2012 bowl projections: Texas slated to play in Cotton Bowl against LSU

Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns are projected to play in the Cotton Bowl, against Les Miles and the LSU Tigers.

Texas vs. Texas Tech 2012: Red zone play the key to Longhorns' victory

The Texas Longhorns escaped Lubbock with a 31-22 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, giving Texas its third straight victory.

This was the first win of the season for Texas over a ranked opponent and Texas blog Burnt Orange Nation found plenty to cheer about, especially when discussing the Longhorns' play in the red zone on both offense and defense, especially considering their recent troubles there defensively.

The instructional takeaway was the impressive red zone performances by the Longhorn offense and defense. Both Texas Tech and Texas entered the game ranked abysmally in the defensive red zone at 118th and 121st respectively. The much maligned Texas defense had been giving up scores at a 94.29% clip.

In particular, the blog found one play early in the third quarter that could have been a key to the victory.

After a nice pick up of 4 yards on first down, the Red Raider offensive coordinator took the ball away from his hot handed quarterback and went back to his star back Williams out of the pistol formation. Longhorns cornerback Quandre Diggs is playing tight man coverage on the LOS, sniffs the play, rushes from the edge to not only blow up the hole but also make the tackle.

Texas now is 7-2 on the season and 4-2 in the Big 12. They play Iowa State this Saturday at home, but the real challenge will be on Dec. 1 when they travel to Manhattan, Kans to close out the season at undefeated Kansas State.

Texas vs. Texas Tech 2012: QB David Ash has a great game

Texas quarterback David Ash played one of his best games of the season in the team's win over Texas Tech.

Texas vs. Texas Tech final: Longhorns win 31-22

The No. 23 Texas Longhorns (7-2, 4-2) earned their third straight win Saturday in a thrilling 31-22 victory over the No. 18 Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-3, 3-3).

Both teams brought terrific offenses into the game, and the Longhorns held off a furious charge late in the fourth quarter to down the Red Raiders in front of their home fans at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.

Texas opened the scoring when quarterback David Ash found receiver Jaxon Shipley for a 6-yard touchdown completion six minutes into the game. The Red Raiders evened things up with 5:52 left in the quarter when Kenny Williams capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown plunge from the 1-yard line. Texas moved back into the lead with 3:27 to go in the quarter, using a 2-yard touchdown run from Joe Bergeron to make it a 14-7 advantage.

The Red Raiders came closer just a minute into the second quarter with a 29-yard field goal from Ryan Bustin to cut the margin to 14-10. Texas answered on their first play from scrimmage, as Ash hooked up with wide receiver Mike Davis for a 75-yard touchdown bomb to make it 21-10. Bustin knocked through another field goal from 41 yards out with 5:03 remaining in the half, slicing the lead to 21-13. Longhorns kicker Anthony Fera connected on his own field goal with 1:09 left to give the Longhorns a 24-13 lead heading to the locker room.

Texas Tech made the Longhorns sweat in the third quarter, with a 33-yard field goal from Bustin and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Seth Doege to Eric Stephens Jr. The PAT was blocked by the Longhorns, leaving them with a 24-22 lead heading to the fourth quarter. However, Texas shut down the Red Raiders from there, and Ash found Davis on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 9:14 remaining to lock down the victory.

Box Score Hero: Mike Davis collected only four catches but made them count, snagging two touchdowns and amassing 165 receiving yards.

Rankings Ramifications: The Longhorns are due for a boost in the rankings with their victory, while the Red Raiders are likely to hover around the 25th spot and the cutoff after the loss.

But Did They Cover? Texas Tech was favored by 7.5 points and failed to cover as the Longhorns pulled off the upset win.

For More On This Game: For more on Longhorns football, visit Texas blogs Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival. For more on Red Raiders football, visit Texas Tech blog Viva the Matadors.

Next Week's Schedule: The Longhorns head back to Austin to host the visiting Iowa St. Cyclones. The Red will stay at home, taking on the Kansas Jayhawks.

Follow @SBNationCFB

This story was originally published on SB Nation.com.

Texas Tech vs. Texas scoring update: Longhorns still leading 24-22 after third quarter

The Texas Longhorns lead the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 24-22, after three quarters despite a furious charge from coach Tommy Tuberville's team.

The Red Raiders did all the scoring in the third quarter against their rival Longhorns. After a critical fourth-down conversion extended a drive, Texas Tech couldn't find the end zone and was forced to settle for a 33-yard field goal off the foot of kicker Ryan Bustin.

Later in the quarter, the Red Raiders brought the game even closer. The Red Raiders managed to cap an eight-play, 56-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Seth Doege to running back Eric Stephens Jr. to trim the Longhorns' lead to 24-22. Texas Tech was unsuccessful in going for the 2-point conversion, and couldn't quite equalize before heading to the fourth quarter.

Both teams have put up a good amount of offense, combining for nearly 700 yards in the first three quarters.

Texas vs. Texas Tech score update: Longhorns lead 24-13 at halftime

In a game between two of the most prolific offenses in the country, the Longhorns are on pace to hold off the Red Raiders and earn a third consecutive victory.

Texas vs. Texas Tech score update: Longhorns take early lead over Red Raiders

The 23rd-ranked Texas Longhorns and 18th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders are in a battle for bragging rights as they end the first quarter of their Big 12 matchup with the Longhorns leading 14-7 in Lubbock.

The teams are going back and forth with the Longhorns starting off the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback David Ash to Jaxon Shipley. The Red Raiders answered with a Kenny Williams 1-yard touchdown run before the Longhorns finished the quarter scoring with a Joe Bergeron 2-yard touchdown run.

Ash finished the first quarter with 105 yards and a touchdown on 5-for-5 passing. His counterpart Seth Doege has started strong as well with 115 yards on 8-for-13 passing.

The Red Raiders came into the game averaging 357.9 passing yards per game and 40.5 points, so for the Longhorns to hold them to 151 yards and seven points is an accomplishment in itself.

Both teams come into the game with records of 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12.

Texas vs. Texas Tech 2012: TV schedule, game time, spread and more

The Longhorns will have a tough task against Texas Tech this Saturday.

Texas vs. Texas Tech: Statement game

Saturday's game in Lubbock offers an opportunity for both teams to make a statement, both this season and going forward.

Texas vs. Texas Tech 2012: Longhorns defense is historically bad

Texas isn't exactly having a great season defensively.

Texas vs. Texas Tech: Michael Crabtree will be in Lubbock for game

Texas Tech great Michael Crabtree will return to Lubbock this weekend to watch his old team take on the Texas Longhorns.

Texas Tech favored by seven to beat struggling Texas

The total has gone over in eight of Texas' last 10 games when playing Texas Tech.

NCAA Football Rankings 2012: Alabama No. 1 in BlogPoll, Texas out of Top 25

Texas is out of the Top 25 of the latest SB Nation BlogPoll.

Texas vs. Texas Tech 2012: Longhorns return to Lubbock

The Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech Red Raiders both have something to prove on Saturday in a crucial game between Big 12 rivals.

Jordan Hicks injury: Texas LB out against Texas Tech, might redshirt

Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks will miss his sixth consecutive game this Saturday due to a hip injury, and may be forced to take a medical redshirt if he does not improve.