Oklahoma State Outguns Texas Tech in High-Scoring Game [VIDEO]
Saturday's game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys was the Big 12 Conference opener for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The fifth largest crowd in Jones AT&T Stadium history was in attendance, at 60,901.
Both Texas Tech and Oklahoma State missed crucial opportunities to put points on the board throughout the game. However, Oklahoma State still managed to generate points on seven of their 12 possession en route to a 41-34 win.
Texas Tech tied the game at 34-34 after Desmond Nisby's one-yard touchdown run with 9:56 left in the fourth quarter.
On Oklahoma State's next possession, they got the ball within the Texas Tech 5-yard line before having to settle for a field goal attempt on a 4th & Goal from the 2-yard line. However, Matt Ammendola's 19-yard field goal attempt was no good, hitting off the right upright (his second botched attempt of the night), giving the Red Raiders another chance to take the lead.
After the missed field goal and starting at their own 20-yard line, the Texas Tech drive stalled at their own 37-yard line and they were forced to punt with 3:30 left in the game.
On the ensuing Oklahoma State drive, Rudolph was able to convert a 3rd & 5 from his own 26-yard line. A 26-yard pass to Marcell Ateman moved the Cowboys to the Texas Tech 48-yard line. Two plays later, the Cowboys were inside the Texas Tech red zone after a facemask penalty moved the ball to the Texas Tech 18-yard line.
Mason Rudolph then held on to the ball for the next two plays, rushing for 2 yards and then for a 16-yard touchdown, giving the Cowboys a 41-34 lead.
Texas Tech's final opportunity with the ball ended with four straight incomplete passes as Shimonek was pressured heavily by the Oklahoma State defensive line.
In the win, Rudolph went 27/38 passing for 376 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Rudolph also rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns. James Washington was Rudolph's leading receiver, with nine catches for 127 yards and one touchdown.
Meanwhile for Texas Tech, Nic Shimonek went 29/46 passing for 330 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Justin Stockton was only able to gain 28 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Overall, Oklahoma State generated 597 yards of offense compared to Texas Tech's 384. Each team only turned the ball over once, and Texas Tech gained an 'extra possession' by converting an onside kick in the fourth quarter.
The start of the game featured the Cowboys jumping out to a 7-0 lead on their first possession of the game, after Mason Rudolph's 14-yard touchdown pass to James Washington.
Texas Tech ended up tying the game at 7-7 halfway through the first quarter after a pick-six by DaMarcus Fields. Fields was manned up on a Cowboys wide receiver on the far sideline when he broke on Rudolph's pass towards the sideline and was able to intercept it cleanly. Fields then sprinted 95 yards down the field, untouched, for a touchdown.
The Cowboys next possession ended in the red zone again, this time with a missed field goal from 22 yards.
Texas Tech then took their only lead of the game, 14-7, after a 3-yard touchdown pass from Nic Shimonek to Dylan Cantrell. The touchdown pass capped off an eight play, 80-yard drive with 14:14 left in the second quarter.
At halftime, the score was Oklahoma State 21, Texas Tech 17, after the Red Raiders had to settle for a field goal as time ran out in the second quarter with the ball inside the Oklahoma State 5-yard line.
Next Saturday (Oct. 7), Texas Tech is on the road at Kansas for an 11 a.m. kickoff. Countdown to Kickoff on SportsRadio 1340 The Fan with Rob Breaux will air from 9 - 11 a.m.
See photos from the Texas Tech-Oklahoma State game below courtesy Ashley Wirz.