It took No. 14 Texas Tech 14 seconds Saturday to outscore Oklahoma State in a 42-0 routing of the Cowboys.
Kick returner J'Koby Williams caught the opening kickoff on the right side of the 1-yard line and sprinted 99 yards to the opposite side of Jones AT&T Stadium for a score. In the process, Williams ducked underneath a tackle and outpaced the kicker's angle of pursuit to secure Texas Tech's first kickoff return touchdown since 2023.
The special teams unit remained special on the following drive, blocking the Cowboys' first punt to set up another touchdown for Williams.
Texas Tech's offense struggled to click with the same success as Will Hammond played in place of an injured Behren Morton before eventually being replaced by Mitch Griffis for an injury of his own.
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The severity of Hammond's injury is unknown yet, but Morton returned from halftime in full gear.
Texas Tech will face Kansas State on the road next, and Morton is expected to return from his injury as the starting quarterback.
AdvertisementMorton's availability is crucial to a playoff push
Saturday proved once more that Texas Tech will need its Week 1 starter at quarterback to compete for a playoff spot. Hammond's lone touchdown pass was made possible by Williams' open-space speed, and Griffis' success has only been proven in one game.
Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich favored screens and short-yardage passes with Hammond in at quarterback, but opened the deep ball package for Griffis. The confidence in his long ball ability paid off when Griffis connected with Caleb Douglas for a 42-yard score.
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Morton sprinted and shoulder bumped Griffis following the touchdown. His injury hindered his mobility previously.
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Griffis finished the evening with 172 passing yards and a score through the air and on the ground.
Defense capitalizes without getting to the quarterback
Tech's defensive line spent a fair amount of Saturday sprinting after Oklahoma State quarterback Sam Jackson V, who rolled out on over 60% of his drop-backs. The evening ended with zero sacks recorded against Jackson V, one overall, but Texas Tech managed two fumble recoveries and the program's first shutout of a Big 12 opponent since 2005.
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Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez kicked off the Red Raiders' takeaways with a 69-yard strip and sprint off Oklahoma State running back Sesi Vailahi. Rodriguez pried the ball out of Vailahi's hands as he attempted to spin out of a tackle.
Vailahi later had the ball punched out by safety Cole Wisniewski and recovered by outside linebacker Charles Esters III. Esters nearly recorded a pick-six in the endzone on a jumped screen pass, but he was unable to corral the ball.
Kenny Perry's unit proves its worth yet again
Perry has been with Texas Tech since 2022, and each year he's turned out highlight plays and breakout players. Whether it's Gino Garcia finishing as a Lou Groza finalist or Austin McNamara ending his tenure as the best punter in Texas Tech history, Perry's unit is invaluable to Texas Tech's success.
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Saturday, his punt block unit was overshadowed by Williams' 99-yard kickoff return, which is a problem many special teams coordinators dream of. In 2025, Perry's punt block group has tipped a nation-leading five.
Safety Braylan McDonald recorded the tip Saturday, which set up Texas Tech's second score within the first three minutes of play.
Internal frustration is becoming more evident
In the 26-22 upset loss to Arizona State a week prior, Texas Tech had three videos circulate online of players or staff getting into an altercation with someone on the field during the field rush.
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Saturday, UNC transfer tackle Howard Sampson and redshirt freshman tackle Jacob Ponton got into a yelling match with an Oklahoma State defensive lineman. Griffis grabbed Sampson by his backplate and pulled him back. Sampson proceeded to turn around and shove Griffis backward.
Griffis ran the ball in for a touchdown on the following play, to which Ponton repeatedly raised his arms, signaling a touchdown in the face of Oklahoma State defenders. Center Sheridan Wilson swatted Ponton's arms down and the two exchanged words all the way up until lining up for the extra point attempt.
Once back in the sideline huddle, Sampson swung his helmet in frustration and walked away from his teammates. Head strength and conditioning coach Lance Barilow followed him but was pushed away. Former Texas Tech and current Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman Caleb Rogers spoke with Sampson until the next offensive drive.
Texas Tech vs BYU will determine who plays in Big 12 Championship
BYU handled business against Iowa State to remain undefeated, and Cincinnati defeated Baylor to become 5-0 in conference play. The two will face off on Nov. 22, and if both remain undefeated in conference play until then, the result won't change both of their bids for the Big 12 Championship.
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Texas Tech will host the Cougars on Nov. 8. If Texas Tech can force a loss and take the advantage in head-to-head, a Cincinnati victory over BYU later in that month would push the Red Raiders to Arlington. However, with the success of Arizona State, BYU and Cincinnati, a loss at Jones AT&T Stadium in early November could squander Texas Tech's playoff hopes.
Related StoriesRead MoreTexas Tech quarterback Will Hammond exits game with non-contact injuryBehren Morton rejoined the team in full gear coming out of halftime vs. Oklahoma State.Watch: Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez goes for 69-yard touchdown on strip-and-scoreThe longest defensive touchdown of the year for Texas Tech widened its lead over Oklahoma State.
Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.