Texas Tech runs off 27 straight points beats Cal in Independence Bowl

Field Level Media|published: Sun 17th December, 01:14 2023

Dec 16, 2023; Shreveport, LA, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Coy Eakin (8) reacts with tight end Mason Tharp (80) after a touchdown catch during the first half against the California Golden Bears at Independence Stadium. credits: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Behren Morton passed for 256 yards and three touchdowns to help Texas Tech notch a 34-14 victory over Cal on Saturday night in the Independence Bowl at Shreveport, La.

Tahj Brooks rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and became the fifth player in Red Raiders' history to rush for over 1,500 yards in a season. He finishes the campaign with 1,542 yards.

Coy Eakin caught seven passes for 106 yards and a touchdown for Texas Tech (7-6), which won for the fourth time in five games. Mason Tharp and Loic Fouonji also had scoring catches for the Red Raiders, who scored the game's final 27 points.

Fernando Mendoza completed 22 of 33 passes for 284 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for Cal (6-7). Star Jaydn Ott rushed for a score but had just 42 yards on 15 carries.

Monroe Young caught seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown for the Golden Bears, who had a three-game winning streak halted.

C.J. Baskerville, Tyrique Matthews and Jacob Rodriguez had interceptions and Amier Washington registered three of the Red Raiders' six sacks. Morton completed 27 of 43 pass attempts and was intercepted once.

Brooks fell just short of his ninth 100-yard outing. He also had games of 98 and 95 yards.

The Red Raiders took control with 17 points in the second quarter.

Morton connected with Tharp on a 15-yard scoring pass to tie it at 14 with 12:16 left. Just 2:27 later, Texas Tech moved ahead on Morton's 14-yard touchdown pass to Fouonjui. Gino Garcia tacked on a 25-yard field goal with three seconds left to give the Red Raiders a 24-14 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Brooks scored on a 7-yard run to boost the lead to 17 with 4:36 left.

Garcia added a 37-yard field with 4:08 remaining in the contest.

Texas Tech's Drae McCray fumbled on the opening kickoff and Cal's Michael Luckhurst recovered at the Red Raiders' 25-yard line. On the next play, Mendoza tossed a touchdown pass to Young to get the Golden Bears on the board.

Texas Tech tied the score with a 10-play, 93-yard drive as Morton capped it with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Eakin.

The Golden Bears regained the lead on Ott's 1-yard score late in the opening quarter, before the Red Raiders took control.

—Field Level Media

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