Tahj Brooks Shines as Texas Tech Crushes West Virginia in Season Finale

Tahj Brooks delivered a performance for the ages in his final home game for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, leading his team to a commanding 52-15 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jones AT&T Stadium. The standout running back capped off his illustrious college career with a season-best 188 rushing yards and three touchdowns, leaving the field late in the fourth quarter to thunderous applause from fans and teammates alike.

This emphatic win keeps Texas Tech’s slim hopes for a Big 12 Championship alive and marks the program’s first eight-win regular season since 2009. Brooks, who cemented his place in Red Raiders history as the all-time leading rusher, has consistently been a force on the field this year, surpassing the 100-yard rushing mark in every game he started. His record-breaking season saw him eclipse Byron Hanspard’s school record of 4,219 career rushing yards and notch 11 games with 100 or more yards, breaking the previous record of 10 held by Hanspard and Bam Morris.

The Red Raiders wasted no time asserting their dominance, racing to a 35-3 halftime lead. Quarterback Behren Morton contributed to the offensive onslaught with 359 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Caleb Douglas and Josh Kelly made significant impacts in the air. Kelly, in particular, racked up 150 receiving yards, adding another dimension to Texas Tech’s explosive offense. Head coach Joey McGuire, now with three consecutive winning seasons in Lubbock, has positioned the Red Raiders for further success, with the potential to reach nine wins for only the 14th time in program history with a bowl game victory.

West Virginia’s promising Big 12 road record came to a crashing halt in this lopsided defeat, ending their perfect 3-0 streak in away conference games. Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene struggled, throwing an interception and losing a fumble, while coach Neal Brown faces mounting pressure after finishing the regular season at 6-6. Despite their earlier successes on the road, West Virginia allowed 29 points in the second quarter alone, sealing a disappointing end to their season at the hands of the surging Red Raiders.