Texas Tech football won a nonconference game against an FCS team by less than seven points for the second year in a row.
In September 2020, Tech squeaked by Houston Baptist 35-33 in the season opener. Yesterday, the Red Raiders came back from a 13-7 halftime deficit to win 28-22 over the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks despite four turnovers and no takeaways.
Tech is now 2-0 on the season after two straight first-half comebacks.
Stephen F. Austin Leads at the Half
Tech started hot with a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Shough to wide receiver Erik Ezukanma just over a minute into the game.
The Red Raiders never scored again in the first half.
Stephen F. Austin defensive back Willie Roberts intercepted Shough and front flipped into the endzone to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Tech’s McLane Mannix muffed a punt return and Stephen F. Austin turned it into three points to take a 10-7 lead.
A 13-play drive late in the second quarter included four connections between quarterback Trae Self and wide receiver Xavier Gipson and gave the Lumberjacks a 13-7 lead going into the half.
Third Quarter Rushing Leads the Comeback
Texas Tech, trying to avoid their first loss to an FCS team since 1988, leaned on the running game to get the lead back.
Early in the third quarter, Tech scored on a 67-yard rush from running back Tahj Brooks to take a one-point lead.
On their next possession, running back Xavier White had two rushes of 16 and 52 yards to get the Red Raiders to the 6-yard line, and Brooks scored his second touchdown of the game four plays later to give the Red Raiders a 21-13 lead.
Tech Comes Up Big in the Fourth Quarter
Stephen F. Austin got back in the game at the end of the third quarter when defensive lineman BJ Thompson strip-sacked Shough, and the ball rolled into Tech territory until linebacker Jeremiah Davis recovered the ball for the Lumberjacks at the Tech 26-yard-line.
The Lumberjacks turned it into their only offensive touchdown of the night but could not get the two-point conversion to tie the game.
Tech got up 28-19 on the very next possession as Ezukanma broke two tackles to haul in a 55-yard pass and set up a 4-yard rushing touchdown for White.
On the final drive, down 28-22, Stephen F. Austin was bailed out of a second-and-30 situation because of a facemask penalty on defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings.
Hutchings made up for it on the final four plays of the drive with a tackle for loss, a sack, and a quarterback pressure on fourth down that forced the final incompletion and gave Tech their second victory of the year.
Defensive Line Impact on the Win
Third-year head coach Matt Wells said the Tech defensive line was really good against the Lumberjacks, especially in the fourth quarter where they got in the backfield more often.
“Coming off the field,” Wells said, “it feels like the D-line was a major positive force, “especially late in the game, and I think you saw their conditioning probably come out a little bit.”
Hutchings said he agrees that the defensive conditioning came into play tonight.
“I feel like the coaches make our Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday practices as hard as all get out,” Hutchings said. “They have us pushing prowlers, then going back and doing team reps, so they conditioned practice to be harder than the game.”
Next for the Red Raiders
Tech is 2-0 despite the first-half deficits and looking to finish undefeated in nonconference play against Florida International University at Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday.
“We’ll celebrate being 2-0, I absolutely will,” Wells said, “but I think the mindset of these guys, hopefully, will be, ‘We’re going to be coachable, we’re going back to work, and we’ve got to find ways to improve and find a way to win next week.’”
Stats
- Tech had 201 rushing yards and just 163 passing yards, with the run game led by Tahj Brooks (115 yards, two touchdowns) and Xavier White (70 yards, one touchdown).
- Erik Ezukanma received 144 of the team’s 163 passing yards.
- SFA wide receiver Xavier Gipson set a career-high in receptions with 13 for 158 yards.
- SFA quarterback Trae Self set a career-high in attempts as he threw the ball 58 times with 38 completions for 343 yards and a touchdown.
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