Lubbock, TX (Sports Network) - Taylor Potts threw for 373 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Texas Tech Red Raiders to a 35-20 win over the Houston Cougars in non-conference action at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Potts converted 32-of-46 passes for the Red Raiders (7-5) as they won their second in a row and the third in the last four outings to close the regular season. Detron Lewis caught a game-high 11 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cougars (5-7) were led by David Piland who converted 32-of-61 passes for 441 yards and two TDs, but he was also picked off three times as the squad closed out the campaign with four straight losses and will miss out on postseason play as a result.
Potts put the home team on the board first as he hit Lewis with a six-yard TD strike at the 11:03 mark of the first quarter.
The Cougars cut into that lead when Matt Hogan knocked through a 49-yard field goal less than two minutes later. Houston then assumed a 10-7 lead on the strength of a seven-yard TD pass from Piland to Justin Johnson with just over three minutes to play in the frame.
Tech running back Eric Stephens streaked 26 yards into the end zone late in the first quarter to put the hosts back on top by a score of 14-10.
Potts and Lewis hooked up again in the second quarter, this time on a nine- yard effort to push the Red Raider lead to 21-10.
But before the half could end Hogan made good on a 19-yard field goal for Houston to make the score 21-13 at the half.
The only points of the third quarter came courtesy of an eight-yard TD pass from Potts to Baron Batch.
Once more the Cougars responded, this time with a 13-yard TD pass from Piland to Tyron Carrier at the 10-minute mark of the fourth quarter, but at 28-20 that's as close as Houston would get.
In fact, Texas Tech kept the pressure on and built on its advantage when Potts hooked up with Lyle Leong on a 19-yard TD strike midway through the fourth to put the game out of reach.
The Cougars rolled up 585 yards of total offense, yet somehow the squad managed to convert just 1-of-15 on third down on the night.