Texas avoids another loss in Lubbock after rallying

Every four years for the last 12, Texas had left Lubbock a loser.

It looked as if that trend might continue Saturday night when Texas Tech jumped out to a three-touchdown lead in the first half.

But the No. 5 Longhorns overcame four turnovers and erased the big deficit to beat the Red Raiders, 35-31, in a Big 12 Conference game.

“This team doesn’t know how to quit,” said Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns. “We just kept hanging in there. We are determined, and we fight to the end.”

The Longhorns, 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the conference, won their 20th consecutive conference game and 17th road game in a row.

Texas didn’t get its first lead until early in the fourth quarter when McCoy threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Quan Cosby to make it 35-31.

Texas Tech (5-4, 2-3) had chances in the last 6 minutes 14 seconds. Twice the Red Raiders failed on fourth-down conversion attempts inside the Texas 35. Both plays -- a completion to Joel Filani and a quarterback sneak by Graham Harrell -- came up just short and were reviewed by replay, but the officials’ spots were upheld.

The second opportunity came after Jamaal Charles fumbled for a second time, this one coming at his own 24, and Tech’s Jake Ratliff recovered. But Tech failed to take advantage.

Though Tech Coach Mike Leach didn’t mention specifics, he said there were “some things” that happened in the second half that he was “not able to comment on,” possibly referring to the officials’ two spots.

“But I thought they were very detrimental to our effort,” said Leach, who added it was his team’s best game this season.

Harrell completed 42 of 62 passes for 519 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, his first since throwing five in games against Missouri and Colorado.

Texas Coach Mack Brown said he was proud of his team’s confidence and perseverance.

“We played hard; we didn’t play that well,” Brown said. “And Texas Tech played as well as I’ve ever seen them play.”