Late-night chaos defined the matchup between West Virginia and Texas Tech, ending in a 53-48 loss for the Mountaineers after the team failed to secure enough plays in the final eight minutes.
Weird things happen late at night, and that is exactly how this one played out between these two programs.
Explosive plays were happening at a rate that’s even abnormal for the old Big 12. Just minutes into the second quarter, the two teams combined for over 600 yards of total offense, creating a ping-pong effect of back-and-forth quick scores.
That early-game frenzy mirrored the 70-63 game against Baylor fourteen years ago. In the first 30 minutes alone, the two squads racked up 892 yards of offense, marking the highest total in a Big 12 game since 2004.
His second rushing touchdown of the night broke Pat White’s single-season record for the most rushing scores by a West Virginia quarterback. Talk about being in elite company.
Rich Rod told the ESPN sideline reporter that the first-half performance was embarrassing,
pointing to blown coverages and poor tackling angles that led to several explosives on the ground. Guys were running wide open all over the place during the opening half.
Zac Alley’s crew managed to string together four consecutive stops to begin the second half before surrendering a field goal and a touchdown. Just about every 50/50 ball went to Texas Tech, as the secondary failed to make a play on the ball all night.
The Mountaineers missed critical execution chances down the stretch, getting stuffed on a 3rd-and-short run up the middle while holding a lead. Later, facing a 4th down while trailing, Nick Krahe got blown up, forcing Hawkins to escape pressure without giving a receiver a chance to make a play.
Following a turnover on downs in the red zone, Kevin Brown got beat off the edge, leading to a safety that sealed the final 53-48 margin.
TellingPointy Editorial Board — The TellingPointy Editorial Board maintains publication-wide standards for accuracy, sourcing, corrections, independence, and responsible newsroom practice.
