WATCH: Texas Tech fumble Independence Bowl opening kickoff back to Cal kicker in hilarious series of events

The Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. California Golden Bears Independence Bowl had quite an intriguing start to the game. It couldn't have gone any worse for Texas Tech, who succumbed to an early touchdown by Cal in the first half.

The first few seconds of the game saw a comedy sketch unfold, Cal's kicker, Michael Luckhurst, slipped on the field while delivering the ball. The amusement continued as Texas Tech's Dray McCray attempted to make a play after the kick-off, only to fumble the ball back to Luckhurst.

Seizing the opportunity, Cal capitalized with QB Fernando Mendoza connecting with Monroe Young for a 25-yard TD pass within the first 15 seconds of the game.

However, Texas Tech quickly recuperated to even the playing field once again with QB Behren Morton, who's been the starting signal-caller since Tyler Shough's injury in week 4, finding Coy Eakin with a 27-yard TD pass.

Cal answered back with a touchdown from Jaydn Ott, but from the second quarter of the game, the Red Raiders continued to maintain a strong dominance over the game.

Behren Morton went on to find two more touchdown passes to Mason Tharp and Loic Founoji. Then, a 25-yard field goal from Gino Garcia solidified the team's hold on the game, as the scoreline read 24-14 in favor of the Red Raiders at the end of the first half despite the initial fumble.

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Texas Tech wins the 2023 Independence Bowl

The second half of the bowl game did not bring in any concrete opportunities for the California Golden Bears to make a comeback into the game. Instead, Texas Tech went on to extend their lead with a touchdown by Taj Brooks and another field goal by Gino Garcia.

Independence Bowl Football

The Red Raiders emerged victorious in the game with a 34-14 final score showing resilience after one of the worst imaginable starts to a football game. This victory marked coach Joey McGuire's second bowl win since taking over the team last year.

In his debut campaign, McGuire finished with an 8-5 overall campaign and a win against Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl.