No. 11 BYU falls 34-7 to No. 4 Texas Tech in Big 12 Title Game

ARLINGTON, Texas – Despite No. 11 BYU taking an early lead in the game with an opening-drive touchdown, No. 4 Texas Tech came storming back with 34 unanswered points to put the game out of reach and secure the Big 12 Championship victory.

The Cougars now move to 11-2 this season, with their only two losses coming against the Red Raiders. BYU now awaits its postseason matchup to be announced tomorrow.

After the defense held the Red Raiders from scoring on their opening drive, LJ Martin put the Cougars on the board first with a 10-yard touchdown run. The El Paso, Texas product surpassed 2,500 career rushing yards in the game, putting him at No. 9 in program history.

The BYU offense racked up 90 yards on offense on the first drive. The Cougars would only add 110 yards of offense the rest of the game.

Key turnovers swung momentum throughout the game. Texas Tech recovered two fumbles and picked off two passes in the second half, three of which came in the final quarter.

Tanner Wall led the Cougar defense with nine tackles and one forced fumble. Raider Damuni and Faletau Satuala weren’t far behind with eight and seven tackles, respectively. Satuala came up with two-straight stops on Texas Tech’s first drive to force an early punt.

Bear Bachmeier totaled 115 passing yards, with Parker Kingston leading the wide receiver room in receiving yards with 44. Chase Roberts and Martin recorded 32 and 31 receiving yards, respectively.

First Quarter

The Cougars won the toss and elected to receive the ball in the second half. BYU’s defense opened strong, forcing an incompletion on Texas Tech’s first snap before a false start pushed the Red Raiders into second-and-15. Quarterback Behren Morton hit Reggie Virgil for 15 yards to move the chains, and two carries from Cameron Dickey helped Texas Tech reach its own 48. Morton and Dickey combined for another first down to cross into Cougar territory, but the drive stalled there. As Bodie Schoonover pressured Morton, Keanu Tanuvasa tipped a pass to set up second-and-10. Satuala took over on the next two snaps, first by dropping J’Koby Williams for a three-yard loss. He broke up Morton’s next throw, nearly coming up with an interception, and Texas Tech punted with 11:54 left in the first quarter. It was just the fourth time this season the Red Raiders didn’t score on their opening drive of the game.

Martin and Bachmeier powered a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown drive. On second-and-eight, Bachmeier fired up the middle to Roberts for an 18-yard gain. Martin followed with seven yards, and after a one-yard loss, BYU faced third-and-four. Bachmeier kept it himself, picking up 10 yards and the first down. He later found Martin for a nine-yard pass, bringing up third-and-one at Texas Tech’s 45. Bachmeier got the first down, and two plays later added another nine-yard pass to Martin to get deeper in Red Raider territory. From the Texas Tech 33-yard line, Kingston aired it to Carsen Ryan, who caught the ball at the Red Raider 27 and took it to the 11-yard line. After Bachmeier gained one-yard on first down, Martin took the snap and dashed 10 yards into the end zone, and with Will Ferrin’s extra point, the Cougars went up 7-0 with 4:58 on the clock. With the BYU score, it was the first Texas Tech allowed points on an opening drive this season. It was just the third time this season that Texas Tech trailed in a game.

Jay Hill’s defense returned to the field and got two-straight stops to force a third-and-10. Morton went deep to Virgil for 30 yards, reaching Cougar territory in the process. After two short gains, Morton hit Virgil again for 17 yards to get the first down at the BYU 24-yard line. The Red Raiders got another first down before another false start penalty pushed them back. Led by Mory Bamba, Texas Tech was unable to move the chains again before first quarter time expired.

Second Quarter

The Red Raiders had to settle for a 23-yard field goal to open the second quarter, trimming some of the Cougar lead to 7-3.

Texas Tech’s defense next forced a three-and-out. A 44-yard Sam Vander Haar punt was returned six yards, putting the ball at the Red Raider 39. Dickey took three-straight carries, totaling 12 yards. Morton then passed to Dickey for seven yards, and on the next snap, Logan Lutui stopped Dickey short of the line of gain, bringing up third-and-one. Dickey rushed up the middle for seven yards on the play before Raider Damuni and Viliami Po’uha brought him down at the BYU 33. On the next play, Morton went deep to Coy Eakin, who caught it at the 1-yard line and got the ball over the pylon and into the end zone. With Stone Harrington’s extra point, the Red Raiders took the lead, 10-7, with 10:42 to go in the half.

After a touchback, Bachmeier completed to Kingston for a gain of eight. Martin added six yards to move the chains, but Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez came up with three consecutive stops to slow the Cougar rhythm and force the BYU punting crew to return to the field. The Cougars dialed up a fake punt, opting for a Vander Haar pass, but the attempt was incomplete, resulting in a BYU turnover on downs.

Starting from the Cougar 42, Lutui and Damuni combined to force a third-and-eight, but an offside penalty on BYU made it more manageable for the Red Raiders. Dickey rushed six yards on the snap to gain the first down. After an incomplete pass and a short carry, Jack Kelly sacked Morton for a loss of three yards, forcing the Texas Tech kicking unit to return to the field. Harrington’s 48-yard field goal attempt was no good, wide left, keeping the score 10-7 for the Red Raiders with 4:51 remaining.

Martin got a first down on three straight carries, but the Texas Tech defense would not allow the Cougars any further, forcing a third-and-10 at the two-minute timeout. The snap came early, sailing past Bachmeier and rolling 13 yards backwards before he was able to recover it. Vander Haar punted 37 yards, setting up Texas Tech at their own 33.

Morton hit Terrance Carter Jr. for four yards, and Williams added five yards to bring up a third-and-one. On the snap, Williams rushed two yards, where Tanner Wall forced a fumble at the BYU 44, but the fall bounced directly into Carter Jr.’s arms at the 35-yard line. Carter Jr. carried it ten more yards before Texas Tech called a timeout with 53 seconds left. After a short scramble from Morton, two incomplete passes brought up fourth-and-seven to bring out the kicking unit again. Harrington’s 40-yard kick was good, to advance the Red Raider lead to 13-7 with 21 seconds left.

Martin rushed for four yards before first half time would expire to send both teams to halftime.

Third Quarter

After a touchback, Bachmeier hit Roberts for a gain of six. Martin added four yards to get the first down. Bachmeier then picked up six yards on the ground, but his attempt to Moa fell incomplete to bring up third down. A false start penalty was called on the Cougars to push them back further with a third-and-nine. Bachmeier hit Kingston on a shallow cross for a gain of 21 and into Texas Tech territory. Martin caught a pass from Bachmeier behind the line of scrimmage, and defensive back Brice Pollock met him and brought him down, setting up second-and-16. Roberts caught an eight-yard pass on the next play, and then Martin moved the chains for BYU with an 11-yard carry. Two incompletions and a short gain set up Ferrin for a 46-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-nine. The kick went wide left, keeping the score 13-7 Red Raiders with 9:29 left in the third frame.

Lutui stopped Williams on the first play of the drive, but then the running back found 12 yards on the next play. Two short passes forced third-and-one from the BYU 49, but Williams continued his dominant drive with nine more yards to convert. A false start penalty was called on the Red Raiders, and an incomplete pass brought up second-and-15. Morton found Caleb Douglas for a pickup of 23 to the Cougar 22-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Carter Jr. found two yards and Virgil added six to set up fourth-and-two at BYU’s 14. On the play, Morton intended to hit Douglas, but the pass was incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs with just under five minutes to go.

Moa and Bachmeier combined for six yards to bring up third-and-four at the BYU 20-yard line. After a Cougar timeout, Bachmeier’s pass was intercepted by Ben Roberts and carried back to the BYU 11.

Dickey took the direct snap and rushed into the end zone to advance the Texas Tech lead. The Red Raiders went for two and got it to make it a two-touchdown lead and take a 21-7 lead.

Martin picked up four yards on two carries to bring up third-and-six. Texas Tech’s defense broke up Bachmeier’s pass to Jojo Phillips, forcing another three-and-out. Vander Haar’s punt put Texas Tech at its own 33.

After a 12-yard gain from Williams on the first play of the drive, Evan Johnson and Satuala stopped the running back for second-and-seven. Siale Esera stuffed Williams on the next play, and on third-and-seven, Morton tried to go deep to Douglas, but Johnson broke up his pass to force a Red Raider punt. Jack Burgess’ punt went 45 yards, and Kingston returned it seven yards to set up BYU’s offense at their own 14.

Bachmeier hit Kingston up the middle for a 13-yard gain before third quarter time would expire.

Fourth Quarter

Bachmeier tried to go deep to Roberts, where a pass interference penalty was called on Texas Tech, moving the Cougars up to their own 42. On the next snap, a fake handoff was immediately blown up by Red Raider Romello Height who recovered the fumble at the BYU 24.

Williams opened the drive with four yards, but Johnson took him down two yards back on the next play to bring up third-and-eight. Schoonover downed Morton for a loss of four, forcing Texas Tech to send out its field goal unit. From 44 yards, Harrington’s kick was good to advance the lead to 24-7 with 12:49 left.

On the Cougars’ first play of the next drive, Bachmeier tried to go deep to Phillips, but Ben Roberts picked off his pass again and returned it 11 yards.

Despite Texas Tech starting at the Cougar 31, BYU’s defense came up with three-straight stops. Miles Hall stopped Dickey for no gain, and then Schoonover brought him down for a loss of one. On third-and-11, Morton passed one yard to Dickey, but Kelly came up with the immediate stop to force a field goal. Harrington’s 49-yard kick was no good as it went wide left, keeping the score 24-7 with 10:36 remaining.

The Red Raider defense came up with three-straight stops to force fourth-and-four. The offense stayed out on the field, but Bachmeier’s pass was broken up, resulting in a turnover on downs at the BYU 37 with 9:02 on the clock.

Lutui stopped Williams on the first play of the next drive, but he then picked up eight yards to set up third-and-two. Dickey got one yard on the play and the offense stayed on the field for fourth down. Morton passed it to Eakin on the flat, who ran it 28 yards into the end zone to make the game 31-7 with the extra point.

Bachmeier hit Martin for 12 yards, but he fumbled after the completion and the ball was recovered by Texas Tech at the Cougars’ 37-yard line with 6:53 remaining.

After a five-yard rush from Williams, Morton tried to hit Virgil, but a pass interference penalty was enforced on the Cougars, setting up Texas Tech at the BYU 17. The Cougars’ defense forced a fourth-and-two to bring out Harrington again. His 28-yard kick was good, advancing the Red Raider lead to 34-7 with 4:40 left.

Martin opened BYU’s next drive with 13 yards up the middle, but on the next play, Bachmeier was sacked for a loss of seven. Martin got five yards on second down, but a pass intended for Cody Hagen was broken up, forcing Vander Haar’s punt team back out on the field. His punt went 42 yards, setting up the Red Raiders at their own 22.

Dickey totaled 12 yards on two carries before the two minute timeout. Texas Tech then kneeled it out three times to close the game 34-7.