No. 23 Tech surges on stormy opening evening

LUBBOCK – By the time an ominous storm rolled in, No. 23 Texas Tech had already jumped out to a 47-0 lead and outgained Arkansas-Pine Bluff by a 392-52 margin at halftime. The storm brought on a prolonged delay, canceled the halftime present and postponed a drone present. Two eight-minute quarters have been performed within the second half of the season opener on a singular evening the place the Red Raiders have been anticipated to win by a big margin and did so with a 67-7 victory to open the season.

Terrance Carter Jr. scored two of Tech’s first three touchdowns of the sport, his first coming simply 5 minutes into the sport when he took off on a straight-line dash from his tight finish place from the 21-yard line and caught a move from Behran Morton on the 3. Absorbing two hits, Carter prolonged the soccer throughout the objective line for his first landing as a Red Raider for a 14-0 lead. One collection later, Morton once more discovered Carter, this time for a 9-yard landing to cap the primary quarter with Tech main 23-0 and giving Carter his first multi-touchdown efficiency of his profession.

“I enjoyed it a lot,” Carter mentioned. “Actually, the fast-paced look got to me a little bit, but you have to get used to it. It’s part of football. I love the way coach (Mack) Leftwich goes out there and just calls the plays, gets defenses on their toes, as y’all can see. I mean, UAPB really couldn’t get set up with how quick we were running the ball and just getting passes out there.”

Carter, a Killeen, Texas native who’s in his first season at Tech after spending three at Louisiana, got here into the season opener with 76 receptions and 7 touchdowns in his profession. He earned All-Sun Belt first group honors final season at tight finish for the Rajin’ Cajuns – ending his sophomore season with 48 receptions and 4 touchdowns. On Saturday evening, his presence on the sector was instantly felt in a sport the place depth and expertise all through the roster grew to become the storyline in a 60-point win with a trio of Texas Tech quarterbacks throwing for 314, with 12 receivers catching a minimum of one move. Carter had three receptions for 42 yards whereas Reggie Virgil led the group with 4 receptions and 56 yards. Caleb Douglas and Coy Eakin joined Carter with three receptions, whereas Eakin added a 41-yard landing to push the Red Raiders to a 30-0 lead simply over a minute into the second half. Morton was close to flawless, finishing 16-of-20 passes for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns earlier than Will Hammond went 7-of-9 for 92 yards and a landing, whereas Mitch Griffis obtained in to throw for 21 yards on two completions, one among which was a landing, giving Texas Tech its first sport with three quarterbacks tossing touchdowns for the reason that season opener in 2022

“Our expectations was that we were going to play really well early and we were going to be able to get Will and Mitch in the game,” Tech head coach Joey McGuire mentioned. “Our plan was to run the offense. In this day and age, when it is a constant evaluation of the roster, you have to do that. You’ve got to understand what you have, not for only right now, but what you have a few weeks from now to months from now. I thought we executed really well. I thought, you know, tempo wise, it was a point that Will Jados and Howard Sampson at halftime said, ‘hey, that tempo is for real coach.’  We’re sitting there and we’re pancaking somebody and bearing their wheels, yelling, gas, gas, gas, to get the next play going.”

On an evening when solely a storm might gradual Tech down, Carter sat on the dais for the postgame press convention with Skyler Gill-Howard to speak in regards to the dominant win and the spectacle of the evening. Gill-Howard, additionally in his first season at Tech, was nonetheless sporting his pads and uniform effectively after McGuire’s postgame speech to the group – not desirous to take it off due to how a lot he is having fun with being a part of the Red Raider program. “It’s just amazing to get out here and play a game,” Gill-Howard mentioned. “That’s why I still have this jersey on. I don’t want to take it off.” Carter felt the identical, smiling as he spoke in regards to the win that got here in entrance of 60,229 followers at Jones AT&T Stadium.

“I can say I definitely loved it,” Carter mentioned. “I’ve never been part of a sold-out crowd like that. The most people I’ve probably played in front of was like 21,000. Just seeing the atmosphere and how many people came out to support, like that really showed a lot and how much they care about Lubbock.”