No. 13 Texas Tech defeated No. 22 Arizona 34-26 on Friday, a result that significantly damages Arizona’s College Football Playoff and Big 12 championship chances. The win pushed Texas Tech to 7-1 while Arizona fell to 6-2, and it marked the Red Raiders’ 13th-straight home victory, tying a program record.
The win came a week after Texas Tech lost to Cincinnati, a defeat that led head coach Joey McGuire to bench quarterback Will Hammond in favor of Thomas Castellanos. The change paid immediate dividends. Castellanos completed 11 of 24 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 117 yards and a touchdown, the fifth time in his career he has topped 100 rushing yards in a game.
Texas Tech’s ground game overall was dominant, totaling 332 yards. Running back J’Koby Williams carried for 175 yards and a touchdown.
A Back-and-Forth Battle
Arizona struck first with a 35-yard field goal from Michael Salgado-Medina. Texas Tech answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Castellanos to tight end Terrance Carter Jr., putting the Red Raiders ahead 7-3.
After both teams traded punts and failed drives, Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita delivered one of the game’s signature plays. Facing third-and-12 from his own 6-yard line, Fifita scrambled out of the end zone and threw to Isaiah Mizell, who turned the pass into a 94-yard touchdown, giving Arizona a 10-7 lead.
The Wildcats extended their advantage before halftime using a Wildcat formation, with running back Kedrick Reescano scoring from five yards out to cap a 14-play, 81-yard drive and make it 17-7. Texas Tech managed only a field goal before the break, trailing 17-10.
Texas Tech Rallies
Texas Tech tied the game on the opening drive of the third quarter when Castellanos faked a pitch and ran eight yards for a touchdown, making it 17-17. Arizona responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive finished by Reescano’s second touchdown of the day, though a blocked extra point left the Wildcats ahead only 23-17.
Texas Tech capitalized on the missed point. On fourth-and-2 from Arizona’s 27-yard line, the Red Raiders elected to go for it, and Castellanos found wide receiver Kenny Johnson on a go route for a touchdown. The extra point put Texas Tech ahead 24-23. Kicker Stone Harrington later added a 42-yard field goal to extend the lead to 27-23.
Arizona’s answer stalled when it went for it on fourth-and-1 from Texas Tech’s 18-yard line, but Fifita’s pass to tight end Tyler Powell sailed too high. Texas Tech nearly squandered a scoring chance of its own when running back Cameron Dickey fumbled, giving Arizona the ball at Texas Tech’s 43-yard line, but the Wildcats were forced to punt after failing to capitalize.
With about four and a half minutes remaining, Texas Tech got the ball back after forcing another punt, then forced a three-and-out to get it again. Facing third-and-1, Williams broke through for a 64-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 34-23 and capping a stretch of 17 unanswered points for the Red Raiders.
Arizona added a late field goal but failed to recover an onside kick, sealing the loss.
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