LUBBOCK, Texas — In a thrilling conclusion to the home slate, Tahj Brooks showcased an impressive performance by rushing for 188 yards and scoring three touchdowns, leading Texas Tech to a commanding 52-15 victory over West Virginia on Saturday. This game marked a significant milestone for Brooks, as he is Texas Tech’s all-time leading rusher.
With this win, Texas Tech improved its record to 8-4 and 6-3 in Big 12 play, revitalizing their hopes for a potential Big 12 championship game invitation. This season marks the first time since 2009, under the late Mike Leach, that the team has reached at least eight wins during the regular season.
Garrett Greene of West Virginia struggled, being intercepted and losing a fumble after a strip sack by Terrell Tilmon just before halftime. The Mountaineers fell behind 35-3 at the break, raising concerns about head coach Neal Brown’s future with the program.
Behren Morton led Texas Tech’s offense by passing for 359 yards and two touchdowns, including a noteworthy 31-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Douglas, which extended their lead to 42-3 early in the third quarter. Additionally, Josh Kelly contributed significantly with 150 receiving yards.
Near the end of the game, Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire called a timeout with 5:57 remaining, allowing Brooks to exit the game to a standing ovation from the thrilled crowd. Bartlett received a heartfelt tribute from his teammates, celebrating his monumental achievement.
Brooks exhibited remarkable consistency throughout the season by rushing for over 100 yards in every regular-season game he completed. He broke the previous single-season school record of 10 100-yard games that he had shared with legends Byron Hanspard and Bam Morris. With his remarkable performance, Brooks pushed his career rushing total to 4,557 yards after surpassing Hanspard’s long-standing school record of 4,219 yards two weeks earlier.
Brooks achieved two of his touchdowns on short, 2-yard runs from direct snaps and added another impressive 37-yard touchdown, which demonstrated his agility as he avoided a tackle from defensive back Ty French. For this season, Brooks has amassed 17 rushing touchdowns and has a total of 45 touchdowns for his career. He also contributed to his own scoring advances, setting up one of his touchdowns with a 30-yard reception.
On the other side of the field, West Virginia’s Jahiem White rushed for 124 yards, capped off by an impressive spinning 21-yard touchdown run. Meanwhile, Greene connected with Rodney Gallagher III for a 15-yard touchdown reception, but he also struggled with two interceptions thrown during the game.
From this matchup, it was evident that West Virginia’s perfect road record in the Big 12 came to an abrupt halt, having previously won all three of their conference away games. They were unable to recover after conceding 29 points in the second quarter, along with an additional touchdown just two minutes into the third.
Texas Tech’s tight end Jalin Conyers, another senior playing his last home game, made a redemption play by catching an 18-yard pass after a previous drop in the end zone. This remarkable catch set up Morton’s subsequent 1-yard touchdown throw to Mason Tharp. Conyers, who previously played at Arizona State, also contributed with a 2-point conversion run on a unique swinging gate play following the PAT attempt.
As the season progresses, both teams remain bowl eligible, though Texas Tech’s hopes for a place in the Big 12 title game hang in the balance as the implications of their victory play out.
