Texas Tech Stays In the Hunt

On a Saturday where a couple of top teams started slow (Indiana, Texas A&M) and flirted with disaster, Joey McGuire’s team took the field for Senior Day looking to send a message. It was clear this team wasn’t lacking focus from the opening drive against an overmatched UCF team. The blowout win over the Knights by the score of 48-9 puts the Red Raiders one more victory away from playing for the Big 12 title.

First Half Was Almost Perfect

An opening four-play, 75-yard touchdown drive was finished with a 12-yard touchdown run by Cameron Dickey. UCF’s ensuing offensive drive netted one yard. With the punt off of Anthony Venneri’s foot, the game was over. Texas Tech would score on six of its eight drives in the first half, with five of those scores being touchdowns. Quarterback Behren Morton had a very efficient day. He would leave the game before the first half ended, going 14-for-20 passing for 149 yards and one touchdown.

Meanwhile, third-string quarterback Mitch Griffis came in, and the offense didn’t skip a beat. He would finish the day with 145 passing yards on 13 completions. But the offensive standout in this blowout win was wide receiver Reggie Virgil. He finished the day with three total touchdowns, two of which were on the ground. He also added five receptions for 72 yards.

Meanwhile, Shiel Wood’s defense continued to prove why it is the best in college football. UCF only had 58 total yards in the first half. Heisman candidate Jacob Rodriguez finished the game with nine tackles, a pass deflection, an interception, and one unique stat. Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich lined Rodriguez up as the Wildcat quarterback on the second drive of the game to add a rushing touchdown to his resume. This Red Raider defense would finish the day with eight tackles for loss, four sacks, and limited UCF to 230 total yards of offense. Many of those yards came in garbage time in the fourth quarter.

Health Is Paramount

Coming into this one, Texas Tech knew the biggest opponent was itself. The message was received, and the Red Raiders earned a mighty advantage for the end of the season. The biggest benefit was being able to get out of this game with most of the starters healthy. Morton, being a healthy pull in the first half, was the biggest victory for the Red Raiders. However, late in the first half, J’Koby Williams hurt his leg at the end of the first half. He was able to walk off the field on his own power and then jogged across the field. He would also jog back to the locker room with the team at halftime. While he did not play in the second half, it did not appear to be anything serious.

An Uneventful And Blowout Win; What’s Next?

With the blowout win, Texas Tech registered a 10th regular-season win for only the fifth time in the history of the program. The most recent occasion was during the historic 2008 season. Since losing to Arizona State, Texas Tech has won its last four games by a combined score of 162-36. All ten of their victories have been by at least 22 points. There is only one test remaining before they earn the right to play for the program’s first-ever Big 12 championship. Before the season, the timing of their second bye week seemed oddly placed. But with the lingering health issues, specifically with Morton, this bye week gives this team a chance to get some much-needed rest. It will also allow this team to spend two full weeks preparing for a tricky road test at West Virginia to close out the regular season.