Red Raiders Win Third Straight – Beating UCF 24 to 23

Recap by Allen Corbin...

Texas Tech Red Raider Football rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to comeback and defeat Central Florida 24-23 Saturday night in Lubbock. The win gives Tech a third straight bowl season and boosts them to 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12 while UCF falls to 5-6 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12.

UCF took the opening drive and scored on a 4-yard RJ Harvey run that capped off an 8-play drive over 75 yards where UCF Coach Gus Malzahn used more than a few gadget plays to move his team down the field. Tech would drive but stall out on a 4th down inside the UCF 20 and miss on an incomplete pass. 

UCF would take a 14-0 lead into the second quarter after another RJ Harvey TD run from a yard out. Tech would finally respond with a Bheren Morton 15-yard pass to Drae McCray to cut the lead in half to 14-7. Both teams would exchange punts until Tech tied the the game on a Morton to Mason Tharp on a 19-yard pass. Morton finished 21-34 passing for 256 yards with 2 TDs and a pick.

UCF would drive to the Tech 3 yard line but couldn’t score before time expired in the half.

The second half was the Tahj Brooks show as the Red Raiders grounded and pounded their way to the lead late in the 3rd quarter which ended in a 13-yard Brooks TD for 21-14 lead. Brooks finished with 182 yards on 24 carries and a score.

Both teams exchanged field goals and then UCF would score on a 71-yard TD pass, but then have the extra-point blocked to keep the lead with Tech at 24-23. The Red Raiders would drive deep into UCF territory before kneeling out the time.

Tech returns to the field Friday night in Austin taking on No. 7 Texas at 6:30pm on ABC. UCF can still earn a bowl bid if they beat Houston next week in Orlando.

Here are some great pictures of the win taken by KKAM Photographer Paul Roberts...