ACU Battles No. 12 Texas Tech, Falls 33-10 in Lubbock

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Article By; Jordan Leon

LUBBOCK, Texas — Abilene Christian walked into a sold-out Galaxy Stadium on Saturday night looking to pull off another stunning upset against one of the nation’s top programs.

Instead, the Wildcats found themselves on the wrong side of a defensive battle as No. 12 Texas Tech controlled the game from the opening quarter and defeated ACU 33-10.

Despite the final margin, the Wildcats showed flashes against the defending Big 12 champions, particularly on defense and special teams. ACU held Texas Tech out of the end zone for nearly 45 minutes of game action and produced one of the game’s biggest plays when Alex Broome raced 98 yards for a fourth-quarter kickoff return touchdown.

But Texas Tech’s combination of defensive pressure, field position and quarterback play proved too much for the Wildcats to overcome.

The loss drops ACU to 0-2 on the young season, while Texas Tech opens its campaign 1-0.

Red Raiders Jump Out Early

Texas Tech wasted little time establishing control.

On the Red Raiders’ opening possession, Quinten Joyner capped a seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run, giving Texas Tech a 7-0 lead with 12:14 remaining in the first quarter.

The Red Raiders then put together another lengthy scoring drive, marching 87 yards on 15 plays. J’Koby Williams finished the possession with a five-yard touchdown run, pushing the advantage to 14-0 late in the opening period.

The two drives immediately put pressure on an ACU offense that struggled to find its rhythm throughout the first half.

Texas Tech’s defense, which ranked among the nation’s best a season ago, held the Wildcats to just 194 total yards on the night.

ACU managed only 75 yards on the ground and 119 through the air.

Wildcats Find Some Momentum Before Half

After Texas Tech added a 23-yard Stone Harrington field goal late in the second quarter, ACU finally got on the scoreboard.

The Wildcats put together an 11-play, 51-yard drive that resulted in Brandon Perez connecting on a 41-yard field goal with just seven seconds remaining before halftime.

That kick gave ACU a little momentum heading into the locker room, although Texas Tech maintained a 17-3 advantage.

One of the biggest bright spots for the Wildcats during the first half came from the defense.

Senior safety Javeon Wilcox, who previously spent time at Texas Tech, intercepted Red Raiders quarterback Will Hammond with 7:08 remaining in the second quarter.

The interception was initially ruled incomplete but was overturned following replay review.

It was the first interception of Wilcox’s career and gave ACU an opportunity to make the game even tighter.

The Wildcats, however, couldn’t turn the takeaway into points.

ACU Defense Keeps Wildcats Within Striking Distance

Texas Tech’s offense controlled possession for much of the evening, but ACU’s defense repeatedly prevented the game from getting completely out of hand.

The Wildcats forced the Red Raiders to settle for field goals on three separate third-quarter possessions.

Harrington connected from 28, 33 and 45 yards as Texas Tech extended its lead from 17-3 to 26-3.

Despite the scoreboard, ACU’s defense had several impressive stretches.

The Wildcats forced three Texas Tech drives of six yards or fewer and recorded two three-and-outs.

Dillon Williams led the way defensively with 10 tackles, including a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss.

Gabe Brown added a career-best eight tackles, while DeAngelo Ponder finished with seven.

Wilcox and Darius Moore also recorded seven tackles apiece.

The defense’s ability to repeatedly force Texas Tech into field-goal attempts kept ACU within striking distance heading into the fourth quarter.

Hammond, Simmons Finally Break Through

Texas Tech quarterback Will Hammond, making his first start since suffering a season-ending ACL injury last October, put together an efficient performance in his return.

Hammond completed 26 of 33 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing one interception.

The Red Raiders’ offense finally found the end zone again with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Hammond connected with Malcolm Simmons for a 64-yard touchdown, completing a nine-play, 91-yard drive and putting Texas Tech ahead 33-3.

That touchdown essentially put the game out of reach.

But ACU wasn’t finished.

Broome Provides the Highlight

Just 16 seconds after Simmons’ touchdown, Alex Broome gave the Wildcats and the traveling ACU contingent something to celebrate.

Broome fielded the ensuing kickoff and exploded down the left sideline, breaking multiple tackles before sprinting 98 yards to the end zone.

The touchdown was ACU’s first kickoff return touchdown since 2019 and its longest kickoff-return touchdown since 2009.

It also marked Broome’s second electric kickoff return of the young season after he had a 100-yard return called back by penalty against Lamar.

Broome finished the night with 52 rushing yards on 10 carries, while also delivering arguably ACU’s most memorable play of the evening.

Driver Leads Wildcats’ Receiving Corps

While the Wildcats struggled to consistently move the football, fifth-year receiver Cristian Driver turned in a strong individual performance.

Driver hauled in eight receptions for 93 yards, with five of those catches going for at least 10 yards.

Quarterback John David Black, making the first start of his career, completed 18 of 32 passes for 119 yards.

Black showed composure early, completing his first seven passes of the game and repeatedly relying on short completions to move the offense.

However, Texas Tech’s defensive front eventually made it difficult for ACU to generate explosive plays through the air.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Texas Tech finished the night with 471 total yards, compared to just 194 for ACU.

The Red Raiders held advantages in nearly every major offensive category:

Total yards: Texas Tech 471, ACU 194
Passing yards: Texas Tech 298, ACU 119
Rushing yards: Texas Tech 173, ACU 75
First downs: Texas Tech 26, ACU 15
Time of possession: Texas Tech 32:12, ACU 27:48

Texas Tech’s defense also limited ACU to just 15 first downs and intercepted Black’s first pass of the second half.

Still, the Wildcats’ defense deserves credit for keeping the Red Raiders from turning their offensive production into an even larger margin.

Texas Tech entered the red zone multiple times and settled for four field goals from Harrington.

A Tough Night, But Valuable Experience

For ACU, Saturday’s loss was a difficult result, but it also provided the Wildcats with valuable experience against one of the nation’s premier programs.

The Wildcats entered the night ranked No. 20 in the country and were playing in front of more than 60,000 fans at one of the toughest environments in college football.

The game also marked the second meeting between ACU and Texas Tech in three seasons after the Wildcats nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent program history during their 2024 matchup.

This time, the Red Raiders left little doubt.

Texas Tech’s defense ultimately dictated the game, while Hammond’s return provided the offense with enough consistency to keep the Red Raiders in control.

For ACU, the focus now shifts back to the United Athletic Conference.