LUBBOCK, Texas — Thomas Castellanos threw for a career-high five touchdowns, ran for 102 yards and delivered the go-ahead score with 2:44 left as No. 15 Texas Tech outlasted West Virginia 53-48 in a wild Big 12 shootout that stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning. The Texas Tech West Virginia 53-48 final capped a night of almost non-stop offence, a furious Mountaineer comeback and a fourth quarter in which the Red Raiders finally slammed the door.

Castellanos completed 18 of 27 passes for 362 yards without an interception, and his five-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Johnson capped a nine-play, 69-yard drive kept alive by Micah Hudson’s leaping fourth-down catch. Edge rusher Trey White then sealed the win with a safety on West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. in the end zone in the final two minutes. The teams combined for 1,220 yards of total offence.

Key Points

• No. 15 Texas Tech beat West Virginia 53-48 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Lubbock, improving to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12.
• Thomas Castellanos threw for a career-high 362 yards and five touchdowns (18 of 27, no interceptions) and ran for 102 yards on 23 carries.
• Kenny Johnson caught the go-ahead five-yard touchdown with 2:44 left, capping a 69-yard drive saved by Micah Hudson’s leaping fourth-down catch.
• West Virginia scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to lead 48-41, but Texas Tech won the fourth 12-0, outgaining the Mountaineers 128 yards to minus-6.
• Trey White sealed it with a safety on Michael Hawkins Jr., and Texas Tech set a school record with its 14th straight home win.

What Happened

The first half was strictly defence-optional. The teams combined for 892 total yards before halftime, the most in a Big 12 game since 2004, and Texas Tech scored on six of its eight possessions. When Hawkins connected with TaRon Francis on a 73-yard scoring strike just 1:54 into the second quarter, West Virginia owned a 24-21 edge. But Castellanos threw two touchdown passes in two minutes, and Quinten Joyner’s one-yard plunge with 1:13 left in the half made it 41-27 at the break.

The third quarter belonged entirely to West Virginia. The Mountaineers scored 21 unanswered points, and when Hawkins ran in from three yards out at the 1:12 mark, they led 48-41. Cook had 149 yards on 23 carries, and Hawkins had thrown for 303 yards and run for 88 more. The fourth quarter, though, was all Red Raiders: Texas Tech outgained West Virginia 128 yards to minus-6 and won it 12-0, with the nine-play, 69-yard go-ahead drive ending in Castellanos finding Johnson from five yards out with 2:44 left before White’s safety ended it.

Texas Tech West Virginia 53-48: A Shootout for the Ages

The numbers read like a video game. Castellanos accounted for 464 total yards on his own, throwing for 362 and running for 102, while Hawkins threw for 303 yards and a touchdown and ran for 88 more. J’Koby Williams ran for 160 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts for the Red Raiders, and Johnson’s five catches for 84 yards included two touchdowns. For West Virginia, Cook’s 149 yards on 23 carries matched the passing attack, and Francis’s 73-yard touchdown catch was one of the night’s signature plays. The swings were remarkable too: Texas Tech led 41-27 at halftime, West Virginia led 48-41 after three quarters, and Texas Tech won the fourth 12-0.

Background: Red Raiders’ Big 12 Title Push

The win kept Texas Tech at 8-1 overall and 5-1 in Big 12 play, firmly in the race for the conference title and a place in the College Football Playoff. It was the Red Raiders’ 14th straight home victory, a school record. Castellanos has been at the centre of it: he starred in Texas Tech’s 34-26 win over Arizona on October 31, and his performance against West Virginia was the best of his career. His dual-threat ability has made the Red Raiders one of the hardest teams in the country to prepare for. West Virginia fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12, knowing it let a game slip away in the fourth quarter.

Reactions

The reaction in Lubbock was one of relief as much as celebration. The Red Raiders had led by 14 at halftime, trailed by seven after three quarters, and needed a fourth-down catch, a go-ahead touchdown and a safety to survive. The crowd that stayed into the early hours of Sunday morning got a game that will be talked about for years. For West Virginia, the mood was very different: the Mountaineers had erased a 14-point halftime deficit with 21 unanswered points, only to be shut out in the fourth quarter.

Why It Matters

This game matters because it kept Texas Tech’s season on course. At 8-1 and 5-1 in the Big 12, the Red Raiders remain in control of their path to the conference title game and, with it, a realistic shot at the College Football Playoff. A loss at home to a 5-4 West Virginia team would have been a damaging blow to both ambitions. It also showed what Castellanos is: a quarterback who throws for 362 yards and five touchdowns, runs for 102 more and delivers the go-ahead score in the final three minutes is playing at a level few in the country can match.

What Happens Next

Texas Tech now turns its attention to Oklahoma State, visiting the Cowboys on Saturday, November 14. The road is where their title hopes will be tested next. West Virginia, meanwhile, will regroup after a defeat that will sting for a while, with the fourth-quarter shutout the focus of the week’s film sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score between Texas Tech and West Virginia?
Texas Tech beat West Virginia 53-48 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Lubbock. The Red Raiders won the fourth quarter 12-0 after trailing 48-41 at the end of the third.

How many touchdowns did Thomas Castellanos throw?
Five, a career high. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 362 yards with no interceptions and ran for 102 yards on 23 carries, giving him 464 total yards.

How did Texas Tech seal the win?
Castellanos hit Kenny Johnson for a five-yard touchdown with 2:44 left for a 51-48 lead, and Trey White then tackled Michael Hawkins Jr. in the end zone for a safety in the final two minutes, making it 53-48.

What is Texas Tech’s record after the win?
Texas Tech is 8-1 overall and 5-1 in Big 12 play, with a school-record 14th straight home win. West Virginia fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the conference.

When does Texas Tech play next?
Texas Tech visits Oklahoma State on Saturday, November 14, 2026, with the Big 12 title race and a playoff spot still on the line.

Related coverage: Texas Tech’s previous win, a 34-26 victory over Arizona, is covered in our report on Castellanos starring in the Red Raiders’ top-25 showdown, and the wider playoff picture is in our story on Miami topping the first College Football Playoff rankings.