NORMAN, Okla. — Jordan Pope scored 27 points and freshman Tre Johnson scored 16 points and Texas blunted Oklahoma’s comeback bid beating Oklahoma 77-73 on Wednesday night.
Tramon Mark scored 15 points and Kadin Shedrick 10 for Texas (12-5, 1-3) who won its first-ever game as a member of the Southeastern Conference. Texas never trailed.
Jalon Moore scored a career-high 29 points and Jeremiah Fears scored 20 for Oklahoma (13-4, 0-4) who is still in search of its first SEC win.
The Longhorns led 43-27 at halftime and used a 10-3 run to build its largest lead of the game at 53-30 with 16:15 before the Sooners awakened. Oklahoma outscored Texas 26-7 in a 10-minute span reduced its deficit to 60-56 with 6:12 left. Three minutes later, Moore’s 3-pointer got OU within 71-68. But Johnson closed the door with back-to-back fadeaway jumpers at 1:47 and 1:19 remaining.
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Oklahoma made one more push when Fears hit a 3, and off a Pope turnover, Moore threw down a dunk. In the face of the Sooners press, on the inbounds, Fears threw a near length-of-the court pass that Mark caught up to and threw down for a dunk to end the scoring with 13 seconds left.
With the help of Arthur Kaluma’s three early layups, Texas built a 14-7 lead. Midway through the first half, Pope made a 3-pointer to provide Texas with its first double-digit lead of the game at 22-12.
Texas travels to face fifth-ranked Florida on Saturday. Texas hosts South Carolina on Saturday.
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Watch: Boopie Miller buries game-winning 3-pointer, lifts SMU to road win over Virginia
Utah leads TCU wire-to-wire, Horned Frogs fall under .500 in Big 12 play
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After a big win in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks are on to the quarterfinals. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks will take on the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
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How To Watch
When: Thursday, Jan. 1, at 9 a.m. PT. Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida TV Broadcast: ESPN Radio Call: Oregon Sports Network, KUJZ-FM 95.3 (Eugene), KRSK-105.1 FM/1080 AM (Portland)
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Oregon quarterback Dante Moore greets Duck fans at the Moshofsky Sports Center before the College Football Playoff game between Oregon and James Madison Dec. 20, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Betting Odds
The Oregon Ducks are 2.5-point favorites against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on FanDuel Sportsbook. The moneyline for Oregon is -130, and the point total is set at 52.5.
Injury Update
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The Oregon Ducks’ wide receiver unit is getting healthy at the right time. Wide receivers Gary Bryant Jr. and Dakorien Moore were both seen at practice on Saturday ahead of the game against Texas Tech.
Sep 13, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Headshot of Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
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Running back Jordon Davison has been a player to monitor, but was also seen back at practice, another positive sign for the Ducks.
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The one player who was not seen during the open portion of practice by the media was wide receiver Evan Stewart. Stewart has yet to play in a game this season, and he will continue to be a player to monitor.
Oregon’s Explosive Offense To Play Key Role
The Oregon Ducks offense has been tough to stop, with its immense depth and explosive plays. The Ducks played well throughout the season despite injuries, but with players returning, Oregon will be tough to stop.
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Nov 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) runs off the field after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Ducks lead the FBS with plays going for over 20 yards and are No. 2 in yards per rush, proving the team’s explosiveness. The Ducks total 217.08 rushing yards per game and 251.8 passing yards per game.
The Oregon offense is led by quarterback Dante Moore, who is having a breakout year. Moore totals 3,046 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He threw four touchdowns against James Madison, but he will have to be careful against the Red Raiders after also throwing two interceptions. Moore also totals 196 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
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MORE: Oregon Ducks Injury Update From Practice Highlights One Major Absence
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Wide receiver Malik Benson has been a role player amid injuries to the offense. Benson leads the team with 645 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq leads the team with eight touchdown receptions and has 509 receiving yards.
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Moore does well at spreading the ball around to his several receiving targets, making Oregon a tough team to defend against the pass.
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Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Oregon’s talented running back room has been one of the many highlights of the offense. Running back Noah Whittington leads the team with 798 rushing yards and has six touchdowns. True freshman running back Jordon Davison leads the team with 13 rushing touchdowns and has 625 rushing yards.
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While Whittington and Davison may be leading the team, running back Dierre Hill Jr. is coming off a massive game against the Dukes, with one rushing touchdown and a 40-yard reception.
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The Oregon Ducks have playmakers on offense that will help lead to a win against the Red Raiders.
Ducks’ Defense Must Stay Consistent
Oregon has one of the most dominant defenses in college football, but the Ducks must play all four quarters against Texas Tech. Oregon’s defense allowed the Dukes to score four touchdowns in the second half, and that cannot happen against a tougher opponent.
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Oregon Defensive Coordinator Tosh Lupoi runs a warmup drill with his team before the game against Oklahoma State at Autzen. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Oregon has allowed 16.3 points per game this season and is No. 4 in the nation in a three-and-out rate of 31.11 percent. The defense ranks No. 1 in the FBS for passes broken up (67), and will be a tough team to throw against.
Safety Dillon Thieneman is proving to be a massive transfer portal addition and is a big reason Oregon does well defending the pass. Thieneman totals 71 tackles, one sack, five passes defended, and two interceptions.
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Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher has been a difference-maker with the Ducks throughout the season. He leads the team with 113 total tackles, and has one sack, four passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.
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Linebacker Teitum Tuioti is another role player on the team, leading the Ducks with 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Oregon has a talented unit on defense, and the Ducks will have to be on top of their game to defeat Texas Tech.
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Texas Tech To Pose Challenge
Nov 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire speaks to the media after defeating the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images
The Texas Tech Red Raiders enter the matchup with a 12-1 record and as Big 12 champions. With also coming off a bye, the Red Raiders should not be counted out.
Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton has passed for 2,643 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has thrown just four interceptions this season, proving he can make smart decisions and is an accurate thrower.
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Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas leads the team with 846 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The Red Raiders’ run game has been highly successful this season and will test Oregon’s defense. Running back Cameron Dickey leads the team with 1,095 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
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Two players on the Red Raiders’ defense who may play a critical role will be linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey. Bailey leads the team with 13.5 sacks, going against a tough Oregon offensive line. Rodriguez leads the Red Raiders with 117 tackles and has four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Oregon vs. Texas Tech Prediction
The Oregon Ducks will defeat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 27-24.
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If Oregon defeats Texas Tech, the Ducks will face the winner of No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 1 Indiana in the playoff semifinals.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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The Houston Cougars defeated the LSU Tigers 38-35 in the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on Saturday night inside NRG Stadium.
The Cougars collected their first 10-win season since 2021, and they won their first bowl game since 2022.
With the win, Houston finished with a 10-3 record, and the Cougars have a lot to be excited about with their success in head coach Willie Fritz’s second season.
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Kinder’s Texas Bowl Game Recap
Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) warms up prior to the game against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
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Coach Fritz has preached a simple message all season: “The Coogs don’t beat the Coogs.”
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However, the team beat themselves early in the game and the Cougars allowed LSU to jump out to a 14-0 lead with over 12 minutes left in the first quarter.
Disaster struck as the Tigers’ senior kickoff returner Barion Brown took the first return of the game 99 yards to the house to begin the scoring.
On the following LSU possession, sophomore quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. capped off a four-play 60-yard drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Trey’dez Green.
With their backs against the wall, junior quarterback Conner Weigman stepped up and had a lights out first half.
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Weigman led a seven-play 75-yard drive that resulted in an eight-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Amare Thomas.
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Thomas evened up the score with another touchdown reception on the following drive on a 4-yard pass from Weigman.
After giving up two early touchdowns, the Cougars’ defense held strong, and they didn’t allow another point in the first half.
Houston’s offense kept rolling with a late touchdown by senior tight end Tanner Koziol to score 21 unanswered points and hold a 21-14 half-time lead.
Both teams continued the shoot-out in the second half, and the Cougars found themselves tied at 28 early in the fourth quarter.
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With the game on the line, Weigman led a 13-play 72-yard drive and senior Kicker Ethan Sanchez drilled a 25-yard field goal to go ahead 31-28.
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The Cougars’ defense forced LSU to punt, and they had the ball with a chance to seal the game.
Senior running back Dean Connors quieted the LSU crowd with a 20-yard touchdown rush to put Houston up 10 points late in the game.
The star transfer helped lead Houston to victory as he rushed 16 times for 126 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers didn’t go down without a fight. Van Burren Jr. led his team down the field to cut the lead to three points with 1:15 left in the game.
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It all came down to an onside kick, one that LSU nearly recovered, but the Cougars bounced on the ball to win the game.
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Houston outlasted LSU to even the all-time series at 2-2. Fritz also picked up his fourth bowl win, and he has the Cougars rolling as his squad rolls into the offseason.
