Tag: Texas Tech Red Raiders

Dec 28, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) falls into the end zone for a touchdown as Mississippi Rebels safety Isheem Young (1) /defends during the first quarter in the 2022 Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Shough, Texas Tech take down Ole Miss in Texas Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tyler Shough ran for two touchdowns and passed for another as Texas Tech defeated Ole Miss 42-25 in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night in Houston.

Shough completed 24 of 39 passes for 242 yards and rushed 25 times for 111 yards as the Red Raiders (8-5) won their fourth consecutive game.

Jaxson Dart passed for 361 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown to lead the Rebels (8-5), who lost their fourth straight.

The Red Raiders led 26-7 at halftime, but Dart threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Watkins on Ole Miss’ first possession of the third quarter. The score remained 26-13 through the end of the period.

Early in the fourth quarter, Shough threw a 36-yard pass to Jerand Bradley to set up SaRodorick Thompson’s 1-yard touchdown run that increased the lead to 32-13.

Texas Tech’s Trey Wolff kicked his third field goal, a 26-yarder, to increase the lead to 35-13 with 9:36 left.

Dart ran 9 yards for a touchdown and threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Malik Heath, who had eight catches for 137 yards, to trim the deficit to 10 with 3:10 left.

The Rebels tried an onside kick, but the Red Raiders’ Loic Fouonji, who also caught seven passes for 100 yards, returned it 44 yards for a touchdown.

Slough ran 2 yards for a TD that gave Texas Tech an early 7-0 lead.

Zach Evans ran 8 yards for a tying touchdown before Wolff’s 42-yard field goal gave the Red Raiders a 10-7 edge at the end of the first quarter.

Marquis Waters intercepted Dart, setting Texas Tech up at the Ole Miss 9 in the second quarter. On fourth-and-goal at the 2, Slough ran for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead.

Wolff added a 32-yard field goal before Dadrion Taylor-Demerson recovered Dart’s fumble at the Ole Miss 37.

Five plays later, Slough threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bradley to increase the lead to 19 points heading to halftime.

–Field Level Media

Nov 26, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (10) throws a pass against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech ends futility vs. Oklahoma, wins 51-48 in OT

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Tyler Shough threw for 436 yards and two touchdowns and Trey Wolff kicked three field goals — including the game-winner — as host Texas Tech knocked off Oklahoma 51-48 in overtime on Saturday night in Lubbock, Texas.

The Red Raiders (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) beat the Sooners for the first time in 11 tries, finishing the season on a three-game winning streak.

Oklahoma (6-6, 3-6) finished with its worst record since 1998.

Jerand Bradley had eight catches for a career-high 173 yards and a touchdown for Texas Tech.

The Sooners got the ball first in overtime, but quarterback Dillon Gabriel was injured on the first play — a pass from wide receiver Drake Stoops to Gabriel off a reverse — and the Oklahoma offense stalled.

Zach Schmit’s 34-yard field goal try went wide right, setting up Wolff’s game-winner on the next possession.

Gabriel finished 28 of 40 for 449 yards and six touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough.

Eric Gray ran for 161 yards, while Marvin Mims (5 catches, 162 yards, 2 TDs) and Theo Wease (3 catches, 123 yards, TD) had big days receiving for Oklahoma.

The Sooners’ C.J. Coldon intercepted Shough, giving Oklahoma the ball in Texas Tech territory with 5:16 remaining and the game tied.

The Sooners’ offense couldn’t get anything going, but Schmit’s 42-yard field goal gave his team a 48-45 lead with 4:04 left.

The Red Raiders then drove the ball steadily down the field, tying it on Wolff’s field goal with 3 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.

Oklahoma led 24-7 midway through the second quarter and looked in control. But Texas Tech scored 17 points in the final 3:09 of the first half to pull within one at halftime.

The Red Raiders ripped off a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in which they never faced a third down to cut the lead to 24-13.

Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson’s interception on the third play of the next drive gave Tech the ball inside the Sooners’ 30. It took just four plays for the Red Raiders to strike again, this time on Donovan Smith’s 7-yard run that pulled Tech within four with 1:28 remaining.

The Red Raiders’ defense quickly forced a punt, and a pair of long passing plays took them 77 yards in 45 seconds to set up a 29-yard field goal on the final play before halftime to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 24-23.

–Field Level Media

Nov. 19, 2022; Ames, Iowa, USA; [CAPTION] Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) runs with the ball for a first down around Iowa State Cyclones linebacker O'Rien Vance (34) during the second quarter in the senior day Big-12 showdown at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune-USA TODAY Network Ncaa Football Texas Tech At Iowa State

Texas Tech rallies to defeat Iowa State

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Tyler Shough hit Baylor Cupp with a jump-ball, 4-yard touchdown pass with 6:10 to play to lift Texas Tech to a 14-10 win over Iowa State on Saturday in a Big 12 Conference game dominated by defense in frigid and windy Ames, Iowa.

Shough passed for just 141 yards, but 43 of them came in the Red Raiders’ winning drive after they had fallen behind. He lofted a pass to Cupp, his 6-foot-6 tight end, for the score that sent Texas Tech (6-5, 4-4 Big 12) into bowl eligibility for the second straight season.

Iowa State (4-7, 1-7) lost its second straight game, fell to the cellar in the conference standings and will not play in a bowl for the first time since 2016.

Hunter Dekkers led the Cyclones with 294 yards passing, with 101 of those going to Xavier Hutchinson. Iowa State outgained Texas Tech 422-246 and possessed the ball for more than 36 minutes.

The Red Raiders struck first, getting a 1-yard touchdown run from backup quarterback Donovan Smith at the 12:23 mark of the second quarter to culminate a 96-yard, 14-play drive that used 5:04 of the clock.

Iowa State responded with Drake Nettles’ 36-yard field goal on the ensuing possession after a 13-play, 63-yard march. Nettles missed from 30 yards out after Texas Tech fumbled on its opening possession and had another attempt blocked, this time from 34 yards away, on the final play of the first half.

Iowa State moved to the Red Raiders’ 2-yard line twice in the third quarter while chewing up 9:15 of the quarter but were stopped for losses both times on fourth down and goal. The Cyclones outgained Texas Tech 126-18 in the quarter, running 25 plays to the Red Raiders’ nine, and had nothing to show for it.

The Cyclones finally broke through early in the fourth quarter when Dekkers hit Easton Dean with 24-yard scoring catch and run to give Iowa State a 10-7 lead.

But Texas Tech immediately answered, driving 77 yards in 13 plays that included a fourth down conversion at its own 32, before Shough’s winning touchdown pass to Cupp.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs running back Emari Demercado (3) runs past Texas Tech Red Raiders linebacker Tyrique Matthews (32) during the first half of a game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

Big fourth quarter rallies No. 7 TCU past Texas Tech

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Kendre Miller ran for 158 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries to help host TCU remain unbeaten with a 34-24 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon at Fort Worth, Texas.

The Horned Frogs (9-0, 6-0 Big 12), who were No. 7 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, trailed 17-13 heading into the fourth quarter before erupting for three touchdowns.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes joined Francis Schmidt (in 1929) for the all-time mark of nine consecutive wins to start a coaching tenure at the school.

Frogs quarterback and Maxwell Award semifinalist Max Duggan struggled early but found his rhythm in the final period. Duggan completed 12 of 23 passes for 195 yards and threw both of his touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

The first went for 23 yards to Derius Davis, who finished with three catches for 36 yards and also opened the game’s scoring by returning a punt 82 yards for a touchdown.

The second touchdown toss was a 16-yarder to Emari Demarcado out of the backfield.

Miller had given TCU the lead with 13:25 left in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run.

The Red Raiders (4-5, 2-4) lost for the fourth time in five games.

Texas Tech had to switch quarterbacks on Saturday after starter Behren Morton suffered an injury on a run during the second quarter. Morton completed 7 of 10 passes for 79 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions before he was helped off the field by teammates and limped to the locker room.

Tyler Shough entered in relief of Morton and put the Red Raiders ahead 17-13 with 8:38 to go in the third quarter on a 33-yard touchdown pass to J.J. Sparkman.

But TCU’s defense stopped Texas Tech on consecutive drives and then Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson intercepted Shough with 5:02 to play, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Shough ran for a 3-yard touchdown with 1:46 left, but Texas Tech’s onside kick was recovered by the Horned Frogs. Shough completed 9 of 22 passes for 78 yards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan (15) celebrates with teammates after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 7 TCU tries to stay perfect, hosts Texas Tech

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TCU will try to stay unbeaten Saturday afternoon when it hosts Texas Tech in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Horned Frogs (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) are ranked No. 7 in the season’s first College Football Playoff poll — their highest national ranking since 2017 when they rose as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll.

Yet, becoming the first Big 12 team ever to beat four consecutive ranked opponents in the regular season didn’t help the Horned Frogs vault into the top four or even five, as some thought it might.

With three Southeastern Conference teams (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama), two Big Ten teams (Ohio State, Michigan), and an Atlantic Coast Conference team (Clemson) ranked ahead of them, the Frogs will probably need some help to find their way into the College Football Playoff.

Unranked Texas Tech (4-4, 2-3) is seeking its third win over a ranked opponent this season. The Red Raiders will also be looking to break a three-game losing streak in the Saddle Trophy rivalry series.

TCU has flourished under first-year coach Sonny Dykes, who took over after former longtime coach Gary Patterson resigned. Dykes is the first coach in Big 12 history to open 8-0 at a school.

“I mean that’s the thing about getting on a run, you just need to find ways to win and we’ve been able to do that and I’m proud of our guys for doing that,” Dykes said.

The Horned Frogs are averaging 44.2 points per game, ranking third in the nation, just behind Tennessee and Ohio State.

Starting quarterback Max Duggan, a Maxwell Award semifinalist, is fourth in the nation with a 182.54 pass efficiency rating, having thrown 22 touchdown passes with just two interceptions.

Last week, Duggan completed 16 of 28 passes for 341 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in a 41-31 victory over West Virginia.

“We’re grateful to be 8-0,” Duggan said after leading the Horned Frogs to their fourth road win. “You’re never going to take winning for granted. We know it’s hard to win in this league, especially on the road.”

Kendre Miller leads a physical ground attack for TCU, which as a team is averaging 5.81 yards a carry, seventh best in the country.

The Red Raiders are looking to put an ugly 45-17 loss to Baylor at home last week behind them. The score wasn’t the only thing that left Texas Tech sour. Their three quarterbacks combining for five interceptions also stung. Starter Behren Morton completed only 11 of 34 passes for 152 yards and was intercepted three times.

“One of his big strengths is how we can run our tempo,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “It fits him. He gets the ball out fast and he’s done that.”

Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in passing yards per game (338.0) and is third in touchdown passes (19). But the Red Raiders have thrown 15 interceptions — five more than any other team in the conference.

While the quarterback situation among Morton, Tyler Shough and Donovan Smith would appear to remain fluid, McGuire said this week that Morton would take the first team reps in practice.

–Field Level Media

Oct 29, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears running back Richard Reese (29) rushes against Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive linebacker Tyree Wilson (19) in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Richard Reese helps Baylor run past error-prone Texas Tech

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Freshman Richard Reese ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns and AJ McCarty returned an interception for another score as Baylor throttled error-prone Texas Tech 45-17 on Saturday in a Big 12 Conference dustup in Lubbock, Texas.

Reese had a career-high 36 carries in the win as Baylor (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) won its second straight game. Blake Shapen passed for 211 yards and a touchdown for the Bears.

Texas Tech (4-4, 2-3) suffered five interceptions from three quarterbacks. Behren Morton started and played the majority of the snaps, going 11 of 33 for 152 yards, a touchdown and three of the picks. Donovan Smith and Tyler Shough also saw action, with the latter uncorking the interception that McCarty turned into a pick-six with 4:04 to play to ice the win.

Qualan Jones added a final TD for Baylor on a 17-yard run with 45 seconds remaining.

Baylor got on the board first via a John Mayers 48-yard field goal with 4:39 to play in the first quarter. The Red Raiders answered as Trey Wolff’s 33-yard FG culminated a six-play, 48-yard drive and tied the game with 8:09 to play in the second quarter.

Reese’s first TD, on a 1-yard plunge, put Baylor up 10-3 with 3:39 remaining in the second quarter. That was more than enough time for Baylor to strike again and Reese strolled home for a 2-yard TD run that gave the Bears a 17-3 advantage at the half.

Baylor picked up where it left off early in the third quarter. Mark Milton intercepted Morton on the second play of the quarter’s opening possession, setting the table for a 9-yard scoring pass from Shapen to Hal Presley at the 11:09 mark.

Texas Tech finally got on track, driving 75 yards in 15 plays to a 1-yard Morton-to-Henry Teeter TD pass midway through the third quarter. Morton then drew the Red Raiders to within 24-17 on an 8-yard scoring scramble on fourth down with 2:46 left in the quarter.

Reese helped stem the tide with his third scoring run, again from a yard away, to push Baylor’s lead to 31-17 with 12:46 to play.

–Field Level Media

Oct 22, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders tight end Mason Tharp (80) is tackled by West Virginia Mountaineers defensive safety Marcis Floyd (24), defensive corner back Rashad Ajayi (4) and defensive linebacker Jasir Cox (7) in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Behren Morton leads Texas Tech to decisive win over West Virginia

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Behren Morton threw for two touchdowns and Tahj Brooks ran for two to lead host Texas Tech to a 48-10 victory over West Virginia in a Big 12 game on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.

Morton went 28-for-45 passing for 325 yards and no interceptions, while Brooks rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries for the Red Raiders (4-3, 2-2) against the Mountaineers (3-4, 1-3).

Xavier White had eight catches for 139 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown, while Nehemiah Martinez had six receptions for 52 yards for Texas Tech, which outgained the Mountaineers 591-282.

For West Virginia, JT Daniels went 23-for-36 passing for 194 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Bryce Ford-Wheaton had five catches for 53 yards and a score, while Sam James had six receptions for 44 yards. CJ Donaldson and Tony Mathis Jr. each rushed for 33 yards on 12 and seven carries, respectively.

Leading 17-3 at halftime, the Red Raiders put the game away with Morton’s 55-yard touchdown pass to White less than two minutes into the second half. Morton’s scoring strike came two plays after Malik Dunlap intercepted Daniels on Texas Tech’s 42-yard line on the Mountaineers’ opening drive of the third quarter.

Morton threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Loic Fouonji for a 31-3 lead to cap a 12-play, 91-yard drive with 6:56 left in the third quarter.

West Virginia pulled to within 31-10 on Daniels’ 28-yard third-quarter touchdown pass to Ford-Wheaton before SaRodorick Thompson responded for West Virginia with a 13-yard scoring run on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 38-10 lead.

Trey Wolff’s 26-yard field goal with 11:58 made it 41-10 and backup quarterback Donovan Smith’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Brady Boyd with 2:33 left provided the final margin.

After Brooks gave Texas Tech a 7-0 lead with a 19-yard touchdown run on its first possession, he doubled the lead with a 1-yard scoring run to cap its next drive with 8:35 left in the first quarter.

West Virginia pulled to within 14-3 on Casey Legg’s 38-yard field goal with 45 seconds left in the first quarter.

Wolff capped the first-half scoring when his 46-yard field goal pushed the Red Raiders’ advantage to 17-3 with 12:25 left in the second quarter.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma State's Spencer Sanders (3) throws the ball in the first quarter during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Osu Vs Texas Tech

Late surge lifts No. 7 Oklahoma State over Texas Tech

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Spencer Sanders threw for a touchdown and rushed for two more as No. 7 Oklahoma State kept its perfect record intact by beating Texas Tech 41-31 in Stillwater, Okla.

Sanders completed 22 of 45 passes for 297 yards for the Cowboys (5-0, 2-0 Big 12), and also rushed for 56 yards on 17 carries. Perhaps most importantly, Sanders did not turn the ball over. The Cowboys were also boosted by the consistent running of Dominic Richardson, who totaled 67 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Donovan Smith did not start at quarterback for Texas Tech (3-3, 1-2). Smith has a 4-4 record as a starter and had faced an AP Top 25 team in six of those games. Texas Tech told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that reports of Smith being injured were “100 percent inaccurate.” Smith wound up attempting one pass and lined up as a slot receiver.

Getting the start under center instead for the Red Raiders was Behren Morton. In his first career start, he completed 39 of 62 passes for 379 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Oklahoma State turned that interception — grabbed by linebacker Mason Cobb — into a third-quarter field goal.

Texas Tech led 31-23 in the third quarter, and then Oklahoma State scored the next 18 points.

That run began with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Sanders, and then Sanders found Jaden Bray for a two-point conversion. Cobb’s pick set up a 24-yard field goal from Tanner Brown — his fourth of the day — and then Richardson’s touchdown run with 2:27 to play sealed the win for the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State now has a three-game winning streak against the Red Raiders.

With No. 17 TCU topping No. 19 Kansas 38-31 on Saturday, the Big 12 will have a battle of unbeatens next weekend when the Cowboys meet the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth, Texas. Oklahoma State beat TCU in Stillwater last season 63-17.

–Field Level Media

Oct 1, 2022; Waco, Texas, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders (3) runs for a first down against the Baylor Bears during the first quarter at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

No. 7 Oklahoma State pits potent offense vs. Texas Tech

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Seventh-ranked Oklahoma State will put its undefeated record on the line Saturday when it hosts Texas Tech at Stillwater, Okla.

The Cowboys (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) started conference play last weekend, topping then-No. 16 Baylor on the road, 36-25. The second half began with a bang, as Cowboys freshman Jaden Nixon returned the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and a 23-3 lead.

Texas Tech (3-2, 1-1) is coming off a 37-28 loss at Kansas State. The score was 20-20 after three quarters, but the Red Raiders fell flat in the fourth quarter.

This will be the fifth straight week that the Red Raiders have faced a ranked opponent. Texas Tech beat then-No. 25 Houston 33-30 on Sept. 10, lost to then-No. 16 North Carolina State 27-14 on Sept. 17, topped then-No. 22 Texas 37-34 on Sept. 24 and then fell to No. 25 Kansas State.

The Cowboys are riding a streak of 17 consecutive weeks ranked inside the top 15 of the poll, a stretch that is tied for the longest in school history with streaks from 2016-17 and 2010-2011. During coach Mike Gundy’s tenure, Oklahoma State has been ranked as high as No. 2 (2011) and ranked at least one week in every season since 2008.

The key for Oklahoma State this season has been the steady and versatile play of senior quarterback Spencer Sanders, who is tied for the Big 12 lead in passing touchdowns with 11 through four games.

Sanders also has rushed for four scores and 185 yards on 41 carries — a 4.5-yard average – and he’s thrown just two interceptions. Sanders has commanded an offense that is fifth in the nation in scoring, putting up an average of 46.2 points per game.

“(Sanders) just keeps finding a way to win game,” Gundy said. “He has a competitive nature, and now he’s developed a calmness and a humbleness about him that is hard to replace.”

Sanders grew up in Denton, Texas, with Red Raiders linebacker Kosi Eldridge. The all-time series between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech is tied — each side with 23 wins — but since Sanders and Eldridge have been in college, the Cowboys have a 2-1 advantage.

“We’ve got to tie it up this weekend,” Eldridge said. “I think (Sanders’) ability to extend plays, his ability to run, makes him that much better. So if we can contain him — which we definitely can — I think we’re going to have a really good shot at making him one-dimensional.”

Texas Tech has a talented quarterback of its own in Donovan Smith. Like Sanders, the redshirt sophomore is a threat through the air and on the ground, as he has accounted for 15 total touchdowns this season.

Smith leads the Big 12 in completions, with 143 through five games. Against Kansas State, he had two passing touchdowns and one rushing but also threw a pair of interceptions. He has seven interceptions for the season.

“That kid wants to win and he’s a great kid, has got very high character,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “I think he’s going to be a guy that plays on Sundays. You’ve just got to learn it now and find ways to get better. And we’ve got to find ways as a program to help him be better.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2022; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Adrian Martinez (9) looks to pass during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

No. 25 K-State, Texas Tech try to sustain high notes

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Kansas State has been ranked in each of the past three seasons, and in four of five. But in each of those seasons, the Wildcats have been short-time visitors in the AP Top 25, ultimately finishing out of the rankings.

Now they hope last week’s victory over sixth-ranked Oklahoma will give them the boost for sustained success.

Kansas State (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) arrived in the AP poll this week at No. 25 after defeating the Sooners on Saturday for the third time in four years, 41-34 in Norman, Okla.

Now the Wildcats will host Texas Tech (3-1, 1-0 Big 12), which is coming off a thrilling 37-34 overtime victory over Texas.

Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez threw for 234 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 148 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.

“Without a doubt, this is No. 1,” said Martinez, who transferred from Nebraska before the season. “It’s still registering with me right now, just coming to that realization that it’s real. We played to the best of our abilities, and we took it to them. It’s without a doubt my favorite game of all time.”

Oklahoma is 28-2 at home since mid-2017, with both losses coming to K-State. The Wildcats are 4-2 in Norman dating to 2012 and a stunning 6-5 back to their last Big Eight Conference meeting in 1994.

The 41 points were the most Kansas State has ever scored in Norman. It was quite a turnaround after the Wildcats’ lackluster effort in a 17-10 home loss to Tulane the week before.

“What a great effort for four quarters,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said after the game. “We didn’t have a letdown. We knew there were going to be some ups and downs, but we talked about putting the foot on the gas, and believing we were a better football team, and believing in each other.”

In 2021, the Wildcats debuted in the polls in the fourth week with a 3-0 record, then lost their next three games. In 2020, they reached No. 16 with a 4-1 record and lost their last five games. In 2019, they made their first appearance once they got to 3-0, then lost their next two games; and again after beating Oklahoma they were ranked again — only to fall out with successive losses.

The Red Raiders also are looking for a sustained rise. A week ago, they were coming off a 27-14 loss to NC State before turning in the outstanding performance against Texas.

Tech trailed Texas 31-17 late in the third quarter before rallying to tie the score at 31. When they capped their comeback with Trey Wolff’s 45-yard field goal and an apparent 34-31 victory with 21 seconds remaining, their emotional fortitude was tested when Texas tied it on the final play of regulation.

But the Raiders forced a fumble by Bijan Robinson on the Longhorns’ possession in overtime, and soon after, Wolff won it with a 20-yard field goal.

“I’m really proud of our guys,” first-year Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “It was 31-17, and they could have given up at any point. They didn’t. We asked them, coming out of the half, to keep fighting and good things would happen. These guys believe. When you have results like this, it just fires that belief up even more.

“What this means to us is that we are 1-0 in the Big 12. I’m fired up to beat Texas, but I’m more fired up to be 1-0 in the Big 12. Our guys will enjoy this, but this is not the end. We are going to refocus after enjoying this for the next 24 hours. We’ll build off this. We’ll find out how we respond to success.”

–Field Level Media