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    • Does defense get an A after Texas Tech wins Arizona football?
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    Does defense get an A after Texas Tech wins Arizona football?

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    Tahj Brooks overcame two fumbles by rushing for 128 yards and three touchdowns and Gino Garcia scored a go-ahead goal with 2:21 left as the Texas Tech football team defeated Arizona 28-22 on Saturday night in Tucson, Arizona.

    Brooks scored on runs of 3 and 9 yards in the first half to help Texas Tech (5-1, 3-0 in the Big 12) lead 18-3 at the break, then iced the game by going 32 yards at 1:53. left.

    Tyler Loop made 5 of 6 field goals for Arizona (3-2, 1-1). He gave the Wildcats their first lead of the night, 19-18, with 10:07 to go, but missed from 48 yards with 4:52 to go.

    Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas caught five passes for 116 yards, including a 32-yard catch that put the Red Raiders in position for the Garcia field goal that put Tech ahead 21-19.

    On the first play after the kickoff, Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan fumbled as Jacob Rodriguez punched the football out, and safety Brenden Jordan recovered. Brooks broke away for his final TD with 1:53 to go.

    More: Ranking the remaining 7 Texas Tech Football opponents by difficulty

    Loop was also good from 47, 40, 30 and 52 meters, the last with 54 seconds to go. McMillan caught eight passes for 161 yards, and Quali Conley carried 14 times for 97 yards, including a 3-yard TD that cut Tech’s lead to 18-16 late in the third quarter.

    Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita passed for 301 yards, but was intercepted twice for the first time in his career.

    Tech picked up steam late in the first half, turning two Arizona turnovers into a touchdown, two-point conversion and Garcia’s first field goal.

    Three minutes before halftime it was 7-3 when Rodriguez hit a Fifita pass and intercepted Quincy Ledet. The 315-pound defensive tackle rumbled 20 yards to the Arizona 30-yard line, and Brooks cashed in with his second touchdown.

    Arizona, after calling a timeout for the Brooks TD, advanced to the Tech 27 before safety Julien (CJ) Baskerville intercepted a throw in the end zone. Tech took over with 31 seconds left, getting passes of 57 and 19 yards from Behren Morton to Douglas, setting up a Garcia field goal.

    Violation: C

    The attack went through a five-series cold spell in the second half, but survived it. Brooks and Douglas were the standouts on a night when the Red Raiders moved the ball just enough.

    Defense: A

    The unit played under pressure most of the night and continued to rise. Rodriguez had 13 tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. The defense set the tone with a fantastic first half, including a fourth-down stop deep in Tech territory and two interceptions that the offense converted into 11 points. Quite an effort as the defensive unit and defensive backs were exhausted.

    Special teams: A

    Garcia made two field goals, including the pressure-filled go-ahead goal late in the game. Jack Burgess put two kicks in the 20 and the coverage was good. Red Raiders also caught the Wildcats napping with an easy two-point conversion run by Johncarlos Miller from a swinging-gate formation.

    Coaching: B

    Going out with a short defense against a top-tier quarterback-receiver combination seemed like a bad fit. But defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter got a great effort on his part. The offensive staff had a good first half, but almost cost the team the game by being cold for much of the second half.

    General: A

    Tech is now 4-0 this season in games decided by eight points or fewer. And this one came on the road, where wins were hard to come by for the Red Raiders during Joey McGuire’s three seasons.

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