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Winning close games is the story of the season for Texas Tech football

If the Texas Tech football team's 2024 season is remembered as something special, a big reason will be the Red Raiders' ability to win close games.

On Saturday, the Red Raiders made it despite all the odds: They faced an undefeated team away from home. In front of a raucous crowd at the homecoming of the tenth-placed team. And falling behind late and having to run the offense for two minutes to score a game-winning drive in the rain.

The Red Raiders were equal to anything and used Tahj Brooks' 6-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left to stun No. 10 Iowa State 23-22 in Ames, Iowa. Tech (6-3, 4-2), bowl-eligible for the fourth straight season, has played six games decided by eight points or fewer this season and won five.

“I’m so proud of our guys,” Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “There were so many opportunities for both teams to give in and I don’t think either team gave in.”

Related: Behren Morton, Tahj Brooks clutch and other Texas Tech football takeaways from upset over Iowa State

Related: Texas Tech football report card: Who gets the A after thrilling win at Iowa State?

Iowa State (7-1, 4-1) took a 22-17 lead with 2:11 left when wide receiver Carson Brown caught a short pass and dodged two tackles en route to a 44-yard touchdown. It looked like Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht was going to score his third late, game-winning drive of the season.

Instead, Behren Morton led a 12-play, 71-yard march that clinched the game. It wasn't a smooth process. While Jack Trice Stadium was the loudest, the Red Raiders were charged with illegal interference three times during the drive.

“They had a phenomenal crowd,” McGuire said. “On the last trip it was really, really loud. I thought they affected us a few times.”

On the third play, after Tech fell behind, Morton opened up Josh Kelly deep and knocked him to the ground.

Morton, however, responded to the fits and starts with a flurry of completions: to Kelly for 8 yards across midfield on fourth-and-seven, to Kelly down the sideline for 13 – a play that was still under review – and to a sliding Caleb Douglas for 8 and Jordan Brown for 13. Morton's touch pass up the middle to Brown got the Red Raiders inside the 1-yard line with 34 seconds left.

The third false start penalty of the drive brought it back to the 6. After Cyclones safety Malik Verdon blocked a pass into the end zone, Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley put the Red Raiders in a tricky formation. Two tight ends, Morton and Kelly, deployed in a four-man pod on the left side, but Brooks took a direct snap and swept right and into the end zone behind a sustained block from tight end Jalin Conyers.

“It was like an outside zone on the right side,” Brooks said. “He put it in my hands and just went into the end zone at that point. I knew this moment would be special, especially my man Jalin Conyers blocking the rim. I know if we seal that around the edge, that's touchdown.”

Brooks also threw the drive for 16 and 14 yards, beating a defender on the first of the two yards to get the drive going. He finished with 122 yards on 25 attempts, eclipsed 100 yards in every game this season and rushed for at least 95 yards in each of his final 19 games.

“Tahj Brooks did such a good job increasing the yardage on that last drive,” McGuire said.

It was the third consecutive time Tech defeated Iowa State in a decisive game. Jonathan Garibay's 62-yard field goal gave the Red Raiders a 41-38 win in 2021. Tyler Shough's touchdown pass to Baylor Cupp with 6:10 left gave Tech a 14-10 win in Ames in 2022.

Morton completed 21 of 40 passes for 237 yards with two interceptions. He threw passes of 35 and 19 yards to Kelly that gave Tech a 17-13 lead late in the third quarter.

Kelly caught eight passes for 127 yards against a team that came into the game ranked second in the FBS in pass defense. The only QB to throw more than one touchdown pass against the Cyclones this year was Baylor's Sawyer Robertson with three.

“Their corners are really, really good. Their safeties are really good,” McGuire said. “The space between the linebackers and the safeties is where we felt like we could get some yards.”

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