Hammond Leads Tech Past ACU 33-10 Despite Broome's Return

A Definitive Home Performance

Abilene Christian’s hopes for an upset were extinguished in Lubbock on Saturday, as the visiting Wildcats fell to Texas Tech by a final score of 33-10. The Red Raiders, playing at home at Galaxy Stadium, controlled the contest from the opening drive, leveraging a balanced offensive attack and a dominant ground game to secure their first victory of the season.

Offensive Surge in the First Half

Texas Tech established dominance early, scoring fourteen unanswered points in the first quarter. Quinten Joyner punched it in from 14 yards out, followed by J’Koby Williams powering through for a five-yard touchdown run. Both scores were converted with kicks from Stone Harrington, giving the home crowd an early 14-0 lead.

The second quarter saw both teams find some offensive rhythm, though Tech maintained control. Harrington added a 23-yard field goal to push the margin to 17-0 before Abilene Christian’s Brandon Perez answered with a 41-yard kick of his own, making the score 17-3 at halftime.

Field Goals Define the Third Quarter

The third quarter was characterized by placekicking precision rather than explosive plays. Stone Harrington extended Texas Tech’s lead with three consecutive field goals from distances of 28, 33, and 45 yards. These kicks brought the score to 26-3 before any other scoring play occurred. Abilene Christian remained stuck in neutral, unable to generate significant yardage or convert on downs against a resilient Tech defense.

Closing Out the Contest

Texas Tech sealed the victory in the fourth quarter with two more scores. Will Hammond connected with Malcolm Simmons on a 64-yard touchdown pass, widening the gap to 33-3. Harrington’s extra point made it 33-3. Abilene Christian managed to put points on the board late in the game when Alex Broome returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, bringing the final margin to 33-10.

Statistical Leaders

Will Hammond was the standout performer for Texas Tech, completing 26 of 33 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown, though he also threw one interception. J’Koby Williams contributed significantly on the ground with 71 rushing yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. Kenny Johnson led the receiving corps with four catches for 76 yards.

For Abilene Christian, John David Black started at quarterback, finishing with 119 passing yards on 18-of-32 shooting and one interception. Alex Broome provided some spark with 52 rushing yards on ten carries and his long kickoff return. Cristian Driver was the primary target in the air, hauling in eight receptions for 93 yards.

The win improves Texas Tech’s record to 1-0, while Abilene Christian drops to 0-2 on the season.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401856770