Texas Tech Offense Sputters in Loss to Texas Longhorns [PICS]

The Texas Longhorns (4-5, 3-3) scored 24 unanswered points over the course of the final 32 minutes to beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-6, 1-5) 34-13 at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Texas scored the first points of the game, a 46 yard Nick Rose field goal, with 11:31 left in the first quarter.

Texas Tech's first points came from the defensive side of the ball late in the first quarter.

Defensive lineman Jackson Richards, grabbed Longhorn quarterback Tyrone Swoopes by the Longhorns' 10 yard line. Swoopes dropped the ball as he was trying to evade Richards.  Branden Jackson rushed to the action and picked up the ball at the six yard line and tumbled into the end zone for a touchdown. Ryan Bustin's extra point went wide right and the Red Raiders went up 6-3.

The teams exchanged punts and missed field goals as the game crossed into the second quarter.

With 10:22 left to go in the first half, Texas Tech started another drive at their own 11 yard line after a Longhorn punt.

Three plays later, Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes was knocked out of the game after taking a vicious, but legal, hit from Longhorn cornerback Quandre Diggs. Mahomes lost the ball as he was trying to find space and the ball was recovered by Shiro Davis.

The Longhorns were in business at the Red Raider 25 yard line with 9:21 to go in the second quarter.

On the first play of the drive, Malcolm Brown rushed for 10 yards to the Texas Tech 15 yard line.  Four plays later, Brown found the end zone on a three yard run. The Longhorns went up 10-6 after the extra point.

Texas Tech responded by taking back the lead with a 9-play 75 yard drive, capped off by a Kenny Williams six yard rushing touchdown. The Red Raiders were up 13-10 with 3:34 left in the second quarter.

The drive was the debut for freshman walk-on quarterback Vincent Testaverde. Testaverde's first pass attempt was a 37-yard completion to DeAndre Washington. He completed two more passes during the drive to help keep the offense moving.

After Texas Tech went up 13-10, the Longhorns responded with another scoring drive that ended up giving them the lead for good.  Running back Johnathan Gray rushed for a 17 yard touchdown in the closing minutes of the first half that gave Texas a 17-13 lead.

Texas Tech's first three offensive drives ended in punts and they ended up punting on five of their nine first half drives.

The second half fared about the same for the Red Raider offense.  Their first drive of the second half came after Rose connected on another field goal for the Longhorns, to put them up 20-13.

Testaverde got the Red Raiders inside the Texas 40 yard line, but the drive ended on a turnover on downs after a 4th and 2 was unable to be converted. That was the final time Texas Tech threatened the Longhorns lead during the game.

Brown and Gray were both workhorses for the Longhorns in their win. Brown rushed for 116 yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns and Gray scored one touchdown with 76 rushing yards.

Before getting knocked out the game, Mahomes went 13/21 passing for 109 yards for Texas Tech. Testaverde in relief went 15/26 passing for 116 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

DeAndre Washington almost rushed for 100 yards in the loss, ending up with 97 yards on 16 carries.

Texas Tech has next week off before playing their home finale against Oklahoma on November 15.

Game Notes:

• Texas Tech wore their Lone Star Pride uniforms
• Pete Robertson now has nine sacks this season and has a recorded a sack in six consecutive games
• Michah Awe recorded a career-high 12 tackles