GAME RECAP: No. 15 Texas Tech Holds Off No. 24 Arizona 34-26 as J’Koby Williams Runs for 175 Yards

LUBBOCK, Texas — Galaxy Stadium spent Halloween afternoon in scarlet and black and watched Noah Fifita throw for 417 yards, and the Red Raiders still won it on the ground.

No. 15 Texas Tech left Galaxy Stadium with a 34-26 win over No. 24 Arizona, a home result built on 328 rushing yards and a defense that held the Wildcats to 12 yards on the ground. The Red Raiders improve to 7-1 and 4-1 in the Big 12. Arizona falls to 6-2 and 3-2. It was a 10-point hole at the half that Texas Tech erased by outscoring Arizona 24-9 after the break.

Arizona opened the way a Brent Brennan team wanted to open a road trip to Lubbock. Seven plays, 57 yards, keyed by a 55-yard catch from Giovanni Richardson on the third snap, and Michael Salgado-Medina hit a 35-yard field goal at 11:35 of the first. Arizona 3, Texas Tech 0.

Texas Tech answered with a long one. Thirteen plays, 75 yards. Thomas Castellanos ran it three times on the drive, then found Terrance Carter Jr. for 24 yards at 7:03. Stone Harrington converted. 3-7. The Red Raiders had the lead.

The second quarter belonged to Arizona. Backed up at its own 8, Arizona went three plays, 92 yards. After a 4-yard loss, Fifita hit Isaiah Mizell deep for a 94-yard touchdown at 10:02. Salgado-Medina converted. 10-7. The Wildcats then went 14 plays, 81 yards in 7:07, helped by a Texas Tech pass interference call at the 27, and Kedrick Reescano scored from five yards out at 1:56. Salgado-Medina made it 17-7. Joey McGuire’s offense had one answer before the half. Castellanos ran for 24 and 25 yards on a nine-play, 64-yard drive, and Harrington hit a 29-yard field goal at 0:24. 17-10 at the break.

The third quarter turned into a run-game clinic. Twelve plays, 75 yards to open the half, and Castellanos scored from eight yards out at 10:02. Harrington converted. 17-17. Arizona answered with 10 plays, 75 yards, including a 35-yard catch from Mizell, and Reescano scored from a yard out at 5:34. Texas Tech’s A. Nedore blocked the extra point. 23-17. Texas Tech needed seven plays, 75 yards. J’Koby Williams broke a 27-yard run, and Castellanos found Kenny Johnson for 27 yards at 2:33. Harrington converted. 23-24. Williams added a 24-yard run late in the quarter, and Harrington opened the fourth with a 42-yard field goal at 14:43. 23-27.

Arizona refused to go away. The Wildcats drove 10 plays to the Texas Tech 18, but Fifita’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete at 9:12. Dwight Bootle II recovered a Cameron Dickey fumble at the Texas Tech 43 on the next possession, and the Red Raiders’ defense forced a three-and-out anyway. Then Williams settled it. Three plays, 73 yards, and he ran 64 yards for a touchdown at 2:05. Harrington made it 23-34. Fifita drove Arizona 13 plays, 63 yards, and Salgado-Medina hit a 22-yard field goal at 0:22. 26-34. The onside kick did not get the ball back, and Castellanos took a knee.

The box score is the part that will travel on Sunday. Texas Tech finished with 472 total yards (144 pass, 328 rush). Arizona managed 429 (417 pass, 12 rush). Castellanos went 11-of-24 for 144 yards and two touchdowns and carried 19 times for 117 yards and a score. Johnson caught four balls for 49 yards and a touchdown, and Carter caught three for 42 and a score. Williams carried 14 times for 175 yards and a touchdown. Harrington was 2-for-2 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points. Fifita finished 33-of-45 for 417 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Mizell had seven catches for 182 yards and a score, and Richardson added six for 90. Reescano ran for two touchdowns. Austin Romaine led Texas Tech with 14 tackles, and the Red Raiders sacked Fifita five times. Texas Tech lost the game’s only turnover.

Galaxy Stadium is supposed to be the place where Texas Tech’s offense lights up the scoreboard through the air. Saturday it was the place where the Red Raiders let Arizona have the passing game, took away everything else, and ran their way to a seventh win.

Player of the Game: J’Koby Williams. Fourteen carries for 175 yards, including the 27- and 24-yard runs that set up second-half points and the 64-yard touchdown that put the game away with 2:05 left.