Behren Morton threw for a career-high five touchdowns, the last to Caleb Douglas in overtime and the Texas Tech football team outlasted heavy underdog Abilene Christian 52-51 Saturday night.
Morton hit Douglas for 14 yards in the first series of overtime. ACU answered with a 1-yard touchdown by Isaiah Johnson, the third of the night for the Lubbock-Cooper graduate. The Wildcats then tried to win it with a two-point conversion, but freshman defensive tackle Jayden Cofield tackled quarterback Maverick McIvor in the backfield.
ACU, coached by former Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson, was a 32-point underdog.
How Texas Tech football wound up in overtime
Gino Garcia's 31-yard field goal gave Tech a 45-42 lead with 2:39 left, but ACU's Ritse Vaes made a 21-yarder with five seconds left to force overtime.
Morton threw his first two scoring passes to Coy Eakin, then one each to Tech newcomers Jalin Conyers and Josh Kelly.
Tech led 32-14 late in the first half, but Abilene Christian fought back behind McIvor, who started his career with the Red Raiders . The San Angelo Central graduate had 506 yards and three TDs on 36 for 51 passing. He hit former Tech receivers Jed Castles for a 31-yard touchdown and Nehemiah Martinez for a 30-yard touchdown, the latter narrowing ACU's gap to 39-35.
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After Reese Burkhardt's first career field goal stretched Tech's lead to 42-35, Coronado graduate Izaiah Kelley's 5-yard touchdown pulled ACU even with 4:55 left in regulation.
Former Tech receiver Trey Cleveland caught eight passes for 78 yards for ACU, and Blayne Taylor caught seven for 141, including a 71-yard TD. Martinez, another Lubbock-Cooper graduate, caught six for 88.
Here's our report card on the Red Raiders.
Offense: A
Behren Morton said this summer he felt great, and he showed it. Tahj Brooks (27 carries, 153 yards) and Josh Kelly (10 catches, 156 yards) scored a touchdown each.
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Defense: F
This unit has to make strides in a hurry. Maverick McIvor felt little pressure, and the ACU receivers sliced up the Tech secondary.
Special Teams: A
Drae McCray returned kickoffs to the ACU 26- and 35-yard lines, setting up 10 points. No first-game breakdowns with the other units.
Coaching: F
A cast of players and coaches who used to ply their trade in Lubbock brought more intensity and execution than the ones currently in Lubbock. That starts at the top.
Overall: F
Season openers against FCS opponents are supposed to be little more than dress rehearsals. Tech was lucky to survive.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football: Do the Red Raiders get an F for an opening-night scare? | Report card
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