Texas Tech Snaps Three-Game Slide with 38-17 Win Over West Virginia
The Red Raiders came out like a team who was coming off a bye week and trying to snap a three-game losing streak. Matt Wells’ team took all its frustrations from the past month out early and often in Morgantown against a struggling Mountaineers team.
Texas Tech scored touchdowns on its first five drives, with the first four coming in the first 17 minutes of game action, to jump out to a 28-3 lead over WVU, essentially putting this game away before all the Mountaineers fans had taken their seats at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Jett Duffey and the Red Raiders got it going with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a Ta’Zhawn Henry two-yard run. WVU did respond by going 63 yards on eight plays and kick through a field goal to make it 7-3 early on. The Red Raiders then connected on a big play, with Duffey finding Dalton Rigdon for 81 yards and it was a 14-3 Texas Tech lead at the 7:27 mark of the first quarter.
Then, on the Mountaineers’ first play of their next drive, Austin Kendall was picked off by Douglas Coleman and the Red Raiders were in business inside the West Virginia 30-yard line. Six plays later, Ta’Zhawn Henry scored his second touchdown of the day from four yards out as the Red Raiders took a dominant 21-3 lead.
But that wouldn’t be all in the opening quarter for Texas Tech. The Mountaineers had a solid drive going at the Texas Tech 31-yard line, but then on 4th and 11, Austin Kendall was sacked by Riko Jeffers and fumbled, which was recovered by Eli Howard.
Texas Tech then used the running game effectively one again, but this time it was SaRodorick Thompson from one yard out to give the Red Raiders a 28-3 lead.
West Virginia and Texas Tech then exchanged touchdowns once again, with SaRodorick Thompson scoring from two yards out for Tech in his second touchdown of the game, and the Red Raiders led 35-10 at the 8:00 minute mark of the second quarter. In the final 38 minutes of this game the teams combined for 10 points as the outcome had essentially been decided.
The Mountaineers actually outgained Texas Tech 549 to 481, with 498 passing yards. However the running game was non-existent again for WVU. Even though they were trailing quickly had to throw the ball to catch up, on 18 carries, WVU averaged less than three yards per carry. But the undoing of this game for the Mountaineers was the four turnovers, while Tech had zero.
Austin Kendall was also replaced at QB for Jarrett Doege, something fans had been calling for for some time, and Doege finished 11 of 17 for 119 yards and a touchdown.
However, the loss drops West Virginia to 3-6 on the season and 1-5 in Big 12 play. Meantime, Texas Tech is now 4-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play. Texas Tech plays TCU at home next week, while WVU travels to Kansas State.
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