Texas Tech: Tommy Castellanos leads Red Raiders past Arizona

Tommy Castellanos threw two touchdown passes and rushed for 117 yards and a score on Saturday, leading No. 13 Texas Tech to a 34-26 victory over No. 22 Arizona. The Red Raiders (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) used the win to tie a school record with their 13th consecutive home victory.

The result snaps a five-game winning streak for the Wildcats (6-2, 3-2), who lost freshman receiver R.J. Mosley to an apparently serious left leg injury. Both teams entered the contest tied for second place in the Big 12 behind undefeated No. 6 Utah.

Castellanos replaced Will Hammond, who was benched following a 37-24 loss to Cincinnati the previous week. Coach Joey McGuire said he was as frustrated as he had been in 32 years of coaching and made the switch. The decision paid off early, as Castellanos threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Carter Jr. on the opening drive.

J’Koby Williams provided a decisive offensive spark, finishing with 175 rushing yards including a 64-yard touchdown. Noah Fifita, the Arizona quarterback, completed passes for 417 yards and threw a 94-yard score to Isaiah Mizell. Mizell now has three consecutive games with at least 100 receiving yards, a streak that marks the first three such performances of his career.

The game turned late in the third quarter. Kedrick Reescano ran one yard for a touchdown to give Arizona a 24-23 lead, but Ansel Nedore blocked the extra point kick. On the next drive, Castellanos connected with Kenny Johnson on a 27-yard pass on fourth-and-2 to put Texas Tech ahead for good.

Arizona attempted a late comeback by kicking a field goal with 22 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to eight points. Quinten Joyner recovered the onside kick to seal the win. The Red Raiders now host West Virginia next Saturday, while Arizona plays at home against TCU on Friday night.