RECAP: TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS vs OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Defense wins championships! That is a declaration that has been carved into our memories for years. Although this may be true, every week the Big 12 looks to challenge that very statement. However, on Saturday night in Lubbock, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Tech Red Raiders competed in a true defense optional game. Oklahoma outlasted Texas Tech 66-59 in a contest that broke multiple NCAA records.
In a game where defensive stops were at a premium, the Sooners were able to force two Red Raiders turnovers. As a result, those turnovers were the difference in the victory.
Baker Mayfield warned his team that they were going to be in a shootout. “I told some of the guys at halftime, ‘If you’re scared and you don’t want to score every drive, then stay in here,” the Sooners quarterback said.
JOE MIXON HAS A CAREER GAME
Joe Mixon knew he would need to carry the load with Samaje Perine shelved with a muscle pull. Mixon ran for 263 yards and two scores. Additionally, he also caught four balls for 114 yards with three more touchdowns. “I thought Joe Mixon just had a game for the ages,” Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. “Just incredible.”
MAYFIELD AND WESTBROOK CONTINUE TO STAY HOT
Dede Westbrook has been one of the hottest receivers in College Football since recovering from a hamstring injury early in the season. Over the last four games, Westbrook has had 35 catches for 776 yards and 10 Touchdowns. This includes nine grabs for 202 yards and two scores on Saturday. “He’s phenomenal,” Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “He’s just better than anybody we had on the field.”
Also, Baker Mayfield has returned to the Heisman caliber form of 2015. Over that same span of games, Mayfield has thrown for over 1500 yards while heaving 16 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Incredibly, Mayfield has completed 76% of his passes during this four game winning streak.
SECOND HALF HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
Oklahoma and Texas Tech punched back at each other all night like you would see in a boxing match. Both teams scored five touchdowns with neither team providing much opposition. Baker Mayfield threw four of his career high seven touchdown passes in the second half. Additionally, Joe Mixon added another score from the ground. Long scoring plays were the theme as the Sooners scored from 43, 42, 34, 23 and 14 yards.
Led by Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech continued the theme of chunk plays as well. Mahomes accounted for all five scores for the Red Raiders. He threw for four scores while running in another one. Not surprisingly, possession of the ball had an opportunity to change hands, however Texas Tech was unable to get off the field on a third down play.
RECORD BOOKS GET SHATTERED
Saturday night’s Abacus Game of the Week between Oklahoma and Texas Tech required whatever mathematic device was available — calculator, fingers, toes, whatever — to keep pace with the Sooners’ 66-59 triumph. Just a sampling of the records that fell was as follows:
Most combined yards in an in NCAA game at any level — 1,708. Incredibly, both teams each finished with 854 yards.
Oklahoma and Texas Tech combined passing yards in an NCAA game — 1,279.
Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes accounted for the most total yards in NCAA history with 819.
Mahomes and Mayfield combined for 1,383 yards through the air.
Both teams combined for 75 first downs.
Oklahoma averaged a school-record 11.2 yards per play.
UP NEXT
The Sooners begin the light portion of its schedule this week. The Kansas Jayhawks travel to Norman to take on the Sooners this weekend. After that, Oklahoma will travel to Ames, Iowa on a short week to take on the Cyclones.
