The Red Raider offense got off to a hot start to begin the game against Baylor with a bowl game on the line, needing only eight plays to strike first. Baylor would counter with a 19-play touchdown drive of their own.

That wouldn't be important at the time, but the slow, plodding pace of the Baylor Bears would start a narrative that would run throughout the game, all the way up to their 35-24 win.

McLane Carter would spend some time in the locker room during the nearly 10-minute Baylor drive, but would not miss any time for the Red Raiders. Texas Tech would respond with a Clayton Hatfield field goal for the brand.

Baylor would not need a sustained drive to strike again, getting the tired Texas Tech defense on their heels scoring a second touchdown in just five plays in just over a minute. For a brief moment, the game looked like a shootout. Texas Tech would answer with a monster drive of their own, capped off with a Demarcus Felton touchdown run.

Nobody else would score in the in the first half, and Baylor would own the third quarter outscoring Texas Tech 14-0, with Clayton Hatfield missing the only scoring opportunity: a 39-yard field goal, which went wide right. It was Hatfield's second miss this season after drilling 13 straight.

Baylor would lead 28-17 heading into the 4th quarter.

The Red Raiders would open the final quarter in the red zone, and would cut the lead on the first play with Seth Collins catching a McLane Carter touchdown pass to begin a comeback effort. That comeback effort faded quickly, though. Baylor would answer back in just five plays to stretch the lead back out to 11 on another Charlie Brewer touchdown pass, his third of the day.

The comeback attempt would suffer further when a one-legged McLane Carter couldn't get enough juice on a ball to a sideline pass intended for T.J. Vasher. Raliegh Tejada would come down with the interception.

The rest of the game would ride on the subsequent Baylor drive.

Responding to his defenses turnover, Charlie Brewer would lead a drive down the field where the Texas Tech defense looked absolutely gassed. The Baylor Bears would use 12 plays ending in a punt to take more than six minutes off the clock.

In a game that perfectly sums up the Texas Tech season, a moderately adequate start crumbled due to an injured quarterback, lack of mental focus and ill-timed penalties. The Red Raiders never gave up, competing until the end. But as it's been so often in the last six years, it just was too little, too late.

The final play of the Red Raiders offensive season, and maybe Kliff Kingsbury's career as the playcaller at Texas Tech, was an interception. Baylor would wrap up the game in victory formation.



Watch: Texas Tech 2018 Home Game Highlights