Josh Kelly had a career-high 10 receptions for 89 yards and Tahj Brooks rushed for 117 yards on 27 carries as Texas Tech handed visiting Arizona State a 30-22 defeat Saturday in the Sun Devils’ first Big 12 game in program history.
Behren Morton completed 24 of 44 passes for 201 yards with two touchdowns for the Red Raiders (3-1, 1-0 Big 12).
Arizona State (3-1, 0-1) was led by running back Cam Skattebo’s 117 yards receiving on six catches. Sam Leavitt completed 22 of 38 pass attempts for 282 yards with an interception.
Skattebo’s 3-yard touchdown run with 1:39 left closed the scoring. The Sun Devils’ 2-point conversion attempt after Skattebo’s touchdown failed, with Leavitt’s pass to Chamon Metayer falling incomplete.
Texas Tech scored on its first two possessions on touchdown passes by Morton to take a 14-0 lead with 7:42 remaining in the first quarter. Morton connected on a 5-yarder to Johncarlos Miller II to open the scoring, then after CJ Baskerville intercepted a Leavitt pass at the Arizona State 38, Morton’s 20-yard strike to Kelly was the Red Raiders’ second touchdown.
Arizona State’s Ian Hershey made a 34-yard field goal with 13-10 left in the second quarter to cut the lead to 14-3, then Leavitt’s 1-yard keeper with 1:33 remaining in the half, which capped a 79-yard drive, cut the lead to 14-10.
Gino Garcia made a 30-yard field goal with 8 seconds left in the half to put Texas Tech ahead 17-10.
Former Arizona State tight end Jaylin Conyers, who played the previous three seasons with the Sun Devils, put Texas Tech ahead 24-10 in the third quarter on a direct-snap 3-yard run.
The Red Raiders were forced to punt on their next possession after failing to take advantage of Arizona State turning the ball over on downs at the Sun Devil 48 with 5:40 left in the third quarter.
The Sun Devils then went 80 yards in three plays, highlighted by Leavitt’s 66-yard pass to Skattebo, to cut the lead to 24-16.
Skattebo finished the scoring drive with a 3-yard run.
The point-after attempt by Hershey was blocked by E’Maurion Banks.
Texas Tech had field goals of 40 yards by Reese Burkhardt and 39 yards by Garcia in the fourth quarter.
