Big 12 Championship Recap: Texas Tech Dominates BYU 34-7
Final Score: Texas Tech 34, BYU 7
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Attendance: 54,127
I’m writing this recap. Mike offered to do it, but I told him I’ve been waiting 31 years for this moment and I’m not giving it to anyone else.
Let’s go.
First Half: Statement Made
Texas Tech came out and punched BYU in the mouth.
The opening drive was surgical. Behren Morton completed 5 of 6 passes, Tahj Brooks gashed them for 23 yards on three carries, and Tech scored in under four minutes. 7-0. Tone set.
BYU’s first drive? Three and out. Their offensive line couldn’t handle Tech’s front seven. Jacob Rodriguez had a TFL on the second play. The pressure was immediate and constant.
Tech’s second drive ended with a field goal. 10-0.
BYU’s second drive? Another three and out. Jake Retzlaff was running for his life.
By halftime, it was 17-0. BYU had 87 total yards. Eighty-seven. In a half. Against a team playing for a championship.
The Cougars’ vaunted defense — the one that carried them all season — couldn’t get off the field. Tech converted 6 of 8 third downs in the first half. They possessed the ball for 19 minutes. They dominated time of possession, the line of scrimmage, and the scoreboard.
I was at the game. The Tech fans were going crazy by the second quarter. Tortillas were flying. “Raider Power” was echoing through Jerry World. It was beautiful.
Second Half: No Mercy
Some teams let off the gas with a 17-point lead. Joey McGuire is not that guy.
Tech’s first drive of the second half: 75 yards, 8 plays, touchdown. Morton to Caleb Douglas for 28 yards on third-and-7. Tahj Brooks punched it in from the 3.
24-0.
BYU finally showed life on their next drive — a 12-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a touchdown. 24-7. Signs of life?
Nope.
Tech responded with a 9-play, 80-yard drive. Morton scrambled for 15 on third-and-12. Brooks broke two tackles on a 22-yard run. Touchdown. 31-7.
The fourth quarter was garbage time. Tech added a field goal. BYU’s offense never found a rhythm. The final: 34-7.
The Stars
Jacob Rodriguez (LB) — Defensive MVP
11 tackles. 2 sacks. 1 forced fumble. Constant disruption.
Rodriguez was the best player on the field. BYU’s offensive line had no answer. He was in the backfield on seemingly every play, blowing up runs, pressuring Retzlaff, making life miserable for everyone in a white jersey.
This man is going to be a first-round pick. Book it.
Behren Morton (QB)
22-of-31. 287 yards. 2 TD. 0 INT. 156.7 rating.
Morton was in complete control all game. He didn’t force anything, took what the defense gave him, and made plays when Tech needed them. The third-down conversions were the story — 9 of 14 on the game.
Tahj Brooks (RB)
24 carries. 134 yards. 5.6 YPC. 2 TD.
Brooks ran angry. He ran through tackles. He ran BYU into the ground. The offensive line deserves credit too — they created lanes all night — but Brooks finished everything.
What Happened to BYU?
Look, I’m going to be fair here. BYU is a good team. They went 11-2 for a reason. Their defense was elite all season. Jake Retzlaff was efficient and mistake-free.
But Tech’s front seven was a matchup nightmare.
BYU’s offensive line is good, not great. They rely on quick throws and efficient execution. When Tech’s defense took that away — when Rodriguez and the defensive line were in the backfield immediately — they had no Plan B.
Retzlaff finished 14-of-28 for 156 yards. He was under pressure on almost every dropback. The running game? 67 yards on 24 carries. They couldn’t move the ball.
Credit to BYU for the season they had. 11-2 is excellent. But on this night, Tech was better. Way better.
What This Means for Texas Tech
Thirty-one years.
The last time Tech won a conference championship, I wasn’t alive. My dad was in his twenties. The program had never been to a major bowl game.
Now? We’re Big 12 Champions. We’re in the College Football Playoff. We’re playing Notre Dame in South Bend.
Joey McGuire said he was going to build something special in Lubbock. People laughed. “It’s Tech,” they said. “They’ll always be a basketball school with a football problem.”
Nobody’s laughing now.
This program is different. The culture is different. The belief is different. You could see it on the sideline — even up 24-0, they were locked in. No celebration until the job was done.
December 21st. Notre Dame. South Bend.
I’ve already requested the days off work. My voice is still gone from the championship game. I don’t care.
We’re here. We did it. And we’re not done.
— Jake
Mike’s Postgame Note:
I watched the whole game. I took notes. I was going to write something analytical about how Tech’s defensive scheme neutralized BYU’s quick-pass game and how the offensive line’s improvement from September to December was the key to everything.
But Jake’s right. This is his moment. Tech earned it.
They were the better team. Clearly. Convincingly. Dominantly.
Now let’s see if they can do it against Notre Dame.
— Mike
Box Score Highlights:
- Total Yards: Tech 478, BYU 223
- Third Downs: Tech 9-14 (64%), BYU 3-12 (25%)
- Time of Possession: Tech 35:42, BYU 24:18
- Turnovers: Tech 0, BYU 1
- Sacks: Tech 5, BYU 1
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