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Texas Tech couldn’t have asked for a smoother landing to the end of its regular season. Fresh off clinching a spot in the Big 12 Championship the night before, the Red Raiders rolled into Morgantown and handled business with the confidence of a team that knows exactly where it’s headed. A 49–0 dismantling of West Virginia gave Tech its 11th win — something the program hasn’t seen since 2008 — and sent a clear message ahead of next week’s title showdown with BYU.
A Defense That Didn’t Budge
West Virginia entered the game averaging just over 29 points per outing, but the Mountaineers never came close to resembling that team. Tech’s defense slammed the door from the opening snap, denying every third- and fourth-down attempt in the first quarter and forcing WVU to go nearly a full half without a single first down.
By the time the Mountaineers finally moved the sticks midway through the second quarter, Tech immediately erased any hint of momentum by stuffing another fourth-down try. The Red Raiders’ secondary then took over: first with Brice Pollock jumping a pass from WVU freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr., and later with Amier Boyd grabbing another interception after Fox was replaced by Max Brown. Neither quarterback found answers against a Tech defense that played fast, physical, and entirely uninterested in allowing points.
Morton and the Offense Put It Away Early
While the defense made Morgantown feel smaller by the minute, senior quarterback Behren Morton used his final regular-season appearance to carve up the Mountaineers. His 310 passing yards and three touchdowns came with a sense of efficiency and poise, especially for someone who battled a leg injury earlier in the month.
Caleb Douglas was the biggest beneficiary, finishing with a season-best 127 yards on five receptions and scoring twice. His final big grab — a 50-yard strike from Morton — set up a short touchdown run from J’Koby Williams and all but sealed the game before halftime.
Tech didn’t just lean on the passing game, either. Senior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez once again activated his recently installed wildcat package and powered in the team’s opening score. Even when he tried his hand at passing later in the half and WVU came up with an interception, the Red Raiders were already firmly in control.
Depth Takes Over in the Second Half
With a 28-point cushion at the break, Texas Tech gradually shifted into preservation mode. Morton gave way to Mitch Griffis early in the third quarter before an injury evaluation sent the game into the hands of freshman Lloyd Jones III. Tech barely flinched — Jones connected with Micah Hudson twice for touchdowns, and the Red Raiders kept the scoreboard active despite the rotation under center.
Defensively, Tech kept its foot on the gas. Even without national sacks leader David Bailey in the second half, the shutout held comfortably. West Virginia finished with just 180 total yards and never found any rhythm on the ground or through the air.
Bigger Goals Ahead
The final whistle left Tech with an 11-1 record, a perfect road performance, and a locker room full of energy as the team turned its eyes toward Arlington. All season long, the Red Raiders have won convincingly — every victory by at least 20 points — and the dominance continued in their last tune-up before facing BYU for the Big 12 Championship.
West Virginia, meanwhile, ended a difficult season with offensive struggles that never found a solution against one of the nation’s hottest teams.
The Road to a Title Begins Now
Texas Tech now heads to Arlington looking for its first conference title since joining the Big 12 three decades ago. The opponent is familiar — BYU, a team Tech defeated earlier this season — but the stakes will be much different. With the Red Raiders firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation and playing their best football of the season, next Saturday could be program-defining.
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