SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 13, 2012
Texas Tech 49, No. 4 West Virginia 14: Seth Doege did his best Geno Smith impression, passing for 499 yards with four of his six touchdowns coming in a lopsided first half as host Texas Tech dealt West Virginia's Big 12 title and national championship hopes a blow.
Darrin Moore caught three touchdowns for the Red Raiders (5-1, 2-1 Big 12), who further exposed the Mountaineers' porous defense and led 35-7 at intermission. Texas Tech handed West Virginia (5-1, 2-1) its first loss and made Smith look human for the first time this season.
The Mountaineers' senior quarterback came in as the clear Heisman frontrunner after throwing 24 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the first five games while leading the nation in passing efficiency. But Smith, who entered completing 81.4 percent of his passes, was 29-of-55 for 275 yards and a season-low one touchdown.
Meanwhile, Doege, who was recruited by Mountaineers' coach Dana Holgorsen when the latter was an assistant at Texas Tech, looked more like the Heisman favorite. He was 21-of-30 for 336 yards and four touchdowns against the nation's 102nd-ranked defense in leading the Red Raiders to a 28-point halftime lead. He finished 32-of-42.
The biggest stunner was that an improved Texas Tech defense, which was brought back to reality by the Sooners last week, shut down Smith and a Mountaineers' offense that had been averaging 52.0 points. Smith may have been bothered, as his coach suggested in a televised halftime interview, by the swirling winds at Jones Stadium.
The Mountaineers played the entire second half without Stedman Bailey after the naton's second-leading receiver suffered an ankle injury.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Doege led the Red Raiders 75 yards in less than two minutes on their opening possession and capped the drive with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jace Amaro. ... Texas Tech outgained West Virginia 438-205 in the first half. ... SaDale Foster capped the big first half with a career-best 53-yard touchdown run.