No. 11 Iowa State suffered its first loss of the season, losing to Texas Tech, 23-22, on a five-yard touchdown by Tahj Brooks with 19 seconds left in the game.
With the loss, the Cyclones fall to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, falling behind No. 9 BYU (5-0, 8-0) in a tie for second place with Colorado (4- 1, 6). -2). No. 17 Kansas State (4-2, 7-2) falls to third place after the Wildcats’ 24-19 loss to Houston.
The Red Raiders drove 71 yards in 12 plays, taking 1:41 off the clock, to score the go-ahead score. A two-point conversion attempt to take a three-point lead failed.
Texas Tech reached the 1-yard line with 35 seconds left on a 13-yard pass from Behren Morton to Jordan Brown. But a false start penalty on the next play pushed the offense back to the 5-yard line. However, Brooks scored two plays later.
The Cyclones took a 22-17 lead with just over two minutes left. Rocco Becht connected with Carson Brown for a 44-yard catch and run that put the Cyclones on top after trailing for most of the fourth quarter. That was Brown’s only reception of the game.
Texas Tech had two chances to take the lead in the final two minutes of the game, but Behren Morton first tackled an open Josh Kelly for what would have been a 60-yard score. Kelly failed to make another reception in the end zone on a 49-yard pass attempt.
Kelly finished with eight receptions for 127 yards with his two touchdowns. Morton threw for 237 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, completing 21 of 40 passes. Brooks rushed for 122 yards and scored the game-winner on 25 carries. Texas Tech improves to 4-2 in the Big 12 and 6-3 overall.
The Cyclones were looking for a go-ahead score with just over five minutes left in the game, but curiously called a quarterback run on third-and-10 from the Texas Tech 32-yard line. Becht only gained one yard by running against the right tackle , forcing Iowa State to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt.
However, Kyle Konrardy missed badly and launched his kick too far to the right.
Texas Tech took a 7-0 lead on its first possession, capping a 72-yard drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Behren Morton to a wide-open Josh Kelly.
The two later connected on a 19-yard score late in the third quarter to give the Red Raiders a 17-13 lead.
For Iowa State, Becht completed 22 of 38 passes for 327 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Jayden Higgins had 10 catches for 149 yards and a score, and Jaylin Noel added six catches for 68 yards. Abu Sama III led the Cyclones with 74 rushing yards on 13 carries, and Carson Hansen ran for 46 yards on 11 carries.