Texas Tech celebrated its best season since 2009. Last week, Last Word took a look at which of the Red Raider victories tasted sweeter than other. And yet, there are justifiable feelings amongst the fan base and coaches that this season left meat on the bone. Head Coach Joey McGuire spoke about this very issue after the Big 12 title matchup was officially set. After all, Texas Tech beat both Arizona State and Iowa State this season. If this program takes the next step in 2025, it will learn more by studying the defeats than the victories. So which of the 2024 Texas Tech losses stung the most?
Ranking 2024 Texas Tech Losses
5. Arkansas
The Liberty Bowl was an excellent opportunity for some new faces to get some shine. All week, it appeared that the Red Raiders would be with their all-time leading rusher Tahj Brooks as he traveled and practiced with the team. But when pre-game warm-ups started, Brooks came out in street clothes. The offense was just meh, but the defense was horrific. A 39-26 defeat at the hands of Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks doesn’t reflect accurately how one-sided this game was. That said, it was a non-major bowl game with plenty of opt-outs and lots of true freshmen getting starts. It also had interim offensive and defensive coordinators calling both sides of the ball. So while it was not the ending anyone wanted, it did next to nothing to take away from a successful 2024 campaign.
4. Washington State
In 2023, Texas Tech opened its season on the road against Wyoming. The Red Raiders stubbed their toe in the opener to the Cowboys, and it seemingly set the tone for that season. This year, after surviving an FCS opponent at home, the Red Raiders faced their first road test of the season. Brooks did not play in this one and the offense looked like it practiced all week without a secondary game plan knowing he would be a game-time decision. Quarterback Behren Morton played his worst game of 2024. The defense had no answer for Washington State quarterback John Mateer’s legs.
This 37-16 smackdown during the Pac12 After Dark window was a painful watch for those who stayed up late. In the moment this one of the Texas Tech losses felt like a sign of another season with less preseason hype and it still came up short of those expectations. It was also before the country knew how good Mateer and the Cougars would be in the season. Looking back, while the game was ugly, losing on the road to an eight-win P4-worthy team is nothing to feel horrible about.
3. Baylor
Last Word now enters the tier of Texas Tech losses that left fans wanting more. The following three losses all share this common thread: a win in any of these games would have kept Texas Tech in a strong position to play for a Big 12 title. It was homecoming week in Lubbock. The Red Raiders were coming off a bye week. Dave Aranda’s Bears were on a three-game losing streak, winless in Big 12 play, and only 2-4 on the season. A victory would have pushed Texas Tech to 6-1 and a perfect 5-0 record in Big 12 play. It could have not been set up any better for the Red Raiders to keep things rolling to a special season.
Instead, Baylor came into Jones AT&T Stadium and bullied the home team. Special teams in particular were a disaster, but the defense put on one of its worst performances of the season. When the clock hit zero, the home crowd started dumbfounded at the 59-35 defeat. It was a golden opportunity wasted. However, with hindsight and seeing this was the game that started a six-game winning streak for Baylor, it softens the blow a little.
2. Colorado
Big Noon Kickoff chose to make its Lubbock debut when Deion Sanders’ team came to town in early November. The Big 12 race was still very much in doubt. Colorado had a 4-1 Big 12 record, while Texas Tech was 4-2. A win by either team would put themselves in the driver’s seat to reach Arlington for a conference title game. It had been since 2008 that there was this type of buzz around campus all week. Despite some stumbles by this Red Raider team, they still had one last chance to make this a special season. The game started about as well as Texas Tech could have hoped for. After the first quarter, the Red Raiders held a 13-0 lead.
However, Colorado did not blink. The skill talent on the perimeter, including the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, proved to be too much for the Texas Tech defense. The Buffalo defense gave the Red Raider offense major trouble in the last three quarters. They would finish the game causing three turnovers and sacking Morton seven times. Despite the slow start by Colorado, they would complete the comeback by a score of 41-27. This loss was especially painful not just for being all but mathematically eliminated from the Big 12 championship, but it served as a clear sign Texas Tech did not have the necessary talent to be a top-tier Big 12 team in 2024. While this would be the last regular season loss, it still would be a defining sour marker on the season.
1. TCU
None of the Texas Tech losses were more agonizing and frustrating than the one in Fort Worth. It was the week after the humiliating effort against Baylor. While the Red Raiders no longer had firm control at the top of the Big 12 standings, they still controlled their own destiny. Just like the Washington State game, this was an opportunity to flush a stinky performance down the drain and get back to business. However, the first quarter of the game did not inspire any confidence. Texas Tech fell behind early surrending touchdown plays of 35 and 75 yards to dig a 14-3 deficit. But the script quickly flipped. The Red Raiders would score 28 unanswered points and held a 31-14 lead with 6:33 left in the third quarter. Morton did not play in the second half due to a collarbone injury, but backup Will Hammond looked crisp in operating the offense.
Finally, it appeared Texas Tech had the depth to deal with injuries and the coaches had responded by making necessary adjustments to the slow start. Things were finally going to be different in 2024. Even when TCU cut the lead to 31-21, it never felt like the game was in doubt. Especially because the Red Raiders answered immediately with a field goal to snag a 34-21 lead with 11:13 left in the game. But then it all crumbled faster than a pile of dried leaves. TCU scored on the ensuing drive. After forcing a punt, TCU scored on an 84-yard touchdown pass. Texas Tech was able to get the ball in field goal range (TCU’s 27-yard line) before Hammond was sacked and fumbled the ball. The 35-34 defeat to Sonny Dykes’ squad was a gut punch to everyone. Coaching on both sides of the ball failed and some of the weaknesses that plagued this team all season showed up at the worst time. This game spiritually eliminated the Red Raiders from Big 12 contention and there was no greater “what if” than this game.
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