PROVO, Utah (AP) — Kedon Slovis threw for 127 yards and two touchdown passes, and BYU forced five turnovers to power a 27-14 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday night.
LJ Martin piled up 93 yards rushing on 10 carries. The Cougars (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) never trailed despite totaling only 277 yards on offense.
Jake Strong threw for 236 yards and a touchdown pass but also had three interceptions in his first start for Texas Tech. Tahj Brooks added 105 yards and a score on the ground. The Red Raiders (3-5, 2-3) lost in their first game in Utah.
BYU tallied three turnovers in the first half alone and scored 13 points off its four takeaways. The Cougars also made big plays on offense before halftime to jump on Texas Tech early.
Martin’s 55-yard run on BYU’s second play from scrimmage set up a 3-yard touchdown catch by Chase Roberts. Eddie Heckard then pounced on a fumbled ball in the end zone to put the Cougars up 14-0.
The Red Raiders finally got on the board in the second quarter when Xavier White caught a wide-open pass along the sideline and raced 72 yards for the score. BYU countered on a 4-yard touchdown catch by Darius Lassiter and a 35-yard field goal from Will Ferrin, extending its lead to 24-7 before halftime.
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas Tech: Moving the ball wasn’t a problem for the Red Raiders early. They outgained BYU in total yardage over the first three quarters. Turnovers ultimately hindered their ability to turn drives into points.
BYU: The Cougars shook off a trend of sluggish starts behind a strong first half. An opportunistic defense and efficient offense combined to give BYU an early advantage.
UP NEXT
Texas Tech hosts TCU on Nov. 2.
BYU visits Texas on Saturday.
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___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
