This time, West Virginia’s trip to Texas made history for the wrong reason.
In one of the most inept showings for a Dana Holgorsen-coached offense, the No. 5 Mountaineers suffered through a 49-14 loss to Texas Tech.
Seth Doege threw for 499 yards and six touchdowns, looking far more like a Heisman contender than WVU’s Geno Smith, who was only 29-of-55 for 275 yards and only one touchdown.
"Anytime we don’t get the run game going, there is pressure on Geno," Holgorsen said. "You can’t sit there and put the ball in his hands and say magically get it done."
Texas Tech (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) piled up 676 yards of offense, handing West Virginia (5-1, 2-1) its worst loss since 2001’s 45-3 drubbing against Miami. As the sun set on the West Texas plains, Tech fans spilled onto the field at Jones AT&T Stadium.
"Looking up at the scoreboard and seeing those numbers — that’s what internally made me a kid — and enjoying the fans rushing the field," Doege said. "I’ve always wanted to be part of something like that."
WVU’s offense had not scored fewer than 21 points in its first 18 games under Holgorsen. Nor had the coach’s offenses at Oklahoma State been so held in check. West Virginia came in averaging 532 points per game but managed only one touchdown until the final 2:41, when Dustin Garrison scored from 2 yards out.
"They come in really cocky, just kind of on the high road," said Red Raiders linebacker Cody Davis, who made 13 tackles. "I think we schemed them up perfect and really locked down the run and locked down their big receivers."
Tavon Austin had nine catches for 114 yards, but was held without a score. Stedman Bailey left with a foot injury in the third quarter after making six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. J.D. Woods finished with seven catches for 79 yards.
But Smith didn’t show his typical accuracy. An 81-percent passer through this season’s first five games, he connected on only 52 percent Saturday.
"It’s the way the game goes," Smith said. "Everyone has a bad game. I don’t think I played terribly bad. I just think I didn’t do enough to win the game. I measure myself on wins and losses, rather than completions and all that other stuff that people like to build up in the media."
A week after a historic win at Texas, the Mountaineers will tumble precipitously when the BCS rankings debut on Sunday. WVU had four drives end on downs inside Texas Tech territory, failing to fulfill its end of a shootout.
"They were the better team today," Holgorsen said. "They outplayed us. They outcoached us."
Trailing by four touchdowns, Holgorsen grew so desperate that he went for fourth-and-6 at his own 28 midway through the third quarter. Smith sailed that pass well out of bounds, and though Texas Tech subsequently missed a 41-yard field-goal try, it was only a temporary break in the scoring. Before the third quarter expired, Doege found Darrin Moore on a 29-yard score for a 42-7 cushion.
Doege hit Moore again for a 7-yard score in the fourth quarter to make it 49-7.
"We knew there was an opportunity there to throw the football," Doege said
Texas Tech scored on its first two possessions, with Doege making timely scrambles before throwing touchdowns to cap 75- and 69-yard drives.
Doege ran for 23 yards before hitting tight end Jace Amaro for a 39-yarder to make it 7-0. Doege converted a fourth-and-3 scramble on the next series before lofting a gorgeously thrown 19-yard fade route to Eric Ward, who got one foot down despite tight coverage by Brodrick Jenkins.
After WVU cut it to 14-7 on Smith’s 7-yard strike to Stedman Bailey, Doege’s pass was juggled by Marcus Kennard into an interception by Karl Joseph.
That was the only gaffe by Texas Tech in the first half, when the Red Raiders gained 405 yards and scored touchdowns on their final three possessions. Those drives were quick and lethal:
— 82 yards in three plays in 52 seconds
— 86 yards in nine plays in 3:44
— 67 yards in three plays in 21 seconds.
A 61-yard Doege-to-Amaro connection set up a 16-yard TD to Kennard for a 21-7 lead. Amaro made three catches for 121 yards before sustaining a shoulder injury late in the half. He returned, however, and finished with 156 yards on five catches.
Kenny Williams had a 24-yard catch and a 15-yard run on the next drive before Darrin Moore’s 2-yard scoring grab built the margin to 28-7.
Tech’s next scoring drive started at its own 33 with 56 seconds left in the half. After a false start and an incomplete pass, Jakeem Grant went 19 yards with a shovel pitch before SaDale Foster delivered the knockout punch. The tailback turned an innocent-looking inside handoff into a 53-yard scoring run by bouncing outside, and Texas Tech had a 35-7 lead with 35 seconds left.
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