LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) – Seth Doege’s three interceptions in a 41-20 loss to No. 17 Oklahoma on Saturday matched the number he had coming into the game.
Doege was throwing off his back foot all game as the Sooners’ defensive line gave him fits.
“Seth hadn’t played his best the last two games,” Red Raiders coach Tommy Tuberville said. “Seth’s a guy who will battle back. He’s made a lot of plays for us and we have all the confidence in the world in him.”
Doege was not made available to reporters after the game.
Offensive coordinator Neal Brown said Doege played well in the first half.
“In the third quarter he didn’t execute well,” Brown said.
Doege was 22 of 36 for 203 yards and had three interceptions for Texas Tech (4-1, 1-1).
Texas Tech, which had its lowest point total of the season against OU, hosts host No. 8 West Virginia next week before going on the road to play No. 15 TCU and No. 7 Kansas State. Then the Red Raiders return home against No. 11 Texas.
“We’ve got to bounce back and play better,” Brown said of the upcoming schedule. “We got to perform better than we did today.”
Landry Jones passed for two touchdowns, Blake Bell ran for two more and as the Sooners avenged a home loss to the Red Raiders last season.
The win was crucial for Oklahoma to remain in the conversation for the Big 12 title.
Both of Jones’ touchdown passes went for 13 yards – one each to Justin Brown and Kenny Stills. Bell, in at quarterback, scored his touchdowns from a yard out in typical Belldozer fashion.
Javon Harris put the game out of reach midway through the third quarter when he returned an interception 46 yards for a TD to put the Sooners (3-1, 1-1) up 38-13.
The Red Raiders had their worst defensive performance this year, giving up 380 total yards after coming in ranked No. 1 in the nation.
The win was sweet for the Sooners, who lost 41-38 to the Red Raiders last season – a defeat that broke Oklahoma’s 39-game win streak in Norman.
It was the first time the Sooners won in Lubbock since 2003.
It also upped the Sooners’ record to 19-0 in games following a loss going back to 2004. They lost two weeks ago at home 24-19 to Kansas State. OU also avoided having back-to-back Big 12 losses under coach Bob Stoops.
Jones said the loss to Kansas State two weeks ago, when he did not play well, motivated him some.
“But you’ve just got to realize what kind of player you are and realize what you’re capable of and kind of silence the outside and not really listen to what’s going on around you,” he said. “Just realize who you are and go out there and play the way you think you’re capable of playing.”
Harris got his second interception of the season and a touchdown in the third quarter when Doege threw his third pick of the day. The ball was tipped in the secondary and Harris ran 46 yards for the score to put the Sooners up 38-13.
OU went up 31-13 early in the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Bell. The Sooners got the ball after Texas Tech failed to get a first down on a fourth-and-5 play from the OU 36. Doege got sacked for a 10-yard loss by Frank Shannon and the Sooners took over from their own 46.
In the first half Oklahoma’s offensive line gave Jones ample time to pass. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 121 yards in the second quarter after completing just six passes for 54 yards in the first.
Oklahoma extended its lead to 24-13 off Doege’s second interception. Safety Aaron Colvin grabbed the ball out of the air near the line of scrimmage and returned it to Texas Tech’s 41. The Sooners drive stalled at the 16 and the Sooners had to settle for a field goal.
Jones got his 100th career touchdown pass on OU’s previous possession when he found Kenny Stills in far corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown that put the Sooners up 21-13
OU missed out a scoring opportunity in the first quarter when a pass from Doege was tipped and intercepted by Jamarkus McFarland at the Red Raiders’ 17. McFarland, a tackle, ran 13 yards to the 4 before Doege hit him and he fumbled. Texas Tech receiver Tyson Williams recovered the ball and the Red Raiders resumed their drive.
Texas Tech got only a 35-yard field goal out of that possession to take a 10-7 early in the second quarter.
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