The No. 23 Texas Longhorns (7-2, 4-2) earned their third straight win Saturday in a thrilling 31-22 victory over the No. 18 Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-3, 3-3).
Texas vs. Texas Tech 2012 Results: Longhorns outlast Red Raiders, 31-22
Both teams brought terrific offenses into the game, and the Longhorns held off a furious charge late in the fourth quarter to down the Red Raiders in front of their home fans at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.
Texas opened the scoring when quarterback David Ash found receiver Jaxon Shipley for a 6-yard touchdown completion six minutes into the game. The Red Raiders evened things up with 5:52 left in the quarter when Kenny Williams capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown plunge from the 1-yard line. Texas moved back into the lead with 3:27 to go in the quarter, using a 2-yard touchdown run from Joe Bergeron to make it a 14-7 advantage.
The Red Raiders came closer just a minute into the second quarter with a 29-yard field goal from Ryan Bustin to cut the margin to 14-10. Texas answered on their first play from scrimmage, as Ash hooked up with wide receiver Mike Davis for a 75-yard touchdown bomb to make it 21-10. Bustin knocked through another field goal from 41 yards out with 5:03 remaining in the half, slicing the lead to 21-13. Longhorns kicker Anthony Fera connected on his own field goal with 1:09 left to give the Longhorns a 24-13 lead heading to the locker room.
Texas Tech made the Longhorns sweat in the third quarter, with a 33-yard field goal from Bustin and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Seth Doege to Eric Stephens Jr. The PAT was blocked by the Longhorns, leaving them with a 24-22 lead heading to the fourth quarter. However, Texas shut down the Red Raiders from there, and Ash found Davis on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 9:14 remaining to lock down the victory.
Box Score Hero: Mike Davis collected only four catches but made them count, snagging two touchdowns and amassing 165 receiving yards.
Rankings Ramifications: The Longhorns are due for a boost in the rankings with their victory, while the Red Raiders are likely to hover around the 25th spot and the cutoff after the loss.
But Did They Cover? Texas Tech was favored by 7.5 points and failed to cover as the Longhorns pulled off the upset win.
For More On This Game: For more on Longhorns football, visit Texas blogs Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival. For more on Red Raiders football, visit Texas Tech blog Viva the Matadors.
Next Week's Schedule: The Longhorns head back to Austin to host the visiting Iowa St. Cyclones. The Red will stay at home, taking on the Kansas Jayhawks.
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