LUBBOCK, Texas — No need to sweat a late-game kick this time. No cause for a nickel back to save the day.
Unlike its past two games, West Virginia didn’t encounter any drama against Texas Tech. It spent the final minutes enjoying a 48-17 cakewalk that coach Dana Holgorsen called “our most complete win of the year, clearly.”
The No. 20 Mountaineers went three-and-out on their first drive and never punted again, bolting out to a 24-7 halftime lead before adding scores on all four second-half possessions.
Texas Tech couldn’t keep pace, hardly resembling the nation’s total offense leader
“These guys are known for starting fast and jumping out on you,” Holgorsen said. “We’re the ones that kind of did that today.”
Crawford’s status
After scoring two touchdowns, running back Justin Crawford left with a right ankle injury in the second quarter and did not return.
“Crawford’s fine, it’s an ankle sprain,” Holgorsen said. “We shot him up at halftime and he didn’t feel great.”
West Virginia still piled up 332 yards rushing (7.2 per carry) with Rushel Shell going for 104 and Kennedy McKoy gaining 99 before banging his shoulder on the turf in the fourth quarter.
“All those guys are ready to play,” the coach said. “At that position you’re going to get down to your second guy, your third guy.”
Fleming ejected
Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson understood the targeting ejection of cornerback Maurice Fleming, who popped Cameron Batson after an incomplete pass in the flat.
“It looked like (Fleming) got pushed into him a little, but it was helmet-to-helmet,” Gibson said.
The fourth-quarter ejection means Fleming must miss the opening half next week when TCU visits Morgantown.
Ever the coordinator, Gibson mainly lamented the fact that Fleming’s foul bailed Texas Tech out of a second-and-22 hole, leading to Nic Shimonek’s touchdown pass.
Shelton Gibson prophetic
Though he had a quiet game Saturday, everyone heard what Shelton Gibson predicted this week — that his West Virginia defensive teammates could shut down Texas Tech.
He reminded the Mountaineers’ defensive backs all week, “I put a little bird in the media that y’all are gonna hold them to 10 points, and we need to make it happen.”
And West Virginia’s defense essentially delivered. By the time national passing leader Patrick Mahomes was pulled with 10:24 remaining, the lead stood at 41-10.
“They pretty much told us all week they were going to come in here and shut us out, told us they were going to hold us to 10 points, and they basically did,” Mahomes said. “It’s pretty embarrassing, really.”
Not a fake
Texas Tech trailed 34-10 with 12 minutes left when its punt team made things worse. Kyle Heffron flubbed the snap, forcing an unsuspecting upback to grab the loose ball for 6-yard loss.
Coach Kliff Kingsbury said no trickery was afoot, not with the Red Raiders facing fourth-and-33 on their half of the field.
“The answer I got was it slipped coming out,” he said. “It was not a called fake. I know that.”