LUBBOCK, Texas - Twentieth-ranked West Virginia produced 650 yards of offense, but it was Tony Gibson's defense that earned the gold star today as the Mountaineers cruised to a 48-17 victory over Texas Tech this afternoon at Jones AT&T Stadium.

The Red Raiders (3-3, 1-2) had a streak of nine straight games of scoring more than 50 points and averaging more than 600 yards of offense at home. Tech got nowhere close to that this afternoon.

And quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who came into today's game the nation's No. 1-ranked passer, finished his day completing 28-of-44 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown before being lifted with 10:24 left in the fourth quarter.

Texas Tech's final offensive figures showed 379 total yards, or nearly 171 yards fewer than its season average. Last year, Gibson's crew held Texas Tech to a season-low 378 yards in a 31-26 win in Morgantown.

Meanwhile, West Virginia, now 5-0 for the second time under coach Dana Holgorsen, got 650 yards of offense against Tech's beleaguered defense.

The Mountaineers got 318 yards and one touchdown through the air from quarterback Skyler Howard, and 332 yards on the ground - mostly from the trio of Rushel Shell III (104 yards), freshman Kennedy McKoy (99) and Howard (89).

Justin Crawford, who produced two first-half touchdowns, and McKoy left the game with undisclosed injuries.

At the game's outset, West Virginia cashed in on two length-of-the field drives and held Texas Tech's high-powered offense to just one touchdown to take a 24-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

After an exchange of possessions to begin the game, the Mountaineers got on the scoreboard first when Crawford bulled in from the 10, his run set up by Skyler Howard's 54-yard pass to Daikiel Shorts Jr. down the far sideline.

Two possessions later, Texas Tech tied the game with 1:15 left in the first quarter when Mahomes, scrambling to buy extra time at midfield, flung a pass into the end zone that West Virginia misplayed into a 44-yard touchdown reception by Jonathan Giles.

That score came with the Red Raiders facing a third and 29.

But what looked to be another Lubbock shootout never materialized because of West Virginia's ability to run the football and hold Mahomes in check.

The Mountaineers answered with another length-of-the-field drive that eventually stalled at the Tech 27, requiring Mike Molina to boot a 34-yard field goal.

A big turnover produced by outside linebacker Sean Walters when he pulled the ball out of the arms of a Texas Tech wide receiver at the Mountaineer 11 turned the momentum in West Virginia's favor.

The Mountaineers marched from their 11 into the end zone for their second touchdown of the game, this one coming on a Howard five-yard screen pass to Crawford.

West Virginia tacked on a late first-half score when Howard called his own number and got in from the eight.

WVU could have had three more on the game's opening possession, but Molina couldn't connect on a 43-yard field goal attempt, although his kick had plenty of distance.

Penalties played a big part in the first half for both sides, WVU being whistled six times for 70 yards while Texas Tech suffered four infractions for 44 yards, a critical one coming late in the second quarter when the Red Raiders had a fourth and one at the West Virginia 24. An illegal snap moved the ball back to the 29, and Mahomes' fourth-down pass to the far side of the field fell incomplete.

An exchange of field goals was all both teams managed in the third quarter, Texas Tech getting its points on a 42-yard Clayton Hatfield kick and Molina booting his second field goal from 22 yards.

The Molina kick culminated a 70-yard drive that appeared headed for the end zone, but Howard's third down pass out in the flat to Elijah Wellman was batted down by Jah Johnson at the Red Raider five.

West Virginia started the fourth quarter at the Texas Tech one-yard-line following two long runs by freshman Kennedy McKoy, one going for 35 yards and the other for 21 yards to the edge of the goal line.

That drive covered 83 yards and consumed nearly three minutes.

West Virginia didn't need to go very far to score its next touchdown, thanks to Texas Tech's botched fake punt attempt at its own 39.

With the Mountaineers still hustling their 11^th player out onto the field, the Red Raiders snapped the ball to the up back but he was immediately dropped for a six-yard loss. This fake was attempted with Tech needing 33 yards to make a first down.

WVU quickly turned the great field position into more points when Shell bulled in from the 14. Molina's point after made West Virginia's lead 41-10.

Backup quarterback Nic Shimonek, who replaced Mahomes with 10:24 remaining, led Tech back into the end zone, following Reginald Davis' 46-yard kickoff return to the West Virginia 48.

Following a targeting penalty called on West Virginia's Maurice Fleming, which led to his disqualification, Shimonek hit Devin Lauderdale in the corner of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown. Hatfield's point after kick made it 41-17, West Virginia.

That score lasted just 5:57, or the amount of time it took West Virginia to drive 75 yards on 10 plays - all on the ground - before Shell reached the end for a second time.

West Virginia's defense was credited with four sacks, eight tackles for losses and an interception.

The Mountaineers will face idle TCU next Saturday in Morgantown in a game that will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on either ABC or ESPN2.

That game has already been announced a sellout.