West Virginia dropped a 53-48 decision to Texas Tech in a late-night shootout that featured 892 yards of total offense in the first 30 minutes, Sports Illustrated reported.
The Mountaineers fell short after struggling to make plays in the final eight minutes of the game. The fast-paced opening half brought back memories of the old Big 12, producing the most first-half yardage in a Big 12 game since 2004, according to Sports Illustrated.
Mike Hawkins Jr. cemented his status among elite college quarterbacks by breaking Pat White’s single-season rushing touchdown record for a West Virginia quarterback, Sports Illustrated reported. Despite the team’s record, Hawkins delivered another dynamic performance on the ground.
“I don’t care what the record is or what the stats say; he is so valuable to this team and there aren’t many in the nation as dynamic as him,” Sports Illustrated noted of the quarterback’s value.
West Virginia’s defense surrendered explosive plays early, prompting a blunt assessment from the coaching staff. Rich Rod told an ESPN sideline reporter that the first-half performance was “embarrassing” as opposing players ran wide open and capitalized on poor tackling angles, Sports Illustrated reported.
Zac Alley’s unit rebounded to force four consecutive stops at the start of the second half. Late defensive pass interference penalties and missed assignments on 50/50 balls allowed Texas Tech to extend drives.
With the lead late, West Virginia squandered a 3rd-and-short opportunity when a run up the middle was stopped short. Texas Tech capitalized on the momentum before converting a key 4th-and-3 deep pass against the Mountaineers secondary.
With time running out, Nick Krahe was pressured on a fourth-down play, forcing Mike Hawkins Jr. to scramble. Following a turnover on downs in the red zone, Kevin Brown getting beat off the edge led to a safety that sealed the 53-48 final score, Sports Illustrated reported.
Keep reading