Texas Tech Drops Fourth Conference Game of the Season

On Saturday, the Red Raiders went into Norman with new interim head coach Sonny Cumbie and lose to the Sooners 21-52 to drop to 5-4 on the season and 2-4 in conference.

First Quarter:

Oklahoma is certainly not somebody you want to face in your first game as interim head coach, but that was the case for Sonny Cumbie who took over for Matt Wells who was fired earlier in the week.

The game did not start as some expected. There was a trade of punts for the first three offensive series for both teams.
Oklahoma would put together a 7-play 95-yard drive for their opening score after Quarterback Caleb Williams finds Wide Receiver Mario Williams for a 22-yard Touchdown to give them the early 7-0 lead.

Texas Tech came out on their next offensive series looking to answer and put together a nice drive led by quarterback Henry Colombi, and he would find wideout Erik Ezukanma, who would go up and moss the defender for a 17-yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7-7.

It was a catch that could land him a spot on Monday Night Football’s “You Got Mossed”.

The Sooners would come right back and score again after Williams hit Marvin Mims for a 67-yard score to give the Sooners back the lead 14-7 near the end of the first quarter.

Second Quarter:

Kicking off the second quarter, the Sooners once again put together a long drive, this one 91-yards, capped off after Williams found his Tight End Brayden Willis for an 8-yard touchdown to go up 21-7.

Trying to answer back, Colombi would throw an interception to Oklahoma Safety Pat Fields, giving them the ball back with a short field.

Williams would throw his fourth touchdown of the game after he found Drake Stoops from 12 yards out to go up 28-7.
The Red Raiders would go on a 7-minute drive to try and get points on the board before the half. Colombi was injured, and backup Donovan Smith would come in for the remainder of the game.

Instead of taking the points, Cumbie decided to go for it and Smith hit Ezukanma over the middle for a nice gain. Time ran out on them before they could get the field goal, and Tech went into the half down 28-7.

Third Quarter:

Coming out of the half, the Tech defense would force a stop, and the Sooners had to settle for a Gabe Brkic 53-yard field goal which he knocked through, extending the lead to 31-7.

Trying to get some momentum going on offense, Tech decided to go for it on fourth-and-two, but Smith was intercepted by defensive back Justin Broiles, giving the Sooners the ball in Tech territory.

It only took one play for the Sooners to strike again as Williams found Mims for his second score for 43 yards giving OU a commanding 38-7 lead.

Nearing the end of the third quarter, Smith drove the Red Raiders down the field. After scrambling around, he would find J.J. Sparkman in the back of the end zone. This score got Tech back on the board to close the lead 38-14.

Fourth Quarter:

Entering the fourth quarter, the Sooners would threaten again. Williams would throw his 6th touchdown of the game after he found Austin Stogner for a 9-yard score to push the lead back to 45-14 early in the fourth.

Trying to answer, Texas Tech would turn the ball over for the third time after Smith took the snap and started to run and was stripped and recovered by Oklahoma’s Isaiah Thomas.

After two weeks of not seeing him, Oklahoma fans finally saw Spencer Rattler again who stepped in and threw a 42-yard touchdown to wideout Brian Darby giving Oklahoma a huge lead at 52-14.

Nearing the end of the game, Smith scraped together a nice offensive series and ended the game on a high note after they finished it off with a score after RB Xavier White took it in for six from one yard out.

Smith finished the game 17-for-22 and 214 total yards and one TD. Ezukanma saw his first 100-yard game since Houston after finishing with 8 receptions for 123 yards, and one TD.

The Red Raiders are on a bye this week, and it could not have come at a better time as they try and heal up on both sides of the ball.

Tech is currently 5-4 on the season looking for that sixth win to become bowl eligible. They will take on an Iowa State team who lost to West Virginia this past weekend.

The Red Raiders will host the Cyclones on November 13th, with the time to be determined.