No. 13 Texas Tech bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 34-26 win over No. 22 Arizona on Saturday in Lubbock, keeping the Red Raiders firmly in the Big 12 Championship race.
Both teams entered the Top 25 showdown at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play, making it one of the biggest games of Week 9 in the conference. Our Arizona-Texas Tech preview highlighted the stakes entering Saturday, with the loser facing a difficult road back into the Big 12 Championship picture.
It wasn’t easy.
Arizona took a 17-10 lead into halftime behind quarterback Noah Fifita, who connected with Isaiah Mizell for a 94-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The Wildcats added a Kedrick Reescano touchdown before halftime and appeared poised to hand Texas Tech its second consecutive loss.
But the Red Raiders responded after the break.
Quarterback Thomas Castellanos, getting the start in place of Will Hammond, tied the game at 17 with an eight-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. Arizona answered with another Reescano touchdown, but the extra point was blocked, leaving the Wildcats ahead 23-17.
Texas Tech took advantage.
Castellanos found Kenny Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to give the Red Raiders a 24-23 lead, and Stone Harrington added a 42-yard field goal early in the fourth.
Then J’Koby Williams delivered the knockout punch.
With just over two minutes remaining, Williams broke loose for a 64-yard touchdown run to extend Texas Tech’s lead to 34-23 and essentially put the game away.
Williams was the difference for the Red Raiders, rushing for 186 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries. Castellanos added 117 rushing yards and a score as Texas Tech piled up 469 total yards. The Red Raiders dominated on the ground, outrushing Arizona 336-12.
Arizona moved the football effectively through the air, with Fifita completing 33 of 45 passes for 417 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Mizell finished with 182 receiving yards, but Arizona’s inability to run the football ultimately proved costly.
The Wildcats also suffered a potentially significant injury in the second half when wide receiver R.J. Mosley went down with a lower-body injury and had to be carted off the field. Mosley remained in Lubbock after the game to undergo X-rays, according to ESPN.
Arizona added a late field goal, but Texas Tech recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the victory.
The Red Raiders improve to 7-1 overall and remain in the thick of the Big 12 Championship race after avoiding a second straight loss.
Arizona falls to 6-2 after seeing its five-game winning streak come to an end.
For Texas Tech, it was exactly the response the Red Raiders needed after last week’s disappointing loss at Cincinnati.
