Texas Tech Hangs 53 on Arizona State, Stays Unbeaten
Texas Tech scored first on a 24-yard interception return by Ben Roberts with 7:48 left in the first quarter, and nobody ever led the Red Raiders after that. By the 3:17 mark it was 21-0. The final was 53-25, and Texas Tech is 6-0.
The first quarter did the damage. Will Hammond ran in a 9-yarder, J'Koby Williams broke a 62-yard run, and Arizona State's first points (a 74-yard pass from Cutter Boley to Raiden Vines-Bright) came with 2:27 left in the quarter. Stone Harrington added three field goals in the second quarter, Williams scored again from 38 yards (the extra point was blocked) and Coy Eakin caught an 11-yarder. It was 43-10 at the half and 43-17 entering the fourth.
Here is the odd part. Arizona State threw for 380 yards to Texas Tech's 242 and still lost by 28. The Sun Devils ran 28 times for 35 yards, threw two interceptions. Texas Tech ran for 260 yards on 37 carries and finished with 502 total against 415. Mikey Keene finished with two touchdown passes, the last a 12-yarder to Cardae Mack with 6:32 left, followed by a two-point conversion that made the margin a little less ugly.
Arizona State is 3-3. Fantasy-wise, Williams was the story: 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, 100 of those yards on the two scores. That is a 31.3-point afternoon. Hammond added 232 passing yards and two more touchdowns (one throw, one run), and Kenny Johnson caught 7 passes for 120 yards without scoring. Take away the pick-six and Texas Tech still wins by 21, so nobody should feel too clever about that opening play.