Texas Tech Loses To Oklahoma
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NORMAN, Okla. — Texas Tech pulled out all the stops on Saturday night against Oklahoma.
But the Sooners had a trick of their own.
LaColtan Bester ran 35 yards for a touchdown on a double-reverse and the Sooners ended Texas Tech’s undefeated run with a 38-30 come-from-behind victory.
Despite the win over No. 10 Texas Tech, Oklahoma lost All-Big 12 fullback Trey Millard for the season with an ACL injury. The Sooners have now lost their two captains — linebacker Corey Nelson and Millard — for the year. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips also is out after back surgery last week.
Yet the No. 17 Sooners rallied past Tech, getting just enough from quarterback Blake Bell.
The result means the Sooners are back in the Big 12 race and are 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference with a Nov. 7 game at undefeated Baylor on the horizon. Tech fell to 7-1 and 4-1.
“We don’t get down,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. “Our guys kept positive and kept fighting. I feel good about what we’re doing and defensively with the way we’ve played we’ve given ourselves a chance.
“We’re playing together really well. Defense, offense. We complemented each
other really well. I feel good. I’m excited. I love our team and they way they work.”
Texas Tech, under first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, did about everything possible in the way of deception. The Red Raiders had a halfback pass, an onside kick and a trick return on a punt. They nd erased a 14-point, third-quarter deficit in less than five minutes to take a 24-21 lead.
But on the next Oklahoma possession with nearly all the momentum on Tech’s side, the Sooners got Bester’s touchdown with 33 seconds to go in the third quarter.
A week ago, Bester threw a touchdown pass on a double reverse. This week, he faked the pass and got through the defense and gave the Sooners a 28-24 lead
And while Tech stayed in the game with a combination of short passes and a few tricks, the Sooners were a bit more conventional. They had two long drives for scores in the first half and relied on the ground game the second half.
Tech’s Davis Webb was 33-of-53 passing for 385 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Tech had three turnovers and also turned it over twice on downs, including on its last possession when it got the ball at its own 25 with less than one minute to go trailing by eight.
“We do feel like we let one get away,” Tech linebacker Branden Jackson said. “We didn’t play our best game.”
Bell was 14-of-22 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Sooners running back Damien Williams had 97 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns.
Bell wasn’t very good in the first quarter, going just 1 of 4 for 17 yards. But the Oklahoma offense was great in the second half of the second quarter. The Sooners rallied for two touchdowns, the first coming on a 16-play, 97-yard drive.
“I don’t really listen to outside noise,” said Bell, who has taken criticism the past few weeks as Oklahoma’s offense has been less than impressive in Big 12 games. “All I can do is be me, come every day and try to get better.”
On the next Sooners possession, Bell hit Saunders for a 76-yard touchdown pass. Saunders had 153 yards receiving in the first half and two touchdowns. He didn’t have a catch in the second half.
Bell finished the first half 9 of 16 for 177 yards and the two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech moved the ball well, going for 217 yards in the first half. But the Red Raiders had a interception, a fumble and turned it over on downs – all inside OU territory.
Webb was 17-of-30 passing in the first half for 161 yards.
“There were a lot of opportunities we didn’t execute on,” said Tech receiver Eric Ward, who had nine catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns. “We gave them a lot of opportunities to score and they took advantage of it.”
