Texas Tech defeated Kansas University’s football team, 30-17, Saturday night at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
The high-flying, nation-leading Red Raiders offense, which scored on their first possession of the game, was grounded most of the night by Kansas’ defense. But the Jayhawks struggling offense and untimely mistakes proved very costly in comeback bid.
“Hats off to our defense,” KU receiver Mark Simmons said.
Indeed the Jayhawks defense gave up only one touchdown in the final 30 minutes to a team that had been averaging 66.3 points per game.
“I was proud of the effort of our defense most of the night,” said Kansas coach Mark Mangino, whose team was trying to go 4-0 for the first time since 1997.
“As far as our offense, I didn’t think we were crisp at all in the pass game,” Mangino continued. “If it wasn’t a misfire, it was a drop. If it wasn’t a drop then it wasn’t a really run route. Those are correctable things, you know we will get those things corrected.”
Texas Tech’s kicker Alex Trlica completed the scoring when he added a career-long 46-yard field goal with 4:44 left in the game to give the Red Raiders their final margin.
Just when it looked like Kansas was on the comeback, Brian Luke threw his second interception of the game when Texas Tech’s Vincent Meeks slipped in front of KU’s Dexton Fields to give the ball back to the Red Raiders, who had just been shut down by the Jayhawks’ defense.
Moments earlier Kansas scored 10 points in a minute and half of action at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth to cut Texas Tech’s deficit to 27-17.
Scott Webb connected on a 27-yard field goal after KU’s Eric Butler recovered a fumble caused by Charles Gordon on Tech’s 37-yard line.
Kansas got on the scoreboard again. Brian Luke hit Mark Simmons in stride in the back of the end zone for a 17-yard strike with 1:13 left in the third to cut the Jayhawks deficit to 27-14.
Kansas marched 73 yards on seven plays with Mark Simmons and Jon Cornish both coming up with big plays.
Kansas tried its third different quarterback Saturday night, but Marcus Hereford couldn’t provide a spark on his first series. Hereford ran twice for four yards.
Texas Tech answered Kansas’ first score with another one of their own when Red Raider quarterback Cody Hodges scrambled in from five yards out with 10:20 left in the third to increase Tech’s lead to 27-7.
Red Raider Danny Amendola should have scored the previous play after a long gain, but tripped himself up with no one in front of him at the five.
Jon Cornish’s second effort was good enough to get Kansas on the scoreboard Saturday night.
The junior running back scored an 11-yard touchdown early in the third quarter after initially getting stopped by a huddle of Tech players near the line of scrimmage.
Kansas — which couldn’t get anything going on its first drive of the second half, despite a 19-yard run by Jon Cornish on KU’s first play — got the football back when Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges fumbled after trying to pump fake. Charleton Keith recoverd the fumble at the 23-yard line and ran down to the 11-yard line.
KU’s offense could never find any rhyth in the first half.
Even when the momentum seemed like was turning around for Kansas, the Jayhawks could never capitalize on their opportunities.
After back-to-back sacks by Brandon Perkins and Charleton Keith, Texas Tech faced a third-and-31 at their own 28. Seconds later T. Tech had first-and-10 at the KU 27, thanks to a 45-yard pass from Cody Hodges to Jarrett Hicks. Red Raider kicker Alex Trlica added a 39-yard field goal.
Minutes earlier an instant replay overturned a Kansas first down in Texas Tech territory, giving the Red Raiders the ball back with 1:55 left at their own 36-yard line. On fourth-and-two Kansas’ Brian Luke hit Mark Simmons for what the referees initially ruled a first down. However replay showed the Simmons clearly was short of the first down marker.
An even better example of KU’s woes came after Brian Luke tossed an interception, Kansas Rodney Fowler got the ball right back with a pick of his own. He took the ball into the end zone, but a penalty negated what would have been the Jayhawks first score.
Kansas came up empty on the ensuing possession, despite subbing in quarterback Adam Barmann for Brian Luke.
Kansas punter Kyle Tucker was brought in to attempt a 51-yard field goal, but his effort fell a couple feet short.
With 10:48 left in the second Texas Tech took a 17-0 lead when Red Raider John Saldi recoverd a Brian Luke fumble in the end zone.
The Jayhawks drive never even got started because KU started from its own 20 with a delay of game penalty. Then came a false start, followed by a bad pitch by Brian Luke that never got to running back Clark Green. A gang of Tech players were in the area, but Saldi came up with the loose ball in the end zone.
Texas Tech kicked Alex Trlica booted a career-best 41-yard field goal to increase Texas Tech’s lead to 10-0 Saturday night. The Red Raiders went 43 yards on eight plays.
Kansas, which was penalized on a questionable late hit out of bounds, probably got lucky that Tech running back Taurean Henderson tripped himself up at the 18-yard line on what might have been a touchdown run as he had nothing but field in front of him.
Nick Reid came up with a saving tackle on third-and-one when he drove Tech running back Danny Amendola back six yards.
Kansas went three-and-out on its third drive. Jayhawk Charles Gordon was lucky to be alive after getting absolutely nailed on a punt return. Gordon fumbled the football, but the Jayhawks recovered.
Kansas’ second drive ended just like its first — with another punt.
Texas Tech’s Keyunta Dawson and Ken Scott sacked KU quarterback Brian Luke for a seven-yard loss. The Red Raiders nearly came up with another sack on third down. Earlier in the drive the Jayhawks picked up their second first down when Brian Luke pitched to Jon Cornish on an option run.
Kansas defense came up big on Texas Tech’s second possession, especially on third down when KU’s Jerome Kemp sacked Tech quarterback Cody Hodges. Hodges actually fumbled the football but a Tech player fell on the loose ball.
Kansas was forced to punt on its first possession. The Jayhawks picked up one first down, but a 15-yard penalty killed the drive. KU was actually lucky that a Brian Luke fumble was recovered by a Jayhawk.
It certainly didn’t take long for Texas Tech’s high-powered offense to find the end zone, Saturday night at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
Three minutes and 48 seconds to be exact.
Red Raider quarterback Cody Hodges engineered a 12-play, 80 yard drive and connected with Jarrett Hicks for a four-yard touchdown pass.
Hick’s short touchdown gave him 22 scores for his career, which ties him for Tech’s all-time mark.
Kansas won the coin flip and elected to defer until the second half. Temperature at game time was 92-degrees with a 9 mph wind blowing from the southwest and 18-percent humidity
KU is trying for its first 4-0 start since the 1997 season tonight when it takes on Texas Tech at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
But much like the undefeated Jayhawks, the Red Raiders are also 3-0, having won all three contests in impressive fashion.
No. 16 Tech, which is off to its best start since 2000, leads the nation in passing, scoring offense, and total offense. The Red Raiders opened the season with a 56-3 win over Florida International before pasting I-AA opponents, Sam Houston State (80-21) and Indiana State (63-7).
Tech quarterback Cody Hodges has quickly adjusted to his new staring role as Tech’s newest passing star.
The senior has completed 80-of-106 passes for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Tech running back Taurean Henderson is the nation’s leader in scoring with 16.0 points per game, having already scored seven touchdowns this season.
In last year’s meeting Kansas took a 30-11 halftime lead, but a Henderson run in the final minutes led to Tech’s 31-30 victory.
But the last time the Jayhawks traveled to Lubbock, Kansas pulled out a 34-31 double overtime victory.
Kansas, which is a perfect 14-of-14 on red zone opportunities this season, has not allowed a rushing touchdown in its last four games.
Over that same time span, which dates back to last year’s Missouri game, KU has given up just 55 total points — an average of 13.8 points per game.
A new kicker led to the same result for Kansas University’s football team against Texas Tech on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Freshman kicker Scott Webb missed two long field goals in the fourth quarter and the Jayhawks lost, 31-30, to the Red Raiders – the biggest come-from-behind victory ever by a KU opponent and the biggest come-from-behind victory ever by Texas Tech.
Webb took over field-goal duties this week from senior Johnny Beck, who missed two field goals last week in a 20-17 loss to Northwestern.
KU (2-2) led 30-5 in the first half, holding Texas Tech to just an early safety and a 34-yard field goal by Alex Trlica late in the first quarter.
After the safety, the Jayhawks scored 14 straight points behind a 36-yard screen pass from Adam Barmann to John Randle and a one-yard run by Randle. Barmann’s pass to Randle came just one play after a Rodney Harris interception, one of three first-half picks by the Jayhawks.
KU’s third score came after a fumbled punt return by Damon Amendola when Webb kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 17-5 lead.
The Jayhawks extended their lead to 24-5 on a 20-yard scoring pass from Charles Gordon to Brandon Rideau. Gordon took a pitch on what appeared to be an end around and threw to a wide-open Rideau in the end zone.
Sonny Cumbie’s third interception of the half came just three plays later when Charlton Keith tipped a pass and Tony Stubbs picked it off.
Four plays later, Gordon was on the other end of a KU touchdown, grabbing a 26-yard scoring pass from Barmann. The Jayhawks, appearing to want to lead by 16 points, tried a two-point conversion but failed.
With Gordon on the sidelines after playing offense, Texas Tech picked on his replacement, Ronnie Amadi. After a seven-yard pass to Haverty, Amadi was burned for a 42-yard pass to Nehemiah Glover and a 32-yard touchdown pass to Haverty. The Red Raiders’ two-point attempt failed, and Kansas ran out the clock.
Texas Tech (3-1) closed to within six points in the third quarter, scoring on a one-yard run by Taurean Henderson and a 27-yard pass from Cumbie to Jarrett Hicks. The Red Raiders gained 143 yards in the period.
The Jayhawks gained 94 yards in the third quarter, but couldn’t get the ball in the end zone.
KU picked off Cumbie once more in the fourth quarter when Gabriel Toomey grabbed a pass intended for Henderson, but the Jayhawks couldn’t take advantage.
After Hicks’ touchdown reception on Texas Tech’s next possession, Webb missed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right.
Three consecutive punts gave KU the ball, but the Jayhawks could muster just one first down before Webb missed a 42-yard field-goal attempt off the left upright.
Texas Tech scored the game-winning touchdown three plays later on a 70-yard draw up the middle by Henderson on third-and-six, giving the Red Raiders their first lead since a 2-0 margin early in the fourth quarter.
John Randle returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to KU’s 44-yard line, but Barmann was picked off by Jabari Smith two plays later. KU forced another Texas Tech punt, but Barmann was again intercepted on a desperation throw as time expired.
KU gained just 336 yards on 82 plays, including 86 rushing yards on 35 carries. Texas Tech put up 538 yards of total offense, including 356 through the air.
Barmann finished 22-of-46 passing for 224 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He gained five yards on six carries.
John Randle rushed 16 times for 50 yards, and Austine Nwabuisi had five carries for 24 yards.
Rideau caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown, and Randle had six receptions for 59 yards.
Cumbie was 28-of-52 passing for 356 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He rushed four times for 12 yards.
Henderson gained 169 yards on 17 carries, and caught four passes for 11 yards.
Trey Haverty caught eight passes for 143 yards, and Hicks had eight catches for 131 yards.
NOTES
¢ Cesar Rodriguez started at right tackle for KU instead of Travis Dambach. Rodriguez replaced Dambach in the second half last week against Northwestern.
All stats are unofficial.
