No. 13 Texas Tech Beats No. 22 Arizona 34-26 as Tommy Castellanos Sparks Comeback in First Start

Texas Tech changed quarterbacks this week, and the move paid off right away.

Tommy Castellanos, starting in place of Will Hammond, threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 117 yards and another score as No. 13 Texas Tech beat No. 22 Arizona 34-26 on Saturday, Oct. 31, in Lubbock, Texas, according to AP and CBS Sports reports.

Texas Tech improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, a week after its first loss of the season. Arizona fell to 6-2 and 3-2, and its five-game winning streak ended.

Who is Texas Tech’s QB now?

Coach Joey McGuire benched Will Hammond, who had started six of the Red Raiders’ first seven games, in favor of Castellanos, a veteran with 30 career starts, Arizona Sports and CBS Sports reported.

CBS Sports noted that Hammond had thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions as a starter, and that Tech’s offense ranked in the bottom half of the Big 12. Castellanos is a far less polished passer. He completed 11 of 24 attempts, including 5 of 15 in the first half, but his running changed the game. Seven of his carries went for first downs, and he became the first Texas Tech quarterback to run for 100 yards since Tyler Shough, CBS Sports said.

One caveat: Castellanos is playing under a temporary court injunction, and CBS Sports reported that he briefly lost his eligibility earlier this season when a previous injunction was dissolved.

How did Texas Tech come back against Arizona?

Arizona led 17-7 with about two minutes left in the first half. Texas Tech then scored 17 unanswered points over its next four drives, Arizona Sports reported. A 27-yard touchdown on fourth-and-2 gave the Red Raiders a lead they never gave up.

Running back J’Koby Williams took over after halftime. He finished with 175 rushing yards on 14 carries, 154 of them after the break, and put the game away with a 64-yard touchdown run on third-and-1 late in the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech ran for 328 yards, the most Arizona has allowed since 2020, according to CBS Sports.

“He played his butt off today. He’s a really good player,” Arizona coach Brent Brennan said of Castellanos.

How did Noah Fifita play?

Very well through the air. Noah Fifita completed 33 of 45 passes for 417 yards and a touchdown, Arizona Sports reported. His 94-yard touchdown to Isaiah Mizell on third-and-12 in the second quarter was the longest pass of his career. Mizell finished with 182 yards on seven catches.

But Arizona managed only 12 rushing yards, and after Kedrick Reescano’s touchdown run late in the third quarter, the Wildcats did not score again until a field goal with 22 seconds left.

“The fourth down miss on my part was a big momentum shift,” Fifita said.

Arizona freshman receiver R.J. Mosley was carted off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury late in the third quarter. Brennan said he had no update after the game.

What’s next for Arizona and Texas Tech?

Arizona hosts TCU on Friday night. The win puts Texas Tech, the reigning Big 12 champion, firmly back in the conference title race, CBS Sports wrote.

FAQ