Fort Worth, Texas
– It was a feeling the Red Raiders did not get to enjoy at the end of
the 2011 season – making it to a bowl game.
It took three overtimes on Saturday, but No. 17 Texas Tech
(6-1, 3-1 in Big 12 Conference Play) can now enjoy that feeling again of being
a bowl eligible team following a 56-53 shootout victory against TCU.
The Red Raiders have now been bowl eligible in 19 of the
past 20 seasons, and will make their first bowl appearance since 2010, when
Tech beat Northwestern 45-38 in the TicketCity Bowl
at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Tech gunslinger Seth Doege, for the second-straight week
made a case for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week going 30-for-42 for 318
yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions en route to leading the Red Raiders
back to the bowl season.
The 300-yard performance marked the fifth game Doege has
reached that plateau this season and the 14th time of his career and
the seven touchdown passes, three in overtime, marked a new career-high.
With the loss of Javon Bell and
Bradley Marquez for the season earlier this week, and Jace
Amaro’s return questionable, at least for this game,
the question was, who would step up?
Alex Torres and Austin Zouzalik
answered the call.
The two seniors combined to catch 10 passes, five a piece,
for 108 yards and two touchdowns, both by to Torres, including the game-winner
in the third overtime.
On the defensive side of the ball, Cody Davis led the Red
Raiders with his 11-tackle performance, following a week where the senior
registered 13 against the then-No.5 Mountaineers and was named the Big 12
Defensive Player of the Week.
For TCU (5-2, 2-2), the Horned Frogs redshirt freshman
quarterback Trevone Boykin went 26-for-44 for 332 yards, four touchdowns and
two interceptions, which Tech scored seven points off of.
The Red Raiders now set their sights on Manhattan, Kansas
next Saturday and the currently fourth-ranked Kansas State Wildcats.
Kickoff between the Wildcats and Red Raiders is set for 2:30
p.m. and the game can be seen on FOX.