Texas Tech totaled 594 yards, while the West Virginia offense was nowhere to be found as the Red Raiders routed the Mountaineers 48-10.
It took just 1:37 for the Red Raiders to score their first touchdown of the day on a 19-yard rush from Tahj Brooks. West Virginia would give the ball back to the Red Raiders three plays later, and Brooks would score another touchdown to put Texas Tech ahead 14-0 with 8:35 to play in the first quarter.
The potent Texas Tech (4-3, 2-2 Big 12) offense combined with a struggling West Virginia (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) offense would be the difference on Saturday afternoon in Lubbock, Texas.
Tech quarterback Behren Morton passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns, while the Red Raiders rushed for a combined 239 yards.
West Virginia’s offense struggled to get going, scoring just three points in the first half. Quarterback JT Daniels threw a career-high three interceptions, while the Mountaineers lost running backs Tony Mathis and Justin Johnson Jr. to injury.
West Virginia would score with 45 seconds to play in the first quarter with Casey Legg making a 38-yard field goal. That would be all the Mountaineers could find though, as Daniels would be sacked on a fourth down, and would then throw an interception to end the half.
Daniels would again find the Tech defense, as three plays into the second half Daniels threw a jump ball to Bryce Ford-Wheaton who would have the ball ripped out from his hands. Two plays after the interception, Texas Tech’s Xavier White raced to a 55-yard touchdown putting the Red Raiders ahead 24-3.
West Virginia would turn the ball over four times, with Texas Tech scoring 17 points off turnovers. Tech’s offense led by Morton, ran 103 total plays, and the Red Raiders converted six of seven fourth downs.
Trailing 24-3, West Virginia would be forced to punt after running just six plays. Texas Tech would then go on a 91-yard touchdown drive capped off by Morton finding Loic Fouonji for a 12-yard score, leading 31-3.
The Mountaineers would score their lone touchdown of the day with Ford-Wheaton catching a 28-yard touchdown pass, to cut the deficit to 31-10. The Mountaineer defense would get a stop, but CJ Donaldson would fumble the ball before Tech scored another touchdown.
Daniels passed for 194 yards, three interceptions and one touchdown, before being pulled for Garrett Greene with just under 12 minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Donaldson rushed for 33 yards on 12 carries after suffering a concussion on Oct. 1 against Texas.
Tech’s White caught eight passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, and Brooks rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.
Photo by Dale Sparks, All Pro Photography
