Halloween just became a whole lot scarier for Arizona.
asserted
Halloween → become → Arizona
No. 13 Texas Tech (7-1) defeated No. 22 Arizona (6-2) 34-26, delivering a massive blow to the Wildcats' College Football Playoff chances and Big 12 championship hopes.
asserted
Tech → defeat → chances
For Texas Tech, it was its 13th-straight win at home, which tied a program record.
asserted
which → tie → record
After Texas Tech's loss to Cincinnati last week, head coach Joey McGuire benched quarterback Will Hammond for Thomas Castellanos, and the move paid off.
asserted
move → bench → Castellanos
Castellanos thrived with both his arm and his legs, as he completed 11 of 24 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns while running for 117 yards and a touchdown.
asserted
he → thrive → yards
The Texas Tech run game was fantastic, rolling up 332 yards in the win.
asserted
game → roll → win
Running back J'Koby Williams ran for 175 yards and a touchdown.
asserted
Williams → run → yards
However, it wasn't all great for the Red Raiders, as they fell behind early.
asserted
they → fall → Raiders
Both teams scored on their opening drives, with Arizona getting on the board first with a 35-yard field goal from kicker Michael Salgado-Medina.
asserted
Arizona → score → Medina
Texas Tech responded with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped off with Castellanos' 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Terrance Carter Jr. to put the Red Raiders up 7-3.
asserted
that → respond → Raiders
The two teams then traded punts and turnovers on downs before the Wildcats scored their first touchdown in epic fashion.
asserted
Wildcats → trade → fashion
On third-and-12 from their own 6-yard line, quarterback Noah Fifita dropped back into the end zone before scrambling to the sideline.
asserted
Fifita → drop → sideline
As he scrambled, Fifita threw a dart to Isaiah Mizell, who then turned on the afterburners and raced up the sideline for a 94-yard touchdown to put Arizona up 10-7.
asserted
who → scramble → Arizona
The Wildcats then built on their lead coming out of the two-minute timeout in the second quarter with the Wildcat formation.
asserted
Wildcats → build → formation
Running back Kedrick Reescano took the direct snap and ran for the five-yard touchdown to finish the 14-play, 81-yard drive and put Arizona up 17-7.
asserted
Reescano → take → Arizona
The Red Raiders managed a field goal before the first half concluded to cut the deficit to seven, making it a 17-10 game.
asserted
it → manage → seven
Texas Tech built on its end-of-half momentum and scored on the opening drive of the third quarter to tie it 17-17.
asserted
Tech → build → it
Castellanos faked a pitch outside before knifing through the Wildcats' defense for an eight-yard touchdown.
asserted
Castellanos → fake → touchdown
The Wildcats didn't blink, however, as they marched down the field with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with Reescano punching the ball in from the 1-yard line for his second touchdown of the day.
asserted
Reescano → blink → day
However, the Wildcats' extra-point attempt was blocked, so Arizona had just a 23-17 lead.
asserted
Arizona → block → lead
Texas Tech capitalized on the mistake, as on its second drive of the second half, it rifled down the field to score another third-quarter touchdown.
asserted
it → capitalize → touchdown
On fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 27-yard line, Texas Tech decided to go for it on fourth down.
asserted
Tech → decide → down
Wide receiver Kenny Johnson ran a go route, and Castellanos found him for a touchdown.
asserted
Castellanos → run → touchdown
Texas Tech nailed the extra point, going up 24-23.
asserted
Tech → nail → point
On defense, it shut down Arizona and kept its good vibes going, as kicker Stone Harrington made his second field goal of the day, a 42-yarder, to put Texas Tech up 27-23.
asserted
Harrington → shut → Tech
After trading scores to start the second half, the defenses started to show up.
asserted
defenses → trade → half
Arizona's response to Texas Tech's field goal fell short, as it went for it on fourth-and-1 from Texas Tech's 18-yard line, but Fifita's pass was too high for tight end Tyler Powell.
asserted
pass → fall → Powell
Texas Tech, still up 27-23, had a chance to take a two-score lead but squandered it.
asserted
Tech → have → it
Red Raiders running back Cameron Dickey fumbled, and Arizona recovered on Texas Tech's 43-yard line.
asserted
Arizona → fumble → line
However, Arizona did not take advantage of the field position, as it was forced to punt.
asserted
it → take → position
Yet, it forced a punt from Texas Tech to get the ball back with about four and a half minutes left.
asserted
minutes → force → ball
Arizona then went three-and-out, as the Red Raiders' defense once again dominated the series and forced another punt, and then the offense took care of the rest.
asserted
offense → go → rest
On third-and-1, with Arizona needing just one more stop to get the ball back, Williams burst through a hole in the line and scored a 64-yard touchdown, putting the Red Raiders up 34-23.
asserted
Williams → need → Raiders
Williams' touchdown marked 17 unanswered points for the Red Raiders.
asserted
touchdown → mark → Raiders
Arizona got a field goal late, but didn't convert the onside kick, sealing the crushing loss.
asserted
Arizona → get → loss
The Aporia
