STILLWATER, Okla. — Because the Texas Tech soccer staff was stepping into at halftime Saturday at Oklahoma State, Tech coach Joey McGuire instructed offensive coordinator Zach Kittley to maintain placing stress on the Cowboys.
The Tech protection appeared susceptible, and defensive tackles De’Braylon Carroll and Quincy Ledet have been sidelined with ankle accidents they suffered within the first half. Even with a lead and Doak Walker Award semifinalist Tahj Brooks, this wasn’t going to be the night time to grind clock.
“I instructed Kittley, ‘There is no backing off. You’ve got to assault them,’ ” McGuire stated. ” ‘You have to do all the pieces you possibly can to assault them, as a result of it will be a type of video games that is going to be back-and-forth.’ And it was, and we have been fortunate to come back out on prime.”
Tech beat Oklahoma State 56-48 within the Huge 12 recreation at Boone Pickens Stadium, transferring to 7-4 for the season and one recreation out of the convention lead at 5-3. Behren Morton threw for 404 yards, a profession excessive, and 4 touchdowns. Brooks carried 28 instances for 133 yards and three touchdowns and caught 9 passes for 65 yards and a TD.
“Kittley did a terrific job of getting us in the appropriate performs,” Morton stated. “I simply tried to provide our guys an opportunity, get the ball to the playmakers and allow them to do the work.”
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A Texas Tech soccer purpose for 2024: Acknowledge the second
After the Tech employees reviewed each 2023 recreation in February, one among McGuire’s objectives for 2024 was to, in his phrases, acknowledge within the second what sort of recreation the Purple Raiders have been in. He acknowledged it by halftime Saturday: A shootout.
The 2 groups nearly evenly divided 1,051 yards and 15 touchdowns, 14 by the offenses. They scored 5 TDs apiece within the second half.
“I felt just like the protection, for lots of the sport, performed on their heels,” McGuire stated, “and we by no means may get settled. So at any time when that occurred, we acknowledged it was going to be a high-scoring recreation and discover a method to win the sport.”
It was senior day for Oklahoma State (3-8, 0-8), however quite than go along with seventh-year senior Alan Bowman, the Cowboys began freshman Maealiuaki Smith at quarterback.
Morton hit Caleb Douglas and Mason Tharp for a 14-0 lead early, and Tech by no means trailed. However OSU tied the sport at 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42. Brooks’s final TD with 6:12 pushed Tech forward 49-42. Three performs later, Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez recovered a nasty snap ultimately zone to make it 56-42.
“We have been due for one, and we knew it,” stated Rodriguez, who had 13 tackles and an interception with seven seconds left. “We have been at all times looking to take it away. It particularly helps our offense, as a result of we weren’t doing that very a lot this recreation, however I feel when it mattered we have been capable of get the job executed.”
The ‘good name
The Cowboys answered Rodriguez’s landing with one among their very own with 2:35 left, forcing the Purple Raiders to maintain making performs. Trevon McAlpine blocked the OSU point-after, maintaining the lead 56-48. On the following collection, Morton ran for a essential 12 yards on third-and-11, enabling Tech to take extra day without work the clock.
Somewhat than threat an incomplete go and clock stoppage, the Purple Raiders known as quarterback draw into a lightweight field.
“It was good; coach Kittley with the good play name,” Morton stated. “He stated, ‘Simply promote such as you’re throwing a route, after which simply take off and discover it.”
McGuire jokingly stated, “I am anxious to see how briskly he ran. Most likely not very quick. The operating joke with Behren proper now’s he scored a landing operating 13 miles per hour and he celebrated with Coy (Eakin) on a landing operating 20 miles per hour.”
Tech’s 56 factors have been the third-most allowed by Oklahoma State at residence in Mike Gundy’s 20 seasons as head coach. Solely Oklahoma in two Bedlam rivalry video games topped it with 61 factors in 2008 and 62 in 2017.
Brooks has topped the 100-yard dashing mark in each recreation this season. He obtained it this time with a 40-yard landing, taking a direct snap and faking an end-around handoff to Drae McCray. It broke open so effectively Brooks had time to take a pre-end-zone hand slap from tight finish Jalin Conyers operating alongside.
“He was telling me, ‘Excessive 5, excessive 5, excessive 5,’ ” Brooks stated. “I used to be like, ‘All proper, positive. Let’s do it.’ It was a very good second.”
Morton threw seven passes apiece to Eakin for 90 yards and Conyers for 74. Douglas completed with 5 for 105.
Tech is 6-1 in video games determined by eight factors or fewer and added one other Huge 12 street victory to ones earlier at Arizona and Iowa State.
“Which means all the pieces,” Morton stated. “That was an enormous tradition win for us.”