LEROY: Tech, Wolff believe as Raiders knock off No. 22 Texas in OT

UBBOCK – Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said his team has a lot of belief right now.

It certainly showed on Saturday against No. 22-ranked Texas.

The Red Raiders believed even after they were down 31-17 in the second half. And after they had rallied to take a 34-31 lead with 21 seconds left, Texas marched down the field in inexplicably, lightning fashion to force the game to overtime with a last second 48-yard field goal by Bret Auburn, the Red Raiders believed.

The Red Raiders defense responded in OT by forcing a fumble by star Texas running back Bijan Robinson and then Trey Wolff nailed his third field goal of the game with a 20-yarder to give Texas Tech the heart-stopping 37-34 victory in front of sold-out crowd of 60,975 at Jones AT&T Stadium.

It was the first time, that Tech had beaten the Longhorns in Lubbock since the Graham Harrell-to-Michael Crabtree game in 2008, and the fans, who do not need much reason to rush field in the Hub City, rushed the field in celebration.

This was also the first signature win under the McGuire era, and it gives the Red Raiders (3-1, 1-0 in the Big 12) a big confidence booster going into the rest of the league schedule.

“I’m really proud of our guys,” McGuire said. “I know there was a moment that it was 31-17, they could have given up, and they didn’t. We asked to come out at the half to keep fighting and good things are going to happen. What’s fun is that these guys believe and whenever you have results like this, you have belief even more. They’re practicing extremely hard, they’re practicing themselves into really good football players, they’re practicing themselves into a good football team.

“I was asked what it means to beat Texas. What it means to us is we’re 1-0 in the Big 12. I’m fired up to beat Texas, don’t get me wrong, but I’m more excited to be 1-0. Our guys are going to enjoy that, but this is not the end of what we’re about to do. We’re going to keep getting better and we’re going to get refocused. We’re going to find out how we respond to success.”

Texas Tech fans probably thought that the Red Raiders had it won when Wolff kicked a 45-yard field goal with 21 seconds left for a 34-31 lead.

But it took 19 seconds for the Longhorns (2-2, 0-1) to march down the field and get into field goal range for Auburn, who nailed his kick with no time left in regulation.

Tech won the coin toss in overtime and chose to go on defense first. On the first play from scrimmage, Tech linebacker Krishon Merriweather forced the fumble on Robinson and Reggie Pearson recovered.

The Tech offense just had to get a score and when quarterback Donovan Smith was stopped short on third-and-goal at the 2 yard-line, it was no brainer for McGuire to call on Wolff to kick the game-winner.

“Him making that kick (a 47-yarder at the end of regulation) against Houston to send us to overtime gave us a lot of confidence in him,” McGuire said. “We have a lot of confidence in Wolff and he came through today. We felt good about where we were at with his last two kicks. I almost took a delay (of game penalty) to give him a better angle, but he felt good about it and he said he was going to knock it through. I believe in my guys, and he did.”

Wolff, a senior from Spring, said he was ready for when his number was called.

“For that (45-yarder) I kind of knew we were going to be in that situation with the time we had left and the coaches and our offense did a good job of getting our clock down and we were going to take the win with a field goal,” he said. “I was in the net on that side ready to go, just kind of visualizing wherever I could be on the field. When I got down there, I knew that the guys up front were going to protect and the snapper and holder were going to operate perfectly like they always do. Those are the moments we work for.  

“I was kind of slowing down on that celebration because we’ve been in a situation or two with Texas where we’ve got to wait until the clock shows, zero, zero, zero. Luckily we got that opportunity again in overtime and the defense did a great job like they had done all game and they left me with an opportunity to do my job to help the team.”

Tech junior receiver Myles Price, who finished with 13 catches for 98 yards, was sure glad to see Wolff connect when it mattered most.

“It’s about time. It shouldn’t have gotten that far! It shouldn’t have gotten to overtime!,” said the animated Price. “But it’s like that sometimes and I’m glad we finished.

“I look at games in the past and we might not have finished that (kind of) game, so to see us finish the game like that, it makes me happy and I’m glad we did it.”

The confidence that Wolff has shown is much different than two years ago when he lost his starting job because of inconsistency.  And then coming into this season, McGuire had used both Wolff and junior Gino Garcia to kick.

“I think one of the biggest things that helped me so much is that Coach McGuire preaches a what’s next mentality and we’re all the brand,” Wolff said. “If something good happens, erase that. If something bad happens, erase it, what’s next. I started this game with a kickoff out of bounds and I just walked on the sideline like nothing ever happened because there’s a possibility that my team is going to need me. The best opportunity for me in that situation to have a level head and not get too emotional about whatever I’m in.”

McGuire wasn’t also shy about going for it on fourth down as the Red Raiders went for it eight times and were successful on six of those attempts. One of those makes was Donovan Smith completing a 6-yard pass to Price on fourth-and-three at midfield to keep the last offensive drive in regulation alive.

Earlier in the game, it seemed that it would only be a matter of time before the Longhorns would erupt to put this game away. They certainly had a lot of momentum on their side when they scored 14 unanswered to take a 24-14 lead at the intermission.

After a 27-yard field goal by Wolff, Texas extended the lead to 31-17 when Robinson (101 yards, 2 TDs) broke free for a 40-yard TD run down the near sideline.

But unlike in recent years, the Red Raiders were not going to fold and a SaRodorick Thompson 1-yard TD run on the following drive got the Red Raiders back in the game.

Then with 7:54 remaining, Tech tied the game at 31 when Donovan Smith (38-of-56, 331 yards, 2 TDs) found a wide open Baylor Cupp for a 17-yard TD pass.

When asked if this victory over the Longhorns was as big as the one in 2008, McGuire wouldn’t go that far. But he did acknowledge that any time the Red Raiders can get a win over the Longhorns, it’s going to feel pretty good.

“That (2008) game was iconic for so many reasons, but I well tell you 60,000 people will remember where they were on September 24th and they will remember how hard the Red Raiders fought to get the win,” McGuire said. “I think it’s definitely something to build off of and once you beat an in-state rival and a ranked team at home, it’s a big deal.”

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