Texas Tech Red Raiders Hand No. 7 BYU First Loss Of Season
In front of a rowdy Lubbock crowd that had been camping out all week, the No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders didn’t just beat the No. 7 BYU Cougars; they made a statement. The final score of 29-7 wasn’t just a win; it was a declaration that the road to the Big 12 Championship now runs through West Texas.
With ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town for the first time since 2008, the atmosphere was electric. You could feel it in the air—this wasn’t just another Saturday. This was for all the marbles, and Texas Tech played like it.
The Red Raiders’ Defensive Masterclass
Let’s talk about that Texas Tech defense. Good grief. They came out and put on an absolute clinic. BYU’s offense, which had been humming along all season, looked completely bewildered. Freshman Quarterback Bear Bachmeier, who had looked like a seasoned vet until now, suddenly looked like a freshman. He was seeing ghosts all afternoon, thanks to a relentless Red Raider pass rush and a secondary that was tighter than a new pair of cleats.
The stats tell the story, but they don’t capture the sheer dominance. BYU’s first eight drives were a comedy of errors: six punts, a missed field goal from a mile out, and an interception by the human highlight reel himself, Jacob Rodriguez.
Before their garbage-time touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the Cougars had scraped together a measly 137 yards. Rodriguez was everywhere, racking up 14 tackles, that crucial pick, and a fumble recovery for good measure. If he’s not on your Heisman watchlist, you’re not paying attention.
An Offense That Did Just Enough
While the defense was pitching a near-shutout, the Texas Tech offense was a bit of a mixed bag. Quarterback Behren Morton, still shaking off the rust from a leg injury, made some beautiful throws but also held onto the ball longer than a kid in a candy store. He got sacked four times in the first half, sometimes looking like he was trying to run back to the locker room.
But when it counted, he delivered. His first-quarter touchdown pass to Caleb Douglas was a thing of beauty, a perfectly placed ball in the corner of the endzone that set the tone. After that, the offense seemed content to let Kicker Stone Harrington do the heavy lifting. And lift he did. Harrington was automatic, drilling five field goals, including a long of 47 yards. In a game where every point felt like a haymaker, he was the unsung MVP.
The only real head-scratcher was a failed fourth-down attempt at the goal line right before halftime. Instead of taking the easy points, Texas Tech went for the touchdown and came up empty. It felt like a decision that could come back to haunt them, but let’s be honest, the defense wasn’t about to let that happen.
With this dominant win, Texas Tech is now in the driver’s seat. They control their own destiny for a spot in the Big 12 title game and a shot at the College Football Playoff. The rest of the conference has been put on notice: The Red Raiders are for real.
