Counting down the top 10 Texas Tech sports moments of 2019

No. 10: Beating No. 21 OSU in football

October’s 45-35 victory over No.21 Oklahoma State by the Texas Tech football team was nothing that rocked the landscape of the Big 12 nor did it vault Matt Wells’ team to a surprising finish.  But because I wanted to have at least one football moment on this list, this was the only option.

On the day, the Red Raiders won the turnover battle 5-0 and jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first half.  It was the most complete game of the year and the best game of Jett Duffey’s career.

Additionally, it would prove to be the only win Duffey would ever secure at Jones Stadium.  Now in the transfer portal, the junior threw for 424 yards (second-most in his career) and four touchdowns (equalling a career-high) while not being intercepted.

But the real star of the day for Tech was middle linebacker, Jordyn Brooks.  The second-team All-American racked up 19 tackles with four for loss and three sacks.

This would prove to be one of only two Big 12 wins on the year for the Red Raiders and the only win over a Power 5 opponent at Jones Stadium in 2019.  But at the time, we thought it might signal that this year’s team was ready for a surprise breakout.

Tech rebounded from an embarrassing blowout loss the week prior to Oklahoma to play its best game of the year to move to 3-2 overall.  It was the second-straight win against the Cowboys after a nine-game losing streak and that’s something that made the Red Raider faithful optimistic about the Wells era.

Unfortunately, the team couldn’t carry the momentum though some of that is because of the travesty suffered at the hands of the Big 12 officials the next week in Waco.  But for at least one week, Red Raider football fans finally got to leave Jones Stadium feeling upbeat about the direction of their program.