-9 right down the field for a touchdown. This young freshman comes in, I think it shows how well dedicated they are at teaching their system.”

McGuire didn’t rule Morton out of Saturday’s game, saying that anyone questionable on the injury report will be ready to play. Practice this week will determine if Morton starts over Hammond.

Iowa State has its own impressive quarterback in Rocco Becht, who led the Cyclones over UCF 38-35 on Oct. 19. With 30 seconds remaining, Becht scored on a 1-yard run to cap a 11-play, 80-yard drive where the sophomore quarterback either ran or passed on every play. The drive only lasted 78 seconds.

“He’s got a quarterback that’s playing at high level. They’ve got two NFL receivers. They’ve got three running backs that they rotate,” McGuire said about Iowa State’s offensive threats.

Adding to that group is the potential return of tight end Ben Brahmer, who left in the second quarter of the win over UCF. Brahmer averages 17.9 yards per catch and is important in Iowa State’s balanced rushing attack, providing blocking for the trio of Cyclones running backs.

Iowa State may get others back who were able to recover during the bye week, putting the team in the best spot it has been health-wise since September.

“A week off was such a pivotal time for our football team,” Campbell said. “We’ll probably be as close to as strong as we’ve been since probably the Arkansas State game (on Sept. 21).”

An Iowa State win would secure its best start to a season, eclipsing a 7-0 start in 1938. It also would keep Iowa State atop the Big 12 standings, tied with No. 9 BYU, which is idle this week.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back Tahj Brooks (28) runs the ball against the Baylor Bears in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Baylor gets first Big 12 win in high-scoring rout of Texas Tech

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Desperation and motivation were prominent to Baylor’s game plan Saturday against Texas Tech, and the Bears used both elements very well.

Hunting for its first Big 12 Conference victory, Baylor hammered Texas Tech 59-35 in Lubbock, TX in a game that was sewn up with 10 minutes to go.

Bears’ quarterback Sawyer Robertson dissected the Red Raiders for 274 yards and five touchdown passes to lead the way and a long second-quarter punt return turned the tide. Robertson went to high school in Lubbock at Coronado High School.

Baylor (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) scored on five straight second-half possessions after a three-and-out series to begin the third quarter. The Bears finished with 529 total yards, with 311 in the second half.

Texas Tech (5-2, 3-1), which was off to its best start in the Big 12 since 2007, pulled within 24-21 with a long drive after that stop, culminating with Tahj Brooks’ 31-yard dash to the end zone. But that turned out to be the Red Raiders’ last gasp.

Robertson took over after that, completing 8-of-9 passes in the second half for 133 yards with TD tosses of 11, 35, 24 and 12 yards – the first and last to Josh Cameron, who was a game-changer on special teams as well.

With the score tied 7-7 early in the second period, Baylor’s defense forced a punt. Cameron collected a low line-drive kick, evaded the first defender he encountered and raced 73 yards to the 1-yard-line. Bryson Washington plowed in from there for his second short TD of the day and Texas Tech never got closer than three points.

Baylor led 24-14 at halftime and answered the Red Raiders’ third-quarter touchdown with four answered scores in 11½ minutes.

Texas Tech’s offense finished with 455 yards, paced by Brooks’ 125 rushing yards. Behren Morton passed for 286 yards and three touchdowns but also had a costly third-quarter interception during the Bears’ game-turning onslaught.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton (2) throws a pass against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images

Texas Tech faces North Texas in potential aerial shootout

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Texas Tech will try to get back on the winning track against an old foe Saturday when North Texas rolls into Lubbock for the first time since 2000.

The Red Raiders (1-1) got thumped 37-16 on the road by Washington State last week, with turnovers (four) and the defense’s struggles to stop the Cougars’ running game (301 yards) topping the list of problems.

The loss, on the heels of a 52-51 overtime win against Abilene Christian on Aug. 31, has created some unrest with the Texas Tech fan base, a fact that isn’t lost on third-year coach Joey McGuire.

In particular, the Red Raiders’ defensive struggles are hard to ignore. Texas Tech ranks last or next-to-last in the Big 12 in every major category, surrendering an average of 515.5 total yards and 44 points per game.

“One of the biggest things we have to do is play better defense,” McGuire said. “It has to start with that side of the ball.”

That is a daunting proposition as Texas Tech braces for a Mean Green offense overseen by former Red Raiders offensive coordinator Eric Morris, who is in his second season as North Texas’ head coach.

The Mean Grean (2-0) are off to their best start since 2018 and have churned out 1,054 total yards in wins against South Alabama and Stephen F. Austin, with quarterback Chandler Morris (no relation to his coach) leading the charge by throwing for 737 yards and seven touchdowns.

The potential for an offensive shootout looms because the Red Raiders have moved the ball effectively in both games. Texas Tech has done heavy damage through the air, with quarterback Behren Morton leading the Big 12 with an average of 350.5 passing yards per game and receiver Josh Kelly pulling in a national-best 19 receptions.

The Mean Green have surrendered an average of 415 yards a game, but some confidence is bubbling with a unit that began the season with eight new starters.

North Texas took major strides last week against Stephen F. Austin by limiting the Lumberjacks to 3-of-17 efficiency on third down.

“The chemistry on defense has come together surprisingly well,” Mean Green linebacker Jordan Brown said. “We build each other up.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton (2) drops back to pass against the Abilene Christian Wildcats in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Texas Tech, Washington State to honor Mike Leach, light up scoreboard

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Call it the Mike Leach Bowl.

Texas Tech and Washington State, two of the programs once led by the late offensive mastermind, are scheduled to meet Saturday in Pullman, Wash., on a day Leach will be inducted into the host Cougars’ Hall of Fame.

And there should be points aplenty.

“Man, I’m excited to go to Washington State and honor Mike Leach,” Texas Tech coach Joey Maguire said. “What better way to do that than have us there.”

Leach is the winningest coach in Texas Tech history and is third on Washington State’s list.

The visiting Red Raiders (1-0) are coming off a 52-51 overtime victory against Abilene Christian last Saturday, while the Cougars (1-0) routed Portland State that day 70-30. Texas Tech gained 539 yards and Washington State amassed 637.

“I think it’s the exact same,” Cougars coach Jake Dickert said of the two offenses. “I think they call things the same. They signal things the same … it’s gonna be about execution. I think we’re very familiar with it, but at the same time, what makes (Tech’s) offense hard is every week is different. You see something one week and you can practice it, and it’s completely different in a new formation.”

The Red Raiders’ Behren Morton completed 30 of 42 passes for 378 yards — one shy of his career best — and a career-high five touchdowns, and Tahj Brooks rushed for 153 yards and a TD. Josh Kelly, who played last season at Washington State, had 10 receptions for 156 yards and one touchdown.

Texas Tech, which was a 31 1/2-point favorite in its opener, will have to improve on defense.

“Holy moly … we have a lot of things we have to fix to get better, and we’ve got to do ’em in a hurry,” Maguire said.

The Cougars’ John Mateer was 11-of-17 passing for 352 yards and five TDs in their opener, with Kyle Williams making four catches for 141 yards and two scores and Kris Hutson adding four grabs for 101 yards and a TD. Wayshawn Parker added 96 yards and a TD on just eight carries for Washington State, which scored 49 points in the first half.

Texas Tech and Washington State will be meeting for the third time overall and the first time since 1964, when the Red Raiders beat the Cougars for a second straight year.

–Field Level Media

Nov 24, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Keilan Robinson (7) runs for a touchdown while defended by Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back Bralyn Lux (12) during the first half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

No. 7 Texas romps past Texas Tech into Big 12 title game

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Jaydon Blue ran for 121 yards and a touchdown and Keilan Robinson scored on 10-yard run and a 95-yard kickoff return as No. 7 Texas produced a statement with a 57-7 victory over Texas Tech on Friday in Austin, Texas, in the teams’ final Big 12 Conference regular-season game.

The Longhorns (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) won their sixth straight contest and cliched a spot in the Big 12 Conference championship game against either No. 13 Oklahoma or No. 20 Oklahoma State.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers passed for 196 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Jett Bush returned a deflected interception 43 yards for another score, and Burt Auburn kicked five field goals for the Longhorns in the win that featured the much anticipated debut of freshman quarterback Arch Manning late in the third quarter.

The Longhorns’ defense did the rest, holding Texas Tech (6-6, 5-4) to just 198 total yards. Behren Morton passed for 88 yards and Tahj Brooks had 95 yards on 19 carries for the Red Raiders.

Texas scored on its first possession, marching 56 yards in seven plays to a 10-yard TD run by Robinson. The Longhorns added to their lead on Auburn’s 34-yard field goal with 2:15 to play in the first quarter.

Texas Tech found the end zone on Morton’s 2-yard keeper around left end with 29 seconds to play in the first quarter. Blue ripped off a 69-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter to push the Texas’ lead to 17-7.

Auburn added his second field goal, this one from 37 yards away with 10:07 to play in the second quarter, after Michael Taaffe blocked a punt. Auburn was good again on a 26-yarder with 2:55 to play in the second quarter and added a 44-yard field goal on the final snap of the half to build Texas’ lead to 26-7 at the break.

Robinson opened the third quarter with his kickoff return touchdown that blew open the game. Auburn booted a career-long 54-yard field goal with 9:15 to play in the third quarter to make it 36-7.

An Ewers-to-Xavier Worthy 19-yard TD pass with 4:44 to play in the third quarter pushed the Texas advantage to 43-7. Bush then snatched a pass out of the air that hit Brooks in the foot and rumbled for a score. Quintrevion Wisner added a 10-yard TD run with 38 seconds left to cap the scoring.

–Field Level Media

Texas Tech's running back Tahj Brooks (28) runs with the ball against TCU in a Big 12 football game, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Texas Tech builds cushion, then fends off TCU

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Texas Tech topped visiting TCU 35-28 in a back-and-forth Big 12 shootout Thursday night in Lubbock, Texas.

Two teams desperate for a victory played like it Thursday, as Texas Tech constructed a healthy first-half cushion and refused to blink when TCU staged a second-half rally.

Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton returned to the lineup with 282 yards and two touchdowns on 28-of-36 passing. Tahj Brooks was huge with 146 rushing yards and a TD, and cornerback Dadrion Taylor-Demerson anchored a feisty Red Raider defensive effort with a pair of interceptions, the second with 55 seconds left in the game to slam the door.

Texas Tech (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) scored back-to-back touchdowns after the Horned Frogs erased a halftime deficit and grabbed a 21-20 lead.

Taylor-Demerson set up the go-ahead score when he swiped a pass from Josh Hoover late in the third quarter and returned it to the TCU 16-yard line. Two plays later, Brooks crashed in for a 9-yard touchdown.

Texas Tech’s defense forced the first Horned Frogs punt of the second half on the ensuing possession and the offense provided some breathing room with a quick three-play, 92-yard scoring drive. Morton connected with Xavier White for 39 yards, then hit Drae McCray for a 44-yard touchdown bomb on a deep post pattern.

TCU (4-5, 2-4) clawed back within a touchdown with a long drive that ended with Trey Sanders plowing in from the 1-yard-line with 4:54 to play.

The Horned Frogs got the ball one last time in the final minutes and were on the move, advancing from their 12-yard-line to the 44 when Taylor-Demerson snared his second pick.

TCU’s offense came alive to help them scramble back into the game after trailing 20-7 at halftime.

The Horned Frogs managed only 140 total yards in the opening 30 minutes and punted four times. Texas Tech took advantage with a boost from special teams: The Red Raiders got a 55-yard field goal from Gino Garcia, which Myles Price helped set up with a 29-yard punt return.

Hoover passed for 353 yards, most of that in the second half on three long scoring drives. Emani Bailey ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns for TCU.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith (1) runs with the ball during the third quarter against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

QB drama highlights Houston visit to Texas Tech

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There will be no shortage of emotional pomp and circumstance on Saturday when Houston faces Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, in a meeting of Big 12 teams desperate to find their stride.

The Red Raiders (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) will induct linebacker Matt Wingo and quarterback — and later coach — Kliff Kingsbury into the school’s Hall of Fame, while coach Mike Leach will be recognized in the Hall of Honor. Leach, who died last December, is the winningest coach in program history.

But the real drama will be under center, as former Texas Tech quarterback Donovan Smith will start for the Cougars (2-2, 0-1), while Behren Morton will serve as signal-caller for the Red Raiders after starter Tyler Shough broke his fibula in a 20-13 loss to West Virginia last weekend.

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire praised Smith for how he handled the transfer process and said him suiting up for the opponent adds a “cat-and-mouse part” to the game.

“Hate facing him, but I was just as fired up as anybody when (Houston coach Dana Holgorsen) named him as the starter because I’m a big fan of that kid,” McGuire said.

“He’s seen our defense and will definitely study it all week, it gives us an advantage as well to know his arm angles and how he reacts — when he is going to pull it down and run.”

Meanwhile, the Cougars must contend with a Morton-led offense that sputtered on the road against the Mountaineers until back-to-back scoring drives supplied a flicker of hope. But when the Red Raiders had to have a touchdown late, Morton failed to complete a pass on Texas Tech’s final drive of the game to finish the day 13-for-37 passing for 158 yards and a TD.

Holgorsen tagged Morton as “more of a gunslinger” than Shough and said he expects the change at quarterback to prompt the Red Raiders to adjust their approach to feature running back Tahj Brooks, who averages 6.7 yards per carry and 104.3 yards per game.

Brooks has rushed for 307 yards over the past two weeks, tallying a career-best 158 versus Tarleton State before racking up 149 against West Virginia.

“They have one of the best backs in the Big 12,” Holgorsen said. “I think they’re going to continue to run the ball more.”

Saturday marks the first meeting between the teams as Big 12 foes. Houston is 18-15-1 in the all-time series.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) gestures as he is carted off the field after an injury during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough (leg) out 6-8 weeks

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Texas Tech starting quarterback Tyler Shough will miss most, if not all, of this season after coach Joey McGuire said Shough suffered a fractured left fibula last Saturday during his team’s 20-13 defeat at West Virginia.

McGuire said Monday he expects Shough, who was injured in the first quarter, to miss up to two months. He said Shough will have surgery on Tuesday.

Shough began his college career with two seasons at Oregon – leading the Ducks to a Pac-12 conference title in 2020 – before transferring to Texas Tech for the past three seasons.

He has completed 355 of 564 passing attempts (62.9 percent) for 4,625 yards with 36 touchdown passes, 17 interceptions and 10 rushing touchdowns.

Redshirt sophomore Behren Morton, who was 13 for 37 passing for 158 yards and a touchdown in relief of Shough against West Virginia, will start at quarterback Saturday when the Red Raiders (1-3) host Houston in Big 12 play.

— Field Level Media