Kingsbury throws Texas off title path

 

 

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LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Texas had no answer for Kliff Kingsbury, and now there's no chance for a Big 12 or national title.

Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury celebrates one of his six TD passes.

Kingsbury threw for 473 yards and six touchdowns against one of the nation's top defenses and Texas Tech earned a 42-38 upset of the Longhorns (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) on Saturday.

"We tried everything and he whipped everything we tried,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. "We're really disappointed, but give them credit.''

Texas fell eight spots to No. 11 in the coaches' poll, which was released Sunday morning.

While Kingsbury ended Texas' title hopes, he also lifted Texas Tech (8-4, 5-2) into the Big 12 South race.

The Red Raiders visit co-No. 4 Oklahoma (9-1, 5-1) next Saturday, with the winner taking the division and advancing to the Big 12 title game on Dec. 7.

"We just have to do the same like we did today'' to beat Oklahoma, Tech coach Mike Leach said. "We need to get a lot of first downs, make good punts and complete passes.''

The defeat was another tough blow for Texas (9-2, 5-2) and coach Mack Brown. A loss to Oklahoma last month all but eliminated the Longhorns from the conference race, but they still had an outside chance of reaching the BCS' national title game in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3.

That's gone, too.

"They all hurt anytime you lose,'' said Texas quarterback Chris Simms, who threw for 345 yards and four TD passes. "This one hurts a lot. To be so close and have things fall the way they did, it's tough.''

Tech went ahead 42-38 on a 25-yard pass from Kingsbury to Taurean Henderson with 5:41 left.

Simms tried to lead Texas back, but Texas Tech safety Ryan Aycock intercepted a pass intended for B.J. Johnson with 5:21 remaining to seal the win.

"I was just trying to go in the middle, and I got bumped by a linebacker,'' Johnson said. "By the time I got turned around in there, Chris had already thrown the ball. The rest is history.''

With no timeouts left for Texas, Tech kept the ball on the ground and got three first downs to run out the clock.

Texas is the highest-ranked team Tech has ever beaten.

Although Texas' defense came into the game ranked fifth nationally, allowing just 261 yards per game, Texas Tech had 306 yards by halftime and finished with 606.

Texas' defensive coordinator Carl Reese gave Kingsbury credit for picking apart his schemes.

"We played hard, but we didn't quite do it,'' Reese said. "We were up against a hot quarterback, and my hat's off to him.''

With the score tied at 21-all at the half, Kingsbury opened the third quarter with eight straight completions, including a 5-yard TD pass to Wes Welker, who had 247 all-purpose yards.

"We have so many weapons you just try to make plays you can,'' Welker said.

After his big day, Kingsbury, who completed 38 of 60 passes, moved up to the No. 4 passer in Division I history with 11,831 yards, passing Todd Santos of San Diego State.

Texas took a 7-0 lead when Cedric Benson scored from 2 yards out just two plays after Kingsbury fumbled on Tech's first play from scrimmage.

"We dug a hole for ourselves with the fumble in the first quarter,'' Leach said. "But the team did a good job settling down, regaining their composure and getting back into the game.''

After a Tech punt forced Texas to start at its 10, Simms led the 'Horns on a 12-play drive, finding Roy Williams alone in the end zone to give Texas a 14-0 lead. Texas kept the drive alive on a fake punt.

Tech, averaging just over 38 points before the game, failed to score in the first quarter for the first time since its opening game 45-21 loss to Ohio State.

But the Red Raiders came back in the second quarter to tie it at 14-all with touchdown passes from Kingsbury of 23 and 15 yards in the first five minutes.

Simms answered with a 19-yard TD pass to Williams for a 21-14 lead.

Williams said he was "pretty shocked.''

"Kingsbury did a great job of picking our defense apart,'' said Williams, who had eight catches for 117 yards. "Any time we scored, they responded. They played a great game and did the things they had to.''

Tech got the ball back on its own 14 with 1:01 left in the half and no time outs. That didn't stop Kingsbury, who threw a 62-yard TD pass to Nehemiah Glover.