Red Raiders Lead Jayhawks 27-21 at Half in Offensive Battle
The Texas Tech Red Raiders host the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday night with the football team needing two more wins this season for bowl eligibility. After two quarters, the Red Raiders hold a six-point edge at 27-21.
Quarterback Tyler Shough got the start as Behren Morton is still rehabbing an injury, and it didn't take long for Shough to get into a rhythm with his feet and arm.
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Shough led the Red Raiders on a touchdown drive in the very first drive of the game.
Completing all four of his passes on the opening drive for 43 yards, and running for another 14, Shough led the Red Raiders on a 75-yard drive in eight plays as backup quarterback Donovan Smith ran for the final six to put Tech up 7-0 early.
However, the lead didn't last long, as Kansas took its initial drive 75 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown pass from Jason Bean to Jared Casey on 4th and 1 from the KU 34.
The Tech defense got fooled by the play action as the safeties and linebackers all bit while Casey ran past everyone down the left sideline uncovered. Bean hit him in stride for the score.
Tech cashed in on a Trey Wolff 33-yard field goal before Kansas' Jacob Borcila missed from 41.
Just before the quarter break Tech running back SaRodorick Thompson rattled off a 36-yard touchdown run to extend the Tech lead to 17-7.
Texas Tech registered 206 yards of total offense in the first quarter to go along with 10 first downs.
Shough and the Red Raiders found the end zone again midway through the third with a one-yard touchdown pass from Shough to tight end Mason Tharp that extended the Tech lead to 24-7.
Bean and the Kansas offense found legs with a 16-yard scramble for a touchdown to narrow the score to 24-14 with 5:44 left to play. The Jayhawks' offense has caught up to the Tech squad in terms of total yards with the Red Raiders' edge down to 267-255 near the end of the first half.
The Tech defense appeared to get tired near the end of the first half as tackling became an issue. That was not more apparent than on a 63-yard run by Jayhawks' Devin Neal that moved the ball to the Red Raiders' five yard line. Several defensive players had a shot at Neal but missed tackles cost Tech.
That led to a Jayhawks score on a three yard pass from Bean to Luke Grimm, trimming the lead further to 24-21.
Just before halftime, Tech appeared to find its footing again with an extended drive of 38 yards to the Kansas 41, but a failed 4th and 1 attempt turned the ball over to the Jayhawks with just 56 seconds left in the second quarter.
A Kosi Eldridge interception of Bean ended the Kansas threat before halftime. Then, a deep pass from Shough to Trey Cleveland for 35 yards put the Red Raiders in place for a 41-yard field goal attempt with three seconds left and Wolff matched a career-long nailing the kick.
The Jayhawks will have the ball first to start the second half.
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