The Texas Tech Red Raiders hosted the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday night with both teams entering the game with identical 3-1 overall records and 1-0 in the Big 12 Conference. These are two teams looking to be one of the early surprises of the Big 12 football season. This game featured two of the Big 12’s hottest offenses against one another as Texas Tech (487.5) and Cincinnati (467.5) rank second and third in the Big 12 in total offense coming into Saturday’s match up.
And on Saturday night, there was plenty of scoring as Texas Tech held on for a 44-41 win over Cincinnati. The Bearcats had a 51-yard field goal attempt as time expired, but Nathan Hawks missed to seal the win for the Red Raiders.
Second Half Turnovers Hurt the Bearcats
Brendan Sorsby threw his first interception of the season at the worst time possible. The Bearcats were at midfield and trailed 34-27, trying to put together a drive to tie the game. Instead, Sorsby came under pressure on a delayed blitz from his left and threw it to his right where A.J. McCarty returned it to the house for a touchdown and a 41-27 lead.
This was preceded by another big mistake earlier in the second half. On the first drive of the third quarter, Evan Pryor fumbled and Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez recovered. Six plays and 38 yards later, Tahj Brooks rushed it in from two yards out to break the 24-24 tie.
That’s 14 points scored by Texas Tech off Cincinnati turnovers. That’ can’t happen for the Bearcats, especially on the road in conference play. You’re unlikely to overcome it, and that’s exactly what happened for Cincinnati on Saturday.
Feed Tahj Brooks
Tahj Brooks came into this game second in the Big 12 with 126 rushing yards per game. Well on Saturday night vs. Cincinnati, Brooks racked up 172 rushing yards on 32 carries, along with two touchdowns. Oh and he seemed to get stronger as the game went on. That or he just wore down the Bearcats run defense as the game went on. Maybe a little bit of both.
Either way, Brooks needs to continue to be the player this offense revolves around. He’s the biggest bell cow of a running back in the Big 12 Conference. Now, that doesn’t mean Texas Tech is going to become the Iowa Hawkeyes. But when you have a player of Brooks’ caliber, with his size, toughness and speed, it’d be foolish to not have your offense revolve around him as often as possible.
Texas Tech Gets It Done
It hasn’t always been pretty, but Texas Tech is 4-1 and 2-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2013. Also, Behren Morton became the first Texas Tech quarterback to start the first 5 games of a season since Nic Shimonek in 2017. Tell me that doesn’t feel like a lifetime ago?!
Texas Tech had the ugly loss at Washington State (although that game was without Tahj Brooks), and a near-miss vs. Abilene Christian, but still, the Red Raiders are 4-1 heading to Tucson next week, which is likely exactly where Red Raiders fans would have wanted them prior to the 2024 season kicking off.
There’s plenty of football left, but so far, it’s been a season of met expectations in Lubbock. But now, they have to take their show on the road.
