LUBBOCK, Texas, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Kliff Kingsbury threw his sixth touchdown pass of the game, a 25-yarder to Taurean Henderson with 5:41 remaining Saturday as Texas Tech ended the Bowl Championship Series hopes of third-ranked Texas with a wild 42-38 victory.
Despite posting eye-popping statistics, Kingsbury often has taken a back seat to Texas quarterback Chris Simms. But Kingsbury outplayed the lefthander, who made a mistake at a key moment in the fourth quarter and lost another big game.
Kingsbury flawlessly orchestrated Coach Mike Leach's high-risk offense, completing 38 of 60 passes for 473 yards to become just the sixth player in NCAA history to throw for 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in the same season.
Junior running back Wes Welker had a career afternoon for the Red Raiders (8-4, 5-2 Big 12 South) with 247 all-purpose yards. He caught a career-high 14 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, rushed four times for 40 yards and returned three punts for 38.
Kingsbury's screen pass to Henderson put Texas Tech in front in a game that featured five lead changes. A long kickoff return put the Longhorns (9-2, 5-2) in position to regain the lead, but Simms was intercepted by safety Ryan Aycock on the first play from scrimmage and Texas never got back the ball.
On third and nine at his own 36-yard line with 2 1/2 minutes to play, Leach called for an option pass. Receiver Mickey Peters took a lateral from Kingsbury and connected with Welker, who raced to the Texas 29.
Simms was 24 of 37 for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
