Halloween took a frightful turn for Arizona as No. 13 Texas Tech emerged victorious over No. 22 Arizona with a 34-26 scoreline, significantly impacting the Wildcats’ College Football Playoff aspirations and Big 12 championship dreams. This win marked Texas Tech’s 13th consecutive home victory, equaling a program record.
Following a defeat to Cincinnati, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire opted for Thomas Castellanos over Will Hammond as quarterback. Castellanos impressed with his dual-threat ability, completing 11 of 24 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, along with 117 rushing yards and a score. This achievement was his fifth career game with over 100 rushing yards.
The ground game for Texas Tech was dominant, amassing 332 yards. Running back J’Koby Williams contributed substantially with 175 yards and a touchdown. Despite their success, the Red Raiders faced early challenges.
Both teams initially scored on their opening drives, with Arizona taking an early lead via Michael Salgado-Medina’s 35-yard field goal. Texas Tech responded with a precise 13-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Castellanos to tight end Terrance Carter Jr., giving them a 7-3 edge.
In a thrilling play, Arizona’s quarterback Noah Fifita connected with Isaiah Mizell for a 94-yard touchdown, propelling Arizona to a 10-7 lead. They extended their advantage with a five-yard touchdown run by Kedrick Reescano, ending a 14-play, 81-yard series for a 17-7 score.
Texas Tech closed the gap to 17-10 with a field goal as the first half ended. Carrying momentum into the third quarter, Texas Tech tied the game 17-17 as Castellanos ran an 8-yard touchdown.
Arizona retaliated with a 75-yard drive, highlighted by Reescano’s second touchdown. Their extra-point attempt, however, was blocked, leaving them with a 23-17 lead. Texas Tech capitalized on this, resulting in another touchdown on a fourth-and-2 situation, as Castellanos found Kenny Johnson, pushing them ahead 24-23.
Adding a 42-yard field goal from Stone Harrington, Texas Tech extended their lead 27-23. The subsequent defenses from both teams stalled further scoring opportunities until Texas Tech’s Williams broke away for a 64-yard touchdown, increasing their lead to 34-23.
Arizona managed another field goal late in the game, but failing to recover an onside kick sealed their defeat.
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