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Texas Tech football: Hidden moments in victory over SFA

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Helmets sit along the sideline before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 24, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Helmets sit along the sideline before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 24, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 31: Running back Tahj Brooks #28 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during the first half of the college football game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 31: Running back Tahj Brooks #28 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during the first half of the college football game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Brooks picks up 11 on 3rd-and-1

SFA punter Max Quick had a nice night against the Red Raiders as he twice pinned Tech deep in its own territory.  One of those instances came in the middle of the third quarter when he downed a punt at the Red Raider three.

And Two plays later, the Red Raiders would face a critical 3rd-and-1.  This play, which came with Tech leading just 14-13 was massive because of the field-position implications.

Were Tech to have failed to convert on this snap, the special teams unit would have been punting from the shadow of its own goalposts and the Lumberjacks likely would have taken over with a short field to work with.  But instead, running ack Tahj Brooks ran for 11 yards to not only get the Red Raiders out of danger but to keep the drive alive.

That would be important because three plays later, Xavier White would break off a 52-yard run to get his team down to the SFA six.  And three plays after that, Brooks would score from a yard out to extend Tech’s lead to eight points.

For the game, the Red Raiders were 5-10 on third down.  And it could be argued that this conversion was one of the game’s biggest.

Brooks has become a homerun threat this year with three TD runs of over 40 yards.  However, at his core, he’s still a tough inside the tackles runner who can pick up gritty yards and it is fantastic to have a player of that ilk in the backfield.

Though this run didn’t require him to be as physical as he often can be, it was an important pickup nonetheless.  That’s because it proved to be the turning point in a drive that saw Tech find the endzone, something that didn’t happen far enough for Matt Well’s team on Saturday night.

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