LUBBOCK — Â If you were to refer to the Texas Longhorns win over Texas Tech, in baseball terms, it would be a complete game.
The offense (426 total yards), the defense (held Tech to 36% 3rd-down efficiency), and special teams (blocked FG, 42-yard FG by Fera) all chipped in to defeat the Red Raiders, 31-22 in front of 60,879 record-attendance at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Texas (7-2, 4-2) signal-caller David Ash threw for 264 yards, and three touchdowns, while ‘Magic” Mike Davis had 165 yards receiving and two touchdowns, including the game-clincher with 9:14 left in the 4th quarter.
Red Raiders (6-3, 3-3) quarterback Seth Doege hit Bradley Stephens on a 10-yard screen play for a touchdown, late in the 3rd, narrowing the gap to 24-22. Â And a subsequent three-and-out by Texas gave Tech the ball and all the momentum.
But the Longhorns defense came through, thanks to a pass break-up on 3rd-down by sophomore middle-linebacker Steve Edmonds. That tipped ball would be monumental.
Texas would run five consecutive plays, mixing heavy doses of Johnathan Gray, sprinkled with Daje Johnson touches and Joe Bergeron plunges. Then Ash connected with Davis in the back of the endzone, for a 25-yard strike, and a 9-point cushion. Gray had his second consecutive 100-yard rushing performance, 106 yards on 20 carries.
Tech wouldn’t die. Doege drove the field for Tech, actually scoring a touchdown on a 2nd-and-goal. But an offensive-line holding call removed that, and Tech was forced to kick a field goal.
Then Carrington Byndom made a play. He blocked Tech’s Ryan Bustin’s 29-yard attempt, virtually sealing the victory for the Texas faithful. Bustin would kick field goals of -29, -41, and -33 yards, keeping Tech close all day.
It was the Texas defense bending, but not breaking that forced those field goals. Tech would chew up yards, 446 total, but it was the Horns defense playing great on 3rd-downs.
Texas’ Ash opened up the game on fire, hitting his first five passes, including a 6-yard touchdown toss to Jaxon Shipley off a wheel-route, and a 7-0 lead.
Tech would match that score when Kenny Williams punched it in from 1-yard out, and tying the Big 12 contest, 7-7. Williams tallied 18 rushes, 71 yards, and a touchdown.
Texas’ Joe Bergeron decided to join in, when he scored from a 2-yard jaunt, at the 3:27 mark left in the 1st quarter, giving Texas the 14-7 advantage. That play was setup by Ash hitting Davis on a 54-yard strike to the 2-yard line the previous play.
Play-action would be the method of another Ash-to-Davis symphonic play, when the sophomore from Belton hit the junior from Skyline for a 80-yard touchdown, and a 21-10 margin.
Anthony Fera would hit a season-high 42-yard field goal with 1:09 left in the 1st half, culminating a drive where Bryant Jackson and Shipley made big catches, and a huge Gray 3rd-down conversion out of the Wildcat formation. It made it 24-13 going into the intermission.
Tech came out for the 2nd half as the intimidator, taking advantage of vanilla play-calling from Texas c0-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin, and a renewed emphasis on throwing down-field by Tommy Tuberville. Â But they only managed nine 3rd quarter points. The Horns defense gets credit for that.
Doege finished 27-of-45, 344 yards, and one touchdown. It was a change for the Lubbock faithful. They are used to senior quarterbacks beating Texas at home. Think Kliff Kingsbury (2002) and Graham Harrell (2008). But none of that mattered today in Tortillaville.
Texas coach Mack Brown was unusually jolly after this Longhorns win. The pressure of victories is piling up on the 61-year old coach, and he’s admittingly enjoying these wins more and more. Cherishing them almost as if they might be his last. No time for that talk though, a home date with Iowa State looms next Saturday.
