MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Twice, all Texas Tech needed was a stop on third down to get a chance to knock off West Virginia.
Both times, Wendell Smallwood ran for the first down. Smallwood ran for 161 carries and the Mountaineers held off to defeat the Red Raiders 31-26 at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday.
Texas Tech
Texas Tech’s (5-5, 2-5) defense built on its positive first half against Oklahoma State. It had three sacks and forced three punts, including four drives of five plays or less in the first half.
But, while the Red Raiders defense saw improvement – it had only given up 17 points or less twice this season (UTEP, Kansas), the offense took a step backward.