No. 14 Texas Tech Crushes Winless OK State

LUBBOCK, TX — No. 14 Texas Tech hopped back in the win column after a 42-0 shutout of Oklahoma State on Saturday night.

J’Koby Williams provided an electric start for No. 14 Texas Tech, returning the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and catching a 26-yard scoring pass on the Red Raiders’ first offensive play to spark a victory.

The victory marked Texas Tech’s first Big 12 shutout since 2005 and helped the Red Raiders (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) rebound from their lone loss of the season, a 26-22 setback at No. 24 Arizona State.

After a 30-minute lightning delay, Williams’ return on the first kickoff since Texas Tech banned the long-standing tortilla-throwing tradition immediately ignited the home crowd. The Red Raiders blocked a punt on Oklahoma State’s opening drive, and two plays later, Williams struck again on a short screen from Will Hammond, who started his second straight game in place of the injured Behren Morton.

Defensively, senior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez extended the lead with a 69-yard fumble return touchdown, ripping the ball away at the line of scrimmage for his 11th career recovery — second most among active FBS players.

Hammond later left the game with a lower-leg injury, giving way to Mitch Griffis, who delivered a touchdown pass and a rushing score in the third quarter to push the margin to 35-0. Morton suited up after halftime but did not play as Griffis maintained control of the offense.

Next up, the Red Raiders travel to Manhattan to play Kansas State. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.