Texas Tech completed a breakthrough season on Saturday with a commanding 34 to 7 victory over No. 11 BYU in the Big 12 Championship Game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The win delivered the Red Raiders their first Big 12 title since joining the conference in 1996 and secured what is expected to be a first round bye in the 12 team College Football Playoff.
The fourth ranked Red Raiders entered the game riding one of the nation’s longest winning streaks and carried that momentum into the championship stage. BYU struck first with an early touchdown drive, but from that moment forward the game belonged entirely to Texas Tech. Coach Joey McGuire’s team tightened defensively, established control at the line of scrimmage and methodically overpowered a Cougars squad that had spent much of the season in the national rankings.
Texas Tech answered BYU’s opening score with a touchdown of its own in the first quarter, and a field goal late in the half gave the Red Raiders a 13 to 7 advantage at the break. The second half brought a decisive shift. Texas Tech’s defense forced four turnovers after halftime, a surge that repeatedly set up short fields and broke BYU’s rhythm. The Red Raiders converted those opportunities into 21 unanswered points, steadily pulling away and removing any chance of a late comeback.
Quarterback Behren Morton led Texas Tech’s offense with an efficient performance that included two touchdown passes. The Red Raiders also leaned on a productive rushing attack, using a committee of backs to control the tempo and wear down BYU’s front. While several offensive players contributed, the defining element of the win was the defensive effort. Texas Tech applied consistent pressure, limited explosive plays and capitalized on mistakes from a BYU offense that had averaged more than 30 points per game entering the matchup.
For BYU, the loss ended what had been one of the program’s strongest seasons since joining the Big 12. The Cougars opened confidently with a long scoring drive but were unable to regain momentum after Texas Tech produced stops on consecutive possessions. BYU struggled to sustain drives in the second half and finished far below its season averages in both yardage and third down conversions.
Saturday’s result marks a significant milestone for Texas Tech, which had never reached the Big 12’s championship podium. The program’s last outright conference title came in 1955, long before it entered the modern power conference landscape. McGuire, now in his third season, has overseen a rapid ascent built on recruiting success, defensive improvement and a system that has matured steadily over the past two years.
With the victory, Texas Tech improves to 12 and 1 and cements its place among the four teams receiving a first round bye in the College Football Playoff. That position gives the Red Raiders a direct path into the quarterfinals, where they will face their next challenge on New Year’s weekend.
The Big 12 title marks not only a historic achievement for the program but also a statement about its trajectory. Texas Tech began the season with ambition and ended it with hardware, leaving Arlington with both a championship trophy and a widening sense of possibility as the postseason begins.
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