Gino Garcia drilled a go-ahead 30-yard field goal as time expired to lift visiting Texas Tech to a 16-13 victory over No. 16 Kansas on Saturday in Lawrence, Kan.
With the Jayhawks down to a walk-on quarterback after starter Jason Bean sustained an apparent knee injury in the first half, the Red Raiders got just enough from an offense engineered by backup-turned-starter Behren Morton.
Morton wasn’t spectacular until Texas Tech needed him to be and he delivered by engineering a drive in the closing 26 seconds that ended with Garcia’s game-winning kick. Morton was 3-for-3 for 63 yards on the decisive march, with a huge 33-yard connection to Jerand Bradley.
Kansas kicker Seth Keller connected on a 22-yard field goal with 25 seconds to go, the last of 13 consecutive Jayhawk points in the fourth quarter.
Texas Tech (5-5, 4-3 Big 12 Conference) produced points on its first two possessions and added a third-quarter field goal after the defense forced a turnover. Garcia’s late kick gave the Red Raiders just enough to outlast a Kansas team that spent most of the day hamstrung on offense.
Red Raiders running back Tahj Brooks was a workhorse with 133 rushing yards on 33 carries and a touchdown. Jayhawks counterpart Devin Neal ran for 137 yards and a touchdown that gave his team a pulse in the fourth quarter. Morton’s late flurry gave him 176 yards through the air.
Bean, who stepped in for Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Jalon Daniels four games ago, guided the Jayhawks (7-3, 4-3 Big 12) but had to be helped off the field when he was tackled on a running play. That thrust freshman Cole Ballard into the spotlight for his most extended action of the season.
The only touchdown Kansas produced with Ballard in charge was Neal’s 60-yard dash on an option play with 12:12 left in the game. The Jayhawks later drove to the 8-yard line with six minutes to go but had to settle for Keller’s 24-yard field goal.
There was a major missed chance that proved costly well before that.
With Texas Tech up 10-0 after Brooks’ 5-yard touchdown run and Garcia’s 32-yard field goal in the opening frame, the Jayhawks and Ballard found their rhythm on an 18-play, 93-yard drive that devoured 8:43 of the second period.
But on third- and fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard-line, Kansas’ Daniel Hishaw couldn’t cross the goal line when Jayln Hutchings then Braylyn Lux stuffed him for a turnover on downs.
–Field Level Media
