By Garin Turner
ARLINGTON, Texas — No. 4 Texas Tech left no doubt on Championship Saturday, dismantling No. 11 BYU 34–7 at AT&T Stadium to secure the Big 12 Championship and cement its place in the College Football Playoff.
With the victory, the Red Raiders improve to 12–1, while BYU falls to 11–2, likely ending its playoff hopes.
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How It Happened
BYU opened the game with authority, marching 90 yards on a 14-play drive capped by LJ Martin’s 10-yard touchdown run. That drive would stand as the Cougars’ lone highlight of the night.
From that point forward, the Red Raider defense slammed the door shut. BYU’s next 11 possessions ended in:
punt, turnover on downs, punt, missed FG, interception, punt, fumble, interception, turnover on downs, fumble, punt.
It was total domination.
Texas Tech’s offense began heating up in the second quarter. After an early field goal, quarterback Behren Morton delivered a decisive strike—a 33-yard touchdown to Coy Eakin—giving Tech a 10–7 lead. A late 40-yard field goal extended the advantage to 13–7 at halftime.
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Second-Half Surge
BYU squandered chance after chance in the third quarter, including a missed 46-yard field goal. Two plays later, Tech linebacker Ben Roberts flipped momentum permanently, picking off Bear Bachmeier.
On the very next snap, Cameron Dickey punched in an 11-yard touchdown to put Tech up 19–7 (after a successful two-point conversion).
BYU never recovered.
The fourth quarter turned into a Red Raider victory lap. BYU opened the frame with a fumble, which Texas Tech converted into a field goal. Roberts snagged his second interception moments later, and the Red Raiders made BYU pay—Morton hit Eakin again, this time from 28 yards out, to stretch it to 28–7.
A late BYU fumble set up one final field goal, sealing the 34–7 championship result.
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Total Domination
Texas Tech outgained BYU 374–200, controlled the tempo, and forced five turnovers.
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Texas Tech Leaders
QB Behren Morton: 20/33, 215 yards, 2 TDs
RB J’Koby Williams: 15 carries, 80 yards
RB Cameron Dickey: 18 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD
WR Reggie Virgil: 8 catches, 86 yards
WR Coy Eakin: 3 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TDs
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BYU Leaders
QB Bear Bachmeier: 16/27, 115 yards, 2 INTs
RB LJ Martin: 19 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD
WR Parker Kingston: 4 receptions, 44 yards
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What’s Next
With the Big 12 trophy secured, Texas Tech is officially playoff-bound. Their seed and first-round opponent will be announced on Sunday.
For BYU, the loss effectively ends its playoff pursuit. The Cougars now await their bowl game assignment.
