How Harrington’s Clutch Kicks and Rodriguez’s Game-Changing Defense Upended No. 8 BYU in a Stunning Upset

LUBBOCK, Texas — What an electrifying showdown unfolded Saturday as Texas Tech’s Stone Harrington etched his name into the record books with a jaw-dropping five field goals, guiding the No. 9 Red Raiders to a commanding 29-7 victory over the No. 8 BYU Cougars. The Cougars, who entered this clash undefeated, were held to a meager 255 total yards—well below their season average—highlighting just how stifling the Red Raiders’ defense was on this pivotal Big 12 and playoff-impacting afternoon. Behind Behren Morton’s solid 216 passing yards and Cameron Dickey’s ground-breaking 121 rushing yards, Texas Tech not only claimed the win but also stamped their arrival in a top-10 battle not seen since 2008. On the flip side, BYU experienced a rare stumble, ending a remarkable 10-game winning streak and facing challenges that might foreshadow heavy battles ahead. If you want the full rundown on how this duel tipped the scales for both teams’ seasons, stick around—there’s plenty more to unpack here! LEARN MORE

LUBBOCK, Texas — Stone Harrington kicked a school-record five field goals and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez had two takeaways as the No. 9 Red Raiders beat No. 8 BYU 29-7 on Saturday, holding the previously-unbeaten Cougars to a season-low 255 total yards in a game with Big 12 and playoff implications.

Behren Morton passed for 216 yards and threw a 9-yard touchdown to Caleb Douglas while Cameron Dickey ran for 121 yards and a 1-yard score for Texas Tech (9-1, 6-1 Big 12, No. 8 CFP), which played in its first top-10 matchup since 2008.

BYU (8-1, 5-1, No. 7 CFP) had never played in such a game, though the teams could meet again in the Big 12 championship game in four weeks in Arlington, Texas.

Harrington kicked field goals of 47, 39, 34, 29 and 27 yards.

Rodriguez had an interception midway through the third period leading to Harrington’s fourth field goal, and recovered a backward pass late in the fourth quarter that set up Harrington’s final kick.

BYU had a 10-game winning streak dating back to last season snapped. The Cougars avoided their first shutout since 2017 when Bear Bachmeier threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chase Roberts midway through the fourth quarter.

Bachmeier was 23 of 38 passing for 188 yards. The true freshman also had the two turnovers, the interception and backward pass for a fumble.

The Cougars went into play averaging 36.3 points and 434 yards per game. Its previous low offensive output this season was 332 yards in the 27-3 win over Stanford on Sept. 6.

Both teams have home games remaining against UCF, while the Cougars also play at No. 25 Cincinnati — the only other league team with one loss — after hosting TCU next week. The Red Raiders host UCF next week before an open date and then their regular-season finale at West Virginia.

The Takeaway

BYU: LJ Martin, who is from El Paso, Texas, and was committed to Tech before opting for BYU, took a league-leading rushing average of 98.6 yards per game into play. He was held to 35 yards on 10 carries, primarily in the first half, against the nation’s top rushing defense. Martin’s status going in was questionable after he sat out last week’s second half at Iowa State with a shoulder injury.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders, charter members of the Big 12 in 1996, are in position to play in the conference championship for the first time.