Thomas Castellanos threw for a career-high five touchdowns Saturday night, including the go-ahead score with 2:44 left in the game, as No. 15 Texas Tech outlasted visiting West Virginia 53-48 in Lubbock.
Castellanos found Kenny Johnson for a 5-yard touchdown reception with 2:44 left. It was the only Red Raider touchdown of the second half after they scored six in a wild first half that took nearly two hours to play.
Castellanos completed 18 of 27 passes for 362 yards while rushing for 102 yards on 23 carries. Teammate J’Koby Williams ran for 160 yards on 19 attempts as Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12 Conference) finished with 638 total yards.
Michael Hawkins Jr. starred in defeat for the Mountaineers (5-4, 2-4), hitting 11 of 16 passes for 303 yards and a touchdown while adding 88 yards on 19 carries. But Hawkins was sacked in the end zone with 1:24 remaining for a safety that ended West Virginia’s final chance.
Cam Cook compiled 149 yards on 23 carries for the Mountaineers, who scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter and took a 48-41 lead on Hawkins’ 3-yard run at the 1:12 mark.
However, West Virginia was outgained 128 to minus-6 in total yards in the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers finished the game with 582 total yards.
The first half was strictly defense-optional. The teams combined for 892 total yards, the most in a Big 12 game since 2004. Texas Tech finished with 494 yards in the half and scored on six of its eight possessions.
West Virginia matched the Red Raiders for most of the half, swapping big plays and touchdowns. When Hawkins connected with TaRon Francis on a 73-yard scoring strike just 1:54 into the second quarter, the Mountaineers owned a 24-21 edge.
But Texas Tech kept scoring and found a way to hold West Virginia in check for the half’s remainder. Castellanos threw two touchdown passes in a 2-minute span and Quinten Joyner followed with a 1-yard scoring plunge up the middle with 1:13 left in the half, giving the Red Raiders a 41-27 advantage at halftime.
