Sports

Wyoming forces Texas Tech ‘to fold’ in 2OT upset

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Andrew Peasley tossed an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Michael Gyllenborg on fourth-and-7, and running back Sam Scott punched in the 2-point conversion as Wyoming stunned Texas Tech 35-33 in double overtime on Saturday night at War Memorial Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

Tyler Shough, who finished with 338 yards passing and three touchdowns, had given the Red Raiders a 33-27 lead after finding Jerand Bradley for a 15-yard score, but the senior quarterback’s conversion pass failed.

Scott’s walk-off score sent the crowd of 26,450 pouring onto the field late Saturday following a game that was delayed for 78 minutes due to a lightning storm that moved through Laramie.

Peasley, who limped off the field at the end of regulation after absorbing a big hit by nose tackle Jaylon Hutchings, ran for a 5-yard touchdown on the first possession of overtime.

“For this game, it was just take them to the deep end of the pool, and they’re going to fold,” Peasley said in his postgame, on-field interview with CBS. “That’s exactly what we did, and I’m just happy to come away with the W.”

Tahj Brooks answered for Texas Tech with a 6-yard touchdown run on third-and-2 to force a second overtime.

The Red Raiders stormed out to a quick 17-0 lead with the help of fumbles by Wyoming running backs Jamari Ferrell and D.Q. James.

John Hoyland, who was voted to the preseason AP All-America second team, booted a career-long 56-yard field goal to stop the bleeding for the Cowboys and start a 20-0 run.

Peasley was in and out of the game with minor injuries, but none of that seemed to matter to him in the end.

“I always say ‘I’m hurt, not injured,’ so I can still play. That’s kind of my motto,” Peasley said. “I just kept going at it, kept making my reads, and it turned out.”

The Red Raiders entered the season with high expectations after beating Oklahoma and Texas in the same season for the first time in 2022, but they were one of four Big 12 clubs to stumble on Saturday. Baylor, TCU and West Virginia also lost in Week 1, and only the Mountaineers were an underdog.

Especially with the Big 12 expanding now, don’t look for Texas Tech to schedule any more road games against Group of 5 opponents anytime soon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.