TCU's 4th Quarter Comeback Stuns Texas Tech

The Red Raiders looked to respond on their first offensive possession. Starting at the 18-yard line, Texas Tech gained two first downs, including a long catch by Caleb Douglas, but ultimately failed to convert after a drop in the open field by Tahj Brooks. Tech punted the football away, and TCU took over at their own 7-yard line.

Tech's defense showed up on the second drive. After the Red Raiders surrendered one first down, Tech swarmed Hoover on a third down and long and sacked the TCU quarterback. TCU punted, and Tech took over at the Horned Frogs' 41-yard line. The Red Raiders would grind out one first down before the offense stalled again. Gino Garcia nailed a 38-yard field goal to the the Red Raiders on the board, 7-3.

A busted coverage allowed TCU to put another touchdown on the board. At the 25-yard line, Savion Williams ran uncovered up the middle of the field, where Hoover perfectly dropped the football. Williams outran the Tech defense to the end zone for the 75-yard touchdown. TCU led 14-3 at the end of the 1st quarter.

2nd Quarter 

Tech managed a single first down before they had to punt again. TCU took over at the Horned Frogs' 11-yard line. Tech's defense came through again on the first play following the punt. Harvey Dyson III stripped-sacked Hoover in the backfield, and the Red Raiders fell on the fumble. Tech's offense went three and out from there, and it looked like the Red Raiders would settle for another field goal. However, Texas Tech faked the kick and tossed the ball to the kicker, Reese Burkhardt, who sprinted into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. Tech trailed 14-10 with 13:09 remaining in the 2nd quarter.

The Red Raiders' defense forced another stop to give the ball back to Texas Tech's offense. The Red Raiders thanked their defense with another touchdown. Morton loaded up near midfield and launched a deep ball that Caleb Douglas caught down the sideline for 44 yards to TCU's 4-yard line. One play later, Brooks powered his way into the end zone for a touchdown. Texas Tech took the lead with just under 10 minutes to play in the 2nd quarter, 17-14.

After the punt later in the 2nd quarter, Texas Tech's defense forced another turnover. TCU's Hoover dropped back to pass on a 3rd down attempt, with the Red Raiders' pass rush on the way. Hoover launched the ball, but CJ Baskerville timed the throw at the line, jumped up, and snagged the football out of the air. Texas Tech took over at TCU's 30-yard line. However, the offense struggled to move the football and had to attempt a long field goal. Texas Tech missed, and TCU took over on offense.

Texas Tech had one more opportunity to score before the half. Morton converted a 3rd and long on a 25-yard pass to Jaylen Conyers to push the Red Raiders into TCU's side of the field. After a Tahj Brooks rushing first down, Tech faced another 3rd and long. TCU's defense stepped up and sacked Morton to snuff out any scoring chance. TCU took over at the 20-yard line with 36 seconds left in the half. The Horned Frogs couldn't score either, and both teams headed to the locker room with Texas Tech holding a 3-point advantage at the break, 17-14.

3rd Quarter 

The Red Raiders received the 2nd half kickoff, and the offense looked to get started on the right foot. Unfortunately for Texas Tech, Behren Morton suffered an unspecified injury and did not renter the game. Freshman quarterback Will Hammond entered the game to lead the Red Raiders in the 2nd half.

He had quickly had success through the air and on the ground as the Red Raiders drove down the field. Brooks added a few tough runs to balance out the passing game, but Hammond connected with Douglas for a first down before gaining another one himself. Near the goal line, Hammond put up a beautiful ball in the corner of the end zone that Coy Eakin hauled in for a touchdown. Texas Tech's Freshman helped the Red Raiders extend their lead to 24-14.

Another defensive takeaway handed the ball right back to Texas Tech's offense. Dyson III tipped a 3rd down pass from TCU's Hoover, and Chapman Lewis came down with the pick. Whatever spark Hammond brought to the Red Raiders looked infectious as the offense seemed to sprint down the field for another touchdown. J'Koby Williams drove the ball 18 yards on two carries before Hammond connected on another pass to Douglas and one to Kelly. Just outside the goal line, Hammond called his own number and scored from four yards out to push the score to 31-14 with 6:33 remaining in the 3rd Quarter.

TCU responded well following Texas Tech's touchdown. The Horned Frogs could have curled up and quit at that point, but TCU made several plays to put themselves into position to score. Runningback Jeremy Payne punched the ball in from a yard out to narrow the Red Raiders' advantage to 10 points.

4th Quarter

Texas Tech needed to take some time off the clock if the Red Raiders wanted to wrap up this contest and claim another victory. The offense went on a 13-play march that covered 73 yards and took almost seven minutes off the clock. Unfortunately, Texas Tech did not score a touchdown, but Gino Garcia did add three points on a 24-yard field goal. Texas Tech led with under 12 minutes to play, 34-21.

TCU powered back to pull within six points with under nine minutes to play in the 4th quarter. The big play bug bit the Red Raiders' defense on two different occasions on the drive. Tech forced several 3rd downs but could not get off the field. Hoover threw a touchdown pass to DJ Rogers. After the extra point, Tech led 34-28.

The Horned Frogs had one more explosive play in them that would end up making the difference in the game. Hoover hit Eric McCallister near the sideline for a decent gain, but McCallister would turn that catch into an opportunity. He made one man miss and sprinted 84 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. TCU took the lead 35-34 with less than 6 minutes to play.

Will Hammond and the Red Raider offense have one more solid opportunity to go and win the ballgame? Texas Tech methodically drove down the field, managing the clock with the desire to take the lead. Under two minutes to go, Hammond ran a designed quarterback run on 3rd and long to set up a field goal to take the lead. During the play, a TCU defensive lineman hit Hammond in his blind spot, and the ball came loose. Initially called down by contact, the play was reviewed and overturned. TCU took over, and that was the football game. 

Tech's defense made TCU punt, but with 30 seconds left with no timeouts, the freshman did not manage to drive the length of the field. TCU held on to upset the Red Raiders, 35-34.

Texas Tech returns to action on the road next Saturday, November 2, when the Red Raiders travel to Ames to battle Iowa State.