Final Wrap: TCU 33, Texas Tech 31

TEXAS TECH POSTGAME NOTES

GETTING STARTED

• Weather at Kickoff: 52 degrees, partly cloudy, wind SSW at 9 mph
• Today’s game was televised nationally on ESPN2.
• Today’s game marked the 62nd all-time meeting between Texas Tech and TCU.
• Texas Tech won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Tech is 7-3 in the pregame coin flip this year.
• Texas Tech wore its black/black/white combination for the first time this season. The Red Raiders move to 4-4 since 2009 when wearing this combination.
• Today’s game captains were Terence Steele (OL), Travis Bruffy (OL), Adrian Frye (DB) and Xavier Benson (LB).
• Today’s attendance: 50,459
• Junior wide receiver T.J. Vasher did not suit up for the second straight week.
• Senior linebacker Jordyn Brooks exited the game in the first quarter.

Starters – (Offense) – (LT) Travis Bruffy, (LG) Madison Akomnonu, (C) Dawson Deaton, (RG) Weston Wright (RT) Terence Steele, (QB) Jett Duffey, (RB) SaRodorick Thompson, (WR) Erik Ezukanma (TE) Donta Thompson, (WR) RJ Turner, (WR) Dalton Rigdon; (Defense) – (DE) Eli Howard, (T) Broderick Washington, Jr., (N) Jaylon Hutchings, (Raider) Riko Jeffers, (Spur) Thomas Leggett, (LB) Xavier Benson, (LB) Jordyn Brooks, (S) Adrian Frye, (CB) DaMarcus Fields, (CB) Zech McPhearson, (S) Douglas Coleman III.

 

TEXAS TECH’S LOSS…

• Gives Texas Tech a 4-6 overall record and 2-5 mark in Big 12 play.
• Gives Texas Tech a 32-27-3 all-time record against TCU, including a 19-9-3 mark in Lubbock.
• Gives Texas Tech a 4-4 record against TCU since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12 in 2012.
• Gives Matt Wells a 48-40 record all-time as a head coach.
• Gives Matt Wells a career record of 4-6 at Texas Tech.
• Gives Matt Wells a career record of 0-1 against TCU.
• Gives Matt Wells a career record of 15-11 in the month of November.

TEXAS TECH TEAM NOTES

•   Texas Tech eclipsed 30 points against the Horned Frogs for the first time since 2015.
•   Texas Tech had six passing plays of 25-yards or more against TCU to match its highest output of the season from its win over Oklahoma State.
•   Texas Tech allowed its first sack since the Iowa State game. The Red Raiders had not surrendered a sack in its two previous games and only 11 this season entering the game, a total that ranked tied for 14th nationally.
• Through 10 games, Texas Tech has only allowed three teams to find pay dirt in the first quarter.
•   Texas Tech had its longest kickoff return of the season against TCU as sophomore Ta’Zhawn Henry went 63 yards in the second quarter to set up the first touchdown of the game for the Red Raiders and pull within two scores at 24-10.
•   The Texas Tech defense came up empty in the turnover department for the first time since the second game of the season against UTEP.
•   Texas Tech has now scored in 290-straight games dating back to the 1997 season, a streak that now ranks ninth nationally and second in the Big 12 Conference.

NOTING THE RED RAIDERS

•  Jett Duffeyput together another strong performance in his sixth start of the year, going 18-for-32 passing for 324 yards and four touchdowns. It was his fourth game this season with at least 300 yards and the fifth of his career. It marked his second game to throw four touchdown passes this season and third of his career. He had a lone pick to end his streak of passes without an interception at 100 attempts, which dated back to the Baylor game.
•  RJ Turnerhauled in his first two touchdowns as a Red Raider to post his first multi-touchdown game since doing so as a Warhawk in 2017. He brought in a 70-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter from Jett Duffey to mark his first touchdown as a Red Raider. The 70-yard reception was the third longest play from scrimmage for Texas Tech this season. He also caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Duffey in the third quarter for the 12th collegiate touchdown of his career. Turner is the second Red Raider wideout to catch two touchdowns in a game this season. He finished with 116 yards on three catches for his second 100-yard game of the season.
•  Dalton Rigdoncaught his fifth touchdown of the season against TCU on a 26-yard pass from Duffey. Rigdon has caught a touchdown in three straight games and four of the last five games in which he has played. He finished with four catches for 75 yards before exiting the game in the third quarter with an injury.
•  Jordyn Brookssecured 4.0 tackles before leaving the game in the first quarter, raising his season tackle total to 102. His career total is now 361, which is one away from matching Cody Davis (2009-12) for eighth among Texas Tech’s career tackling leaders.
•  Riko Jeffersmatched his career high with 11 tackles, which established a season high. He also tallied a sack, his second in as many weeks and the fourth of his career. He now stands at 6.5 TFL for the year, 0.5 shy of matching his 2018 total. He finished with 11 tackles for his third career game with at least 10 tackles.
•  Thomas Leggettrecorded a sack in the second quarter, his second of the season and second for his career. He finished with one sack and five total tackles.
•  Adam Beckset his career high with 11 tackles, topping the previous high of five in the season opener.
•  Xavier Bensonrecorded the first sack of his career during the third quarter on a key third down that led to a punt with Tech down 27-22.
•   Trey Wolffconnected on a pair of field goals from 36 and 24 yards out to improve to an impressive 17-of-19 on field goals this season. The 17 made field goals is tied for the second-most in a single season at Texas Tech with Clayton Hatfield (2018), Ryan Bustin (2012), Lin Elliott (1991), Ricky Gann (1984) and Bill Adams (1979). Wolff missed his first extra point of the season after completing the first 34 he attempted in his career.

Matt Dowdy