Miracle at Mountain America Falls Short as Texas Tech Falters on the Road

How did the No. 7 Texas Tech Red Raiders fall short on the road against the Arizona State Sun Devils?

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After never trailing through six games, the tables turned on the No. 7 Texas Tech Red Raiders. They held a lead for just five minutes and 40 seconds, though they never held onto their lead long.

Wide receiver Coy Eakin caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Will Hammond with 5:57 left in the second quarter. The Arizona State Sun Devils marched down the field on a 10-play drive and took back the lead in just over four minutes.

The Red Raiders did not find themselves ahead again until there were two minutes left in the fourth quarter — and again, the Sun Devils marched down the field in 10 plays, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 34 seconds on the clock.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Through the first half of their season, the Red Raiders looked like an unstoppable force, winning every game by at least 24 points and stampeding into a 6-0 record (3-0 in Big 12 competition). At Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., though, it all fell apart, and Texas Tech succumbed to a 26-22 loss on the road.

While the Red Raiders made an admirable attempt to come back and win, climbing from a 19-7 deficit with less than four minutes to go, a near comeback counts for nothing more than morale. Tech was held to a season-low scoring output on offense, conceded a season-high total on defense, and fell to 6-1 (3-1) in the process.

With starting quarterback Behren Morton out, the offense fell flat, particularly in the first half. Texas Tech had four drives in the first quarter, with none consisting of more than four plays. The offense gained 44 yards on 13 plays and punted four times.

In the first half, the Red Raiders had seven possessions: five punts, one turnover on downs, and one touchdown.

Will Hammond with a DART to Coy Eakin for the TD 😱🎯

What a pass and what a catch for the @TexasTechFB touchdown pic.twitter.com/qw9K0enbQF

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025

Morton, a fifth-year senior, has experience under center and can spread the defense out with his threat as a passer. While Hammond has performed admirably in his place all season, including a fourth-quarter comeback against Utah, his inexperience was evident against Arizona State, especially in his first matchup as the designated starter, as the defense had an opportunity to game plan for him.

The timing was consistently off for Hammond and his receivers, hitting his targets too late across the middle of the field and disregarding his checkdowns on multiple occasions. With Arizona State stacking the box and selling out for Texas Tech's running game, the Sun Devils placed the onus of the offense on Hammond's arm.

Cameron Dickey, J'Koby Williams, and Hammond struggled to find any running lanes, as Tech was held to a season-low 109 rushing yards on just over four yards per carry. It wasn't until late in the fourth quarter that the Red Raiders were able to move the ball with any consistency.

With the game on the line, Hammond came through again for Texas Tech. He completed nine of his 11 passes, taking advantage of what the defense gave him as the Sun Devils tried to hold onto their lead. He ran a touchdown in himself and threw a critical touchdown to Reggie Virgil right as the two-minute warning hit, taking a 22-19 lead with a two-point conversion.

TEXAS TECH HAS TAKEN THE LEAD

With 2 minutes left to play, @TexasTechFB has taken the lead pic.twitter.com/tIS7YFBJg7

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025

However, the defense fell apart on the final drive. Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, who was coming off an injury, handled business and put running back Raleek Brown in position for the game-winning touchdown.

Statistically speaking, the Red Raiders' defense did nearly everything it could. The Sun Devils were held to 2.1 yards per rush attempt, and Leavitt was sacked four times. However, he was clearly not hampered by his injury, as he consistently shed off sacks and first contact to deliver passes downfield en route to a 319-yard day through the air.

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire called Leavitt a "Sunday" player, and he proved why. He clutched big gains out of big losses and held strong to brace big hits in the process. He had six throws of 19 or more yards, including a pair that went for over 45 to Jaren Hamilton.

Jaren Hamilton with a BIG TIME CATCH 🔱@ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/r1AzWYpKX9

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 18, 2025

While the Red Raiders managed the comeback that never was, it was all too little too late. Leavitt's late-game heroics, paired with the Sun Devils' methodical second half, narrowly kept the Red Raiders out of range of victory.

Arizona State had six drives in the second half, but none were more devastating than their 16-play, 69-yard trudge downfield that gave them a 19-7 lead with a field goal. They opened the possession with 7:34 remaining in the third quarter and ended it with 14:14 left in the fourth quarter — an eight-minute, 20-second drive.

Like an anaconda securing its prey, this helped the Sun Devils choke out a win, leading the second-half time-of-possession battle 21:09 to 8:51.

Next on the Red Raiders' schedule is an Oklahoma State squad that has been reeling all season, opening the year with a 1-5 record. It is the perfect chance to get right and get healthy before traveling to Kansas State on Nov. 1 and welcoming a promising No. 15 BYU Cougars team to Lubbock, Texas, on Nov. 8.

Remaining Schedule
October 25 Oklahoma State
November 1 @Kansas
November 8 BYU
November 15 UCF
November 22 Open Date
November 29 @West Virginia

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