Field Level Media
Dec 5, 2020
Texas Tech overcame a lethargic offensive performance with a stingy defense, including a key fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter, to survive a 16-13 decision against winless Kansas on Saturday.
In their 2020 regular-season finale, the Red Raiders eked out the win on Jonathan Garibay's 36-yard field goal that was partially blocked with 5:36 left in the game, his third of the day.
Emblematic of an ugly game between two of the Big 12 Conference's worst teams, Garibay also missed three other kicks, including a 45-yarder with two minutes to go that gave the Jayhawks one final chance.
But the last Kansas series ended like most of the previous chances -- with no damage done -- in large part because of the Raiders' defense.
Texas Tech (4-6, 3-6 Big 12 Conference) stifled the Jayhawks (0-9, 0-8) most of the day and limited them to 214 total yards on 73 snaps. The Red Raiders held Kansas to 2.5 yards per rush, logged 12 tackles for loss (four sacks) and pestered Jayhawk quarterback Miles Kendrick almost every time he set up to throw.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech ran the ball well with 293 yards, led by Xavier White with 135 yards, but three lost fumbles left the window of opportunity wide open for the Jayhawks. One of those turnovers created a 13-13 deadlock when Kansas' Daniel Hishaw squirted through a hole on the right side for a 12-yard touchdown run with 10:46 to play.
Garibay put the Raiders in front with a 47-yard field goal at the 8:56 mark of the first quarter, and the lead swelled to 10-0 when receiver Myles Price rambled 70 yards on a reverse.
KU's Jacob Borcila connected on field goals late in the second and third quarters to keep his team in range, 13-6 after three quarters. Hishaw's touchdown knotted the score and forced the Red Raiders to respond.
They did so with a 10-play, 52-yard drive that quarterback Alan Bowman kept alive with a 6-yard scramble to convert a fourth down with eight minutes to go. Garibay booted the game-winning kick moments later to send the Jayhawks into their last game trying to avoid the program's second winless season since 1954.
--Field Level Media