The final score read 49-0, a demolition that etched Texas Tech’s name deeper into Big 12 lore, but for head coach Joey McGuire, the true triumph pulsed in the hearts of the Red Raiders faithful. In a postgame press conference laced with raw emotion, McGuire’s voice cracked as he paid tribute to the fans who’d endured the program’s wilderness years, their unyielding belief fueling the No. 5 Red Raiders’ march to their first-ever Big 12 Championship berth. “I know the Red Raiders are going to show up,” McGuire said, his eyes glistening under the Milan Puskar Stadium lights. “They’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”
The November 29 blowout — Tech’s second Big 12 shutout in three years and the program’s first since 2000 — wasn’t just a statement to the 4-8 Mountaineers; it was redemption for a fanbase battered by decades of near-misses. McGuire, the high school coaching phenom turned college savior, gathered his squad amid the confetti and chaos, his words a rallying cry that transcended the scoreboard. “This isn’t about the 49 points,” he told reporters, voice trembling with the weight of it all. “It’s about belief — the kind that never quit, even when the doubters laughed. You fans, you showed up when it hurt. This one’s for you.” The moment, captured in a viral clip that racked up over 200,000 views overnight, captured the unbreakable spirit of Lubbock’s scarlet faithful.
McGuire’s tenure, now a glittering 28-12 through three seasons, has been a masterclass in resilience. Hired in the wake of a 3-7 pandemic debacle under Matt Wells, he inherited a fractured roster and a fanbase weary of bowl droughts and coaching carousels. Early hiccups — a 7-6 debut in 2022 — tested the bonds, but the Wreck ‘Em faithful filled Jones AT&T Stadium to capacity, chanting through 1-3 starts and portal exoduses. “They packed the house when we were down, screamed ‘Wreck ‘Em’ louder in losses than wins,” McGuire reflected in his full presser, streamed live on Texas Tech’s platforms. By 2024, the turnaround was underway: a 9-4 mark and Alamo Bowl rout. Now, with an 11-1 record clinching a date against BYU in Arlington on December 6, McGuire’s “love each other” ethos has forged not just contenders, but believers.
On the field, the dominance was as clinical as McGuire’s message was heartfelt. Quarterback Behren Morton, the junior gunslinger, carved up West Virginia’s secondary for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-28 passing, including a 19-yard strike to Caleb Douglas that sparked a 21-0 first-quarter frenzy. The ground game churned out 262 yards, led by running back Tahj Brooks’ 112 and a pair of scores, while the defense — Tech’s “superpower” allowing a Big 12-best 11.3 points per game — suffocated WVU for just 99 total yards. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the Virginia transfer moonlighting in the wildcat, plunged in for a 1-yard TD on the opening drive — his second offensive score in as many weeks — sans the Heisman flair from his prior jaunt against UCF. Amier Boyd’s 67-yard pick-six in the third quarter invoked the mercy rule, as freshman Mountaineer QB Scotty Fox Jr. (13-for-22, 157 yards) yielded to Max Brown in a no-contest collapse.
For Rich Rodriguez’s Mountaineers, it was a senior-day swan song turned nightmare, capping a 2-7 league skid amid quarterback carousel chaos. Sacks from Reid Carrico and Ben Bogle offered fleeting resistance, but Tech’s 572 total yards and 14-of-21 third-down conversions buried any upset whispers.
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