Ole Miss stumbles early, loses to Texas Tech

HOUSTON – Tyler Shough threw for 242 yards and a landing and ran for 2 extra scores as Texas Tech took benefit of three early turnovers to construct an enormous lead and held on for a 42-25 win over Ole Miss within the Texas Bowl on Wednesday evening.

Shough, who completed with a career-high 111 yards speeding, accounted for 3 TDs within the first two quarters to assist the Pink Raiders (8-5) to a 26-7 halftime lead.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart had 361 yards passing with two TD throws and a scoring run. However, he threw two of his three interceptions and misplaced a fumble within the first half to place the Rebels in an enormous gap.

The victory provides Texas Tech its first eight-win season since 2013 and caps a profitable debut for first-year coach Joey McGuire, who was given a new six-year, $26.6 million contract earlier Wednesday.

The loss continues a horrible stretch for Ole Miss (8-5), which dropped its last 4 video games, and 5 of its final six, after opening the season 7-0. The Rebels performed a sloppy recreation with 5 turnovers and eight penalties for 86 yards and had two defenders ejected for focusing on.

Ole Miss scored consecutive touchdowns to get inside 35-25 with three minutes to go. However the Rebels tried an onside kick after that, however Texas Tech’s Loic Fouonji grabbed it and returned it 44 yards to push the result in 42-25.

The Rebels minimize the result in 26-13 on an 11-yard landing move from Dart to Jordan Watkins with about 9 minutes left within the third quarter.

SaRodorick Thompson scored on a 1-yard run early within the fourth quarter, however Tech’s 2-point conversion run failed to go away the Pink Raiders up 32-13.

Dayton Wade fumbled on the subsequent drive by Ole Miss to offer Texas Tech the ball again, and the Pink Raiders settled for a discipline objective to increase the result in 35-13 with 9 ½ minutes left.

The Rebels completed with 197 yards speeding, led by freshman Quinshon Judkins, who had 91. Judkins finishes the season with 1,567 yards speeding, which is the second-most by a freshman in SEC historical past behind Hershel Walker, who had 1,616.

Shough was intercepted ultimately zone on Tech’s first possession. The Pink Raiders took a 7-0 lead when Shough scampered 2 yards for a score on their subsequent drive.

Ole Miss tied it when Zach Evans ran 8 yards for a landing with about 5 ½ minutes left within the first.

The Pink Raiders have been up 10-7 after a discipline objective when Dart was intercepted by Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. However Texas Tech got here up empty when Shough threw an incomplete move on fourth-and-goal from the Ole Miss 3.

However Dart was picked off once more on the subsequent possession. This time the Pink Raiders cashed in on the error when Shough ran for his second 2-yard rating of the sport to make it 17-7 with about seven minutes till halftime.

The Rebels went for it on fourth-and-6 from their 29 on the subsequent drive, however have been stopped brief. The Pink Raiders added a discipline objective earlier than Dart fumbled to offer them one other possession earlier than the break.

Shough linked with Jerand Bradley on a 12-yard TD, however the 2-point conversion failed to go away Texas Tech up 26-7 at halftime.

THE TAKEAWAY

Texas Tech: The Pink Raiders look to be headed in the precise path below McGuire. Texas Tech capped the season with 4 consecutive wins and will use that as momentum for a powerful begin subsequent yr.

Ole Miss: The Rebels confirmed a lot promise for many of the season however might want to regroup and play a lot cleaner in the event that they hope to bounce again from their struggles to finish the yr subsequent season.

HONORING LEACH

The Pink Raiders used their first offensive play to pay tribute to former coach Mike Leach, who died Dec. 12 at 61. Texas Tech lined up in Leach’s famous “Air Raid” formation with the lineman unfold far aside and 4 receivers out broad and easily stood there till a flag was thrown for delay of recreation.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin declined the penalty, and the Pink Raiders then ran their first play.

Each groups additionally remembered Leach, who coached at Texas Tech from 2000-09 and was the coach at Mississippi State when he died, with helmet decals. Texas Tech’s seemed like pirate flags as a nod to his fascination with pirates, and the Rebels’ decals mentioned ‘Mike’ with the ‘I’ within the form of a cowbell for Mississippi State’s custom of utilizing them at video games.

UP NEXT

Texas Tech: The Pink Raiders will wait to see if Shough will return for subsequent season or if they will have to seek out somebody to interchange him.

Ole Miss: The Rebels ought to proceed to have a powerful operating recreation behind Judkins as they give the impression of being to place collectively an entire season subsequent yr.