Heisman chants filled Jones AT&T Stadium Saturday as linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and No. 6 Texas Tech routed UCF 48-9.
It is the 10th game Texas Tech has won by 22 or more points, tying it for the most in conference history. The 22-point margin was reached by the 4:42 mark in the second quarter.
Texas Tech’s defense allowed a single score in the third quarter, marking its second consecutive game with one touchdown allowed. The only other score for UCF came from a holding call against Texas Tech in the end zone, which resulted in a safety.
Saturday was the final home game for Texas Tech, but playoff projections expect the Red Raiders to host in the first round if they don’t earn a bye.
Sports Roundup
With its first 10-win season secured since 2008, here are five takeaways from Texas Tech’s win.
Texas Tech is on pace for Arlington
With the win, the Red Raiders need a BYU loss or a win in its regular season finale against West Virginia to earn a berth in the Big 12 Championship game for the first time in program history. They would not win the regular-season title if West Virginia defeats them on Nov. 29 and Arizona State or BYU win out, but a victory over West Virginia guarantees the title.
Texas Tech has not won an outright conference title game since 1955, yet head coach Joey McGuire left a spot open in the Red Raiders’ Womble Football Center during construction for the conference trophy. He will face either BYU, Cincinnati, Utah or Arizona State for the trophy on Dec. 6 if the Red Raiders win out.
A plethora of results will need to happen across the SEC and Big Ten for Texas Tech to guarantee a top-four seed in the College Football Playoff. But the Red Raiders have set themselves up for a near-guaranteed spot in December football.
Red Raiders protected The Jones
McGuire successfully turned Jones AT&T Stadium into the toughest environment in the Big 12 this year.
Texas Tech completed its eight-game home slate without a loss for the first time since 2008. The Red Raiders also had their largest combined margin of victory since the same year.
The stadium sold out for each game and was voted “Student Section of the Week” by the Big 12 multiple times throughout the season. Saturday, it proved once again that it could turn out a dominant crowd as it reached 60,229 in attendance.
Can Jacob Rodriguez make it to NYC
Rodriguez is gaining traction across the country as a potential Heisman candidate, with FOX Sports’ Matt Leinart and Robert Griffin III advocating he should be invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony on Dec. 13.
He only furthered the push Saturday as he added a rushing touchdown to his Heisman case on a direct snap from two yards out. He hit the Heisman pose moments after, followed by a shower of “Heisman” chants.
He later snagged his third interception of the year in the second quarter on a tunnel screen, which he jumped in front of. With 11 total turnovers, Rodriguez has forced as many as Ohio State, Utah, Houston and Arizona State have this season.
A linebacker has not finished in the top three for Heisman voting since Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o was the runner-up in 2012.
Texas Tech proves its No. 1 rush defense ranking
Nothing was getting through Texas Tech’s No. 1-ranked rush defense Saturday. UCF transfer Lee Hunter met his former team in the contest and aided Texas Tech in holding the Knights to 52 yards on the ground.
One Knights rusher recorded a run of over 10 yards, but, excluding that rush, each of the five recorded rushers finished with a 2.2 or fewer average yards per carry.
The Knights were without starter Myles Montgomery, who was listed as a game-time decision after suffering a shoulder injury in last week’s game. In part to this, the Knights finished with fewer team rushing yards than any of their starters’ worst days this season.
Reggie Virgil has a day
Miami Ohio transfer Reggie Virgil made the most of his senior day at Texas Tech with three trips to the end zone, all of which came in the second quarter.
He took a jet sweep five yards to open the second quarter with a score before taking a reverse from 30 yards out to the house. He was tripped up initially in the backfield but took a wide angle to the right side of the field and outpaced three defenders.
Virgil reeled in an eight-yard crossing route on quarterback Behren Morton’s final throw of the day. Once again, Virgil outpaced the defender by two steps to get the needed separation.
Saturday is his first three-touchdown game of his career.
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