Despite staring a 14-0 deficit in the face, No. 19 Texas recovered to take a 17-10 lead to the locker room over Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Texas Tech accepted the ball to open the game and rolled 66 yards in 10 plays, scoring on a 5-yard pass from Jett Duffey to T.J. Vasher.
After a Texas punt, Texas Tech threatened to push its lead to 14-0 when Duffey found Mason Reed for an 8-yard gain on third down, setting up a 1st-and-goal at the Texas 1-yard line. But Texas stuffed Red Raiders running back Da’Leon Ward on first down and Duffey had to corral a bad snap on second down. Rather than eat the ball or throw it into the stands, Duffey attempted to allude Texas safety Caden Sterns and fire a pass, which was intercepted by Davante Davis.
Given new life, Texas mounted its first drive, aided by two third down completions from Sam Ehlinger to Lil’Jordan Humphrey, first for 15 yards, then for 40. The second gained pushed the ball to the Red Raider 24, but consecutive sacks forced a career-long 52-yard Cameron Dicker field goal.
After forcing a Texas Tech punt, Texas again mounted a methodical, 18-play, 8-minute drive down the field until two more consecutive sacks backed the ‘Horns up from the Texas Tech 11 to the 34. However, during a 7-yard completion to Humphrey on 3rd-and-33, Texas Tech was flagged for a face mask on the complete opposite side of the field. Rather than kick a 44-yard field goal, Texas was given a 1st-and-10 at the Texas Tech 13. The Longhorns converted this time, as Ehlinger again found Humphrey on another third down, securing a 9-yard touchdown to put Texas up 10-7 with 3:46 left in the first half. With Collin Johnson out due to a knee injury suffered during practice this week, Humphrey has carried the Texas offense, catching six passes for 109 yards and the score. He accounted for 109 of Ehlinger’s 132 passing yards.
Facing his first deficit, Kliff Kingsbury decided to roll the dice deep inside his own territory. After Ward was corralled for a 1-yard gain on 3rd-and-2, Kingsbury put Duffey under center at his own 34 and called for a sneak -- which was stuffed.
Texas took advantage of the short field, needing three plays to set up a 1-yard Keaontay Ingram touchdown run with 1:16 left in the first half.
Texas Tech halted UT’s 17 straight points when Clayton Hatfield snuck in a 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left before halftime.
Texas will receive to open the second half.
