All of the Texas Tech alumni who made the trek back to Lubbock were not disappointed. Simply put, this Red Raider team played their most completed game against a Power five opponent to date. The offense, led by Behren Morton, played with tempo and precision. Defensively, they hounded West Virginia quarterback JT Daniels all day. When the dust finally settled as the West Texas sun set behind the stadium, the Red Raiders have to feel good with the start to their second half of the season. Texas Tech takes down West Virginia by a score of 48-10.
Take Three University Is Officially Open
On Saturday, October 22nd, 2022, Chancellor/President/Head Coach Joey McGuire admitted the first students to this prestigious institution. And while from Texas Tech, anything is possible, at Take Three University, the Red Raiders have a 93% chance of winning football games when they are +3 in the turnover margin. The doors flew open as Malik Dunlap, Rayshad Williams, Tyrique Matthews, and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson spearhead the four turnovers forced by the Red Raider defense. The Mountaineers were not able to establish a rhythm during this game. It certainly helped that the Texas Tech offense did a great job of putting the Mountaineer offense behind the eight-ball before the 12-minute mark of the first quarter.
The Offense Was Humming All Game
Morton and the offense came out firing on all cylinders as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead before any fans really settled in the stadium. The offense only sputtered when it got in its own way. West Virginia never really did anything to throw this offense out of sync for more than one play. Morton finished the game by going 28-for-45 passing, 325 yards, and two touchdowns. And while Morton might very well be playing his way into never giving up this starting quarterback job, what really popped today was the rushing attack. The Red Raiders finished the game with 239 yards on 54 attempts. Tahj Brooks headlined the running back group with 17 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
The big play (plays greater than 15 yards) have seemed to elude Texas Tech for much of the year. But not against West Virignia. In total, Texas Tech had eight big plays, four of which went for 20 or more yards. The biggest play of the day was a 55-yard touchdown pass from Morton to Xavier White. White continues to ascend as the top wideout option as he finished the game with eight receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown. It is his third consecutive game with at least eight receptions and his second of the last three in which he went over 100 yards receiving.
Texas Tech Takes Down West Virginia…What’s Next
Texas Tech is now in the thick of the Big 12 race with five games remaining. The home crowd gets to turn right back around and come back in one week for a prime-time kickoff. Baylor, who held off a late charge by Kanas, will arrive in Lubbock in what serves as a de facto elimination game. The loser between the Bears and Red Raiders will unofficially be eliminated from competing for the Big 12 championship. It’s almost impossible to come up with a scenario where any team with three losses in conference play can get into the top two spots with only four games remaining. Expect a thrilling game under the lights in the Jones next week.
