Matt Slocum / AP

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell rolls out to pass during the first quarter of the Red Raiders' 56-20 win over No. 8 Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Things looked good for the Cowboys early, when Kendall Hunter scored on a 2-yard run three plays after Oklahoma State recovered a fumbled snap by Harrell. The 7-0 lead only 2:30 into the game silenced a crowd that provided such a boost against Texas the previous Saturday night.

Yet Harrell, the nation’s leading passer, marched the Red Raiders 80 yards in five plays. He took them 70 yards on the next drive, then 97 and 72, spreading the ball around, while saving the most important plays for his main man, Crabtree. It was 28-14 at the half and Texas Tech already had 312 yards against a defense allowing an average of 357.4 yards per game.

The only thing that slowed the Red Raiders was the halftime show.

Oklahoma State had the ball to start the second half, driving to get within a touchdown. But tight end Brandon Pettigrew fumbled near midfield and Harrell went back to work. He finished a 48-yard drive with an 8-yard slant to Crabtree, putting Texas Tech up 35-14 and putting the Cowboys down into their biggest deficit of the season.

They answered with a touchdown, but so did the Red Raiders. Crabtree. Again. This time, on a fade.

Oklahoma State still had a chance to make things interesting by starting the fourth quarter at the Texas Tech 20. But Robinson was sacked, then forced to scramble and throw the ball away. Under heavy pressure again on third down, he threw too quickly toward the end zone and was intercepted at the 4. Harrell took over and drove 96 yards for the exclamation-point touchdown.

“That’s probably as good of a whole game as we’ve put together,” said Eric Morris, who led Tech with 10 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. “We were clicking on all cylinders.”

Hunter, the Big 12’s leading rusher, ran 17 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Dez Bryant, who hinted aloud this week that he deserved as much media attention as Crabtree, caught four passes for 86 yards. He didn’t have a catch until the final seconds of the first half, when the Cowboys already were down by two touchdowns.

“Our strength is to be able to run the football effectively and throw it and stay balanced,” Gundy said. “When you get behind as far as we did, you become one dimensional, and it makes it really difficult.”

At game’s end, Tech fans cheered politely. There wasn’t a single wild dash onto the field this time, unlike the two premature swarms against Texas.

In two weeks, huge victories have already become routine for the Red Raiders and their fans.

More news

AP

Slain UConn CB's family wants $5M

CFT: Stabbed to death following an altercation at a school-sponsored dance in October 2009, Jasper Howard‘s parents are seeking significant financial compensation for the parties they believe are at least partly responsible.

CFT: SEC's Slive no fan of plus-one playoff model

Headlines

• Label

Ex-QB Brian Johnson still directing Utes offense

CFT: Miami says it's 'committed to the ACC'

CFT: Clemson would listen to other conferences

CFT: Tennessee TE booted following felony arrest

CFT: Potential Cal starter kicked off team

Friends, fans mourn loss of Stewart

CFT: Ohio St. 'not facing any major ... violations'

CFT: Pitt FB suffers stroke, career likely over