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Texas Tech football outlasts Oklahoma State in shootout: Takeaways
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- Texas Tech football outlasts Oklahoma State in shootout: Takeaways
The Texas Tech football team survived a shootout in Stillwater, holding off Oklahoma State 56-48 on Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Red Raiders (7-4, 5-3) needed a fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown, a missed field goal and blocked point-after kick to come up with the final margin, but the deed was done.
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Tahj Brooks did just about everything for the Red Raiders , totaling four touchdowns (three on the ground, one through the air) and hit the 100-yard rushing mark for the 10th time in his 10 games this season. Jacob Rodriguez had what wound up being the deciding fumble recovery touchdown and the game-sealing interception.
Texas Tech's Tahj Brooks is taken down by Oklahoma State's C.J. Williams (22) while Kendal Daniels (5) looks on during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla.
Same old Texas Tech football
There's a lot of deja vu when it comes to the Texas Tech football team this year. One example is the team's ability to blaze on offense out of the gates before it comes to a crashing halt. That started earlier than normal on Saturday.
Texas Tech eased its way to a 14-0 lead, accumulating 166 yards on its first two drives. The next four saw the Red Raiders total just 49 yards, which allowed Oklahoma State to tie the game with two touchdowns from Ollie Gordon II.
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Tahj Brooks the receiver
Brooks has become more of an option in the passing game as the season progresses. He was Tech's leading receiver in the first half, closing the second quarter by stretching out for a 25-yard touchdown catch. He had five catches on six targets for 54 yards in the first half.
In Brooks we trust
Brooks set a new career-high with eight catches for 65 yards late in the fourth quarter. He also had three rushing TDs and tallied 132 rushing yards, able to high-five Jalin Conyers on a 40-yard spurt where he went untouched.
Brooks is always a big part of the game plan for Texas Tech, but this was a new level of involvement for Brooks.
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Jacob Rodriguez does it again
Early in the game, a high snap to OSU freshman quarterback Maealiuaki Smith resulted in a loss of 19 yards. Another one in the fourth rolled into the end zone, which Rodriguez pounced on for a touchdown to finally give Tech some separation, leading 56-42 and under five minutes to play.
Incremental growth
The season hasn't gone the way many wanted, but keep things in perspective. Texas Tech has now won three road games this season for the first time since 2017. A win next week gives Tech its first eight-win regular season since 2009. Take what you can get.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: What stood out in Texas Tech football's high-scoring win over Oklahoma State
