Riding High: Cowboys Down Red Raiders In Primetime Showdown

Making just his second start as a Cowboy, quarterback Daxx Garman threw for 370 yards, four touchdowns and he ran for another as Oklahoma State defeated Texas Tech 45-35 on Thursday night in Stillwater.

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Despite the happy ending, the Pokes got off to a slow start in front of a national audience. Texas Tech struck first when Davis Webb found Reginald Davis for a 21-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. It looked like OSU wasn't going to get on the board in the first quarter, but with a little less than two minutes to play, Garman changed all that.

The junior journeyman found freshman phenom James Washington for a 33-yard score to tie the game.

TTU answered back early in the second when Webb hooked up with leading receiver Bradley Marquez for an 18-yard score to go up 14-7. Marquez finished the night with eight grabs for 106 yards.

From that point on, OSU took the game by the throat.

The Cowboys outscored Tech 38-14 until the Red Raiders added a late fourth-quarter score to cut the game back to 10.

The avalanche started when Desmond Roland plunged in from a yard away with seven minutes to play in the half. Less than two minutes later, Garman found Washington for another long score. This time it was from 39 yards and it gave the Pokes a 21-14 halftime lead.

The Cowboys got right back at it early in the third when Garman hooked up with tight end Blake Jarwin, who rumbled and stumbled all the way to the end zone for a 28-14 lead. The 47-yard catch and run was Jarwin's only grab of the night.

It looked like a blowout was brewing, but Tech didn't quit.

Webb capped a four-play, 44-yard drive by finding Justin Stockton for a 17-yard touchdown to get back within one score.

But then it was time for Tyreek the freak.

Freshman speedster Tyreek Hill, who has shown flashes of brilliance in his first three collegiate games, finally found the end zone. Hill went streaking down the middle of the field and sprinted right past the Red Raider secondary as Garman delivered a flawless deep ball. Hill caught it in stride and strode right into the end zone to put the Pokes back up 14.

Back came Tech. Webb hooked up with Davis for his second score of the night, this time from 22 yards. The seven-play, 80-yard drive was one of TTU's most impressive on the night, but OSU soon put any comeback hopes to bed.

Ben Grogan knocked a 42-yard field goal through the uprights, then Garman kept one from eight yards away for his first rushing score of the year. The Cowboy lead was 17 and the suspense was over.

The win improves OSU to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. It marks the Cowboys' sixth straight win over the Red Raiders.

Despite his strong performance, Garman wasn't perfect. He missed a couple of short balls and made a few poor decisions, resulting in two picks. But for the most part, he continued to make strides. Roland led the Cowboy ground attack with 86 yards on 23 carries and a score. Hill chipped in 39 rushing yards while Rennie Childs totaled just 10 yards on five carries.

Sophomore Marcell Ateman had another big day for the Pokes, hauling in six balls for 130 yards. Washington caught three passes for 87 yards and the aforementioned two scores.

Webb led Tech with 374 yards, four scores and a pair of picks. DeAndre Washington ran it 13 times for 85 yards to lead the Raiders while Marquez and Jakeem Grant each finished with 100+ receiving yards.

OSU is back on the field next Saturday against Iowa State. The Cyclones haven't had the ideal start to the season and will be looking for a clean slate in Big 12 play. The Cowboys will look for a 2-0 Big 12 start since 2011.