A 48-point West Virginia surge falls short against No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock
A fast start for both teams
Texas Tech scored first after opening the game with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Castellanos to Terrance Carter Jr. West Virginia answered with a drive led by Mike Hawkins Jr. and its rushing attack, capped by Amari Latimer’s three-yard touchdown run.
After a West Virginia field goal, J’Koby Williams ran 75 yards for a Texas Tech touchdown. The Mountaineers regained the lead when Hawkins scored on a three-yard run, then extended it to 24-21 with his 73-yard touchdown pass to Taron Francis.
Texas Tech builds its lead
The Red Raiders responded with a touchdown pass to Jett Carpenter, then scored again on a 38-yard connection from Castellanos to Kenny Johnson. West Virginia added a field goal after Hawkins scrambled 44 yards, but an illegal shift stalled the drive near the goal line.
Texas Tech added a touchdown before halftime, with Castellanos setting up Quinten Joyner’s one-yard scoring run. The Red Raiders went into the break ahead 41-27.
Mountaineers keep pressing
West Virginia opened the second half with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Hawkins scored, cutting the deficit to 41-34, after Cam Cook ran for 21 yards and Francis caught a 21-yard pass.
The article reports that West Virginia later tied the game after Texas Tech’s defense made a stop and the Mountaineers got the ball back. It describes Hawkins throwing a 75-yard pass to Francis before Cook ran for two yards; the account ends mid-play, while its opening reports a final score of 53-48.
Key points
- West Virginia lost 53-48 to No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock on Saturday night.
- The Mountaineers recorded 279 rushing yards and 303 passing yards.
- West Virginia trailed 41-27 at halftime before continuing its comeback.
- Texas Tech improved to 8-1, while West Virginia fell to 5-4.