Led by wide receiver Davion Davis, running back Donavan Williams and quarterbacks Jared Johnson and Jeremiah Johnson, Sam Houston rolled up 671 yards total offense in a 59-45 loss to Texas Tech before 6,073 fans at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock Saturday.
The 671 yards are the most ever by a Sam Houston offense against an FBS opponent and stand behind 823 yards vs. Houston Baptist and 685 yards against Alabama State last year as the third highest single game total in school history.
Davis, a true freshman from Hutto, caught 12 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. The total marks the most receptions by a Bearkat freshman in one game and fell one catch short of the school single game record. Jason Mathenia and Torrance Williams hold the school record with 13 catches versus Eastern Washington in 2004 and Central Arkansas in 2013, respectively.
Johnson, who started the game, completed 18 of 28 passes for 144 yards and a TD whie Briscoe came off the bench to throw for 176 yards and a score, completing 18 of 24.
Williams rushed 12 times for 99 yards including touchdown runs of one, two, four and one yards. He became the seventh Sam Houston player to score four or more touchdowns in a game. Only all-time Bearkat rushing leader Timothy Flanders (5 vs. New Mexico in 2011) scored more.
Turnovers proved to be the difference, however, as the Red Raiders recovered two Bearkat fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes.
Sam Houston outgained the Red Raiders by 60 yards as the two squads combined for 1,282 yards in total offense while running 186 plays. The Kats' 98 plays rank as the third highest total in school history.
Tristan Eche led the Bearkat defense with 15 tackles. Luc Swimberge kicked all six Bearkat extra points and added a career long 48-yard field goal.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed for 425 yards and four touchdowns to lead Texas Tech. Wide receiver Devin Lauderdale caught eight of those throws for 150 yards and two scores.
The game opened with a first half in which the two teams combined for 779 yards total offense and 73 points on 103 plays. The first two quarters took more than two hours to complete.
Texas Tech opened the scoring with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a three-yard scoring run. The drive took three minutes and six seconds.
Sam Houston answered in three minutes and three seconds with a 14-yard touchdown by Ridgeway Frank. The 11-play drive covered 93 yards with quarterback Jared Johnson accounting for 42 yards on four carries including an 19-yard dash. Johnson's 17-yard pass to freshman Davion Davis step up the scoring play.
After trading possessions, Patrick Mahomes found Devin Lauderdale open for a 64-yard touchdown to complete a two-play drive in 13 seconds that gave the Red Raiders a 14-7 lead with 3:54 left in the opening quarter.
In his first start, free safety Alfonzo McMillian picked off a pass at the Red Raider 39-yard line and returned the interception 28 yards to the Tech 12. Johnson hit LaDarius Richardson for an 11-yard pass to the one and Donovan Williams went through the right side of the line for the touchdown with 53 seconds to knot the score 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.
A scrabbling Mahomes founded Ian Sadler in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown a minute and 36 seconds into the second quarter to complete an eight-play 69-yard drive that put Tech up again 21-14.
A 47-yard run by Donavan Williams set up a career long 48-yard field goal by Luc Swimberge with 7:13 left before half. Jakeem Grant returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to give Tech a 28-17 lead 17 seconds later.
Sam Houston responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a two-yard scoring run by Willliams to cut the margin to 28-24 with 3:44 before intermission. A 28-yard pass from Jeremiah Briscoe to Davion Davis to the Red Raider 21 was a key play on the drive.
The Red Raiders extended their lead to 35-24 with 2:23 to play in the second with a 53-yard TD pass from Mahomes to Sadler to complete a six-play, 82-yard drive that took a minute and 21 seconds.
Sam Houston responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that took 1:31 as Briscoe hit Davis for a 29-yard score with 52 seconds left in the half. The scoring wasn't over as 38 seconds later Mahomes hit Devin Lauderdale for a 29-yard touchdown as Texas Tech took a 42-31 margin into the locker room at halftime.
J. J. Gaines intercepted a Johnson pass on the third play of the second half and returned the pick 47 yards for a score to increase Tech's lead to 49-31.
After a fourth down conversion attempt by the Kats was stopped inches short, Texas Tech drove 42 yards in nine plays for a 27-yard field goal by Michael Barden.
A turnover stopped a promising 60-yard Kat drive as Williams's fumble after an 18-yard gain to the Red Raider 25 was recovered by Tech's Mike Mitchell with 5:15 left in the third period. Tech drove 71 yards for a Justin Stockton four-yard touchdown to end the third period leading 59-31.
Williams' third touchdown of the day, a four-yard run with 10:06 to play after a six-play 47-yard drive gave the Bearkats their first points of the second half. Williams scored his fourth TD of the game on a one yard plunge with 1:53 remaining after a 10-play 64-yard drive.
Sam Houston has an open date next Saturday then plays host to Lamar on September 19 at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
