LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Bo Nix threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, Jeffrey Bassa had a 45-yard interception return for a score in the final minute and No. 13 Oregon rallied for a 38-30 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday night.
Shough threw for three TDs and ran for 101 yards but was responsible for four turnovers as the Red Raiders’ school-record 23-game winning streak in home openers ended.
The Ducks (2-0) had twice rallied in the fourth quarter behind Nix, who led a pair of drives to go-ahead field goals, capped by a four-minute march to Cameron Lewis’ 34-yarder for a 31-30 lead with 1:10 remaining.
“You want to go get points, you want to go take the lead, obviously if you can, you want to limit them getting the ball back,” Nix said. “As an offense, we’re champing at the bit to get the ball back to go down and score with five minutes left in the game.”
Shough (pronounced shuck) was trying to answer for a second time with a drive to a field goal when Brandon Dorlus hit Shough as he was throwing. The ball went straight to Bassa, who stepped over Shough and ran free to the end zone with 35 seconds left.
“We talk about being composed in moments like those moments and making sure we lean on what our players know the best,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We’re not going out there calling exotic defenses in those scenarios. What can we execute with speed … without overthinking it?”
Shough, who lost for just the second time in 10 games he started and finished in two-plus injury-plagued seasons since leaving Oregon, got Texas Tech to the Oregon 33 with 8 seconds to go. His desperation throw the end zone came up 2 yards short, and was intercepted by Bryan Addison.
The Red Raiders are 0-2 for the first time since 1990 after losing in double overtime at Wyoming in their opener.
Gino Garcia was 2 of 6 for the season when he made a 45-yard field goal to give Texas Tech a 30-28 lead with 5:13 remaining.
Shough rallied from a 22-yard loss on a strip sack and lost fumble and an interception to direct a three-play, 83-yard drive for a 27-18 lead after Nix was stuffed on fourth-and-1.
Nix answered with four third-down conversions on a touchdown drive before the Ducks went ahead 28-27 on Lewis’ 23-yard field goal after Malik Dunlap almost pulled off a toe-tapping interception in the end zone.
Shough kick-started the Texas Tech offense by running 58 yards on a designed draw to set up the game’s first touchdown, and Nix answered with a 72-yard scoring toss to Troy Franklin.
Shough ended up with four turnovers while completing 24 of 40 passes for 282 yards. Nix was 32 of 44 without an interception, and Franklin finished with 103 yards receiving on six catches.
THE TAKEAWAY
Oregon: Nix and the Ducks converted several gritty third-down conversions in the second half after falling behind by nine, which helped offset a sloppy night of penalties. Oregon was flagged multiple times for pass interference and for false starts.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders figured to be able to put the disappointing of the loss to Wyoming behind them with a high-profile home opener, and they did. While the 0-2 start stings, Texas Tech was in position for an important bounce-back win.
UP NEXT
Oregon: Hawaii is 3-0 against Oregon going into a visit next Saturday. The most recent meeting was in 1994.
Texas Tech: The first-ever meeting with Tarleton State is next Saturday.
