A costly interception, combined with two critical fourth-down conversions late by the Red Raiders, were too much for MSU to overcome, as Texas Tech came back to hand the Spartans a 41-31 loss Saturday night at the Alamodome.

“What I told the team in the locker room after the game is basically to not hang your head,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. “We had opportunities. Nobody likes to lose. 2010 has started, we start now and we move forward. That’s basically what I said.”

The Spartans got off to quite possibly one of the worst starts imaginable. In the week leading up to the game, the team expressed how important ball control would be because of Texas Tech’s quick-strike, high-octane offense.

MSU won the coin toss, chose to receive and looked to have something going on its first drive, but sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Texas Tech’s Jamar Wall.

The Red Raiders moved the ball at will after that, going 61 yards in 3:43, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Baron Batch. The nine-play drive did not feature a single negative play. Quarterback Taylor Potts was 5-for-5 for 46 yards on the drive.

The two teams traded three-and-outs, but MSU made the most of its third drive. Cousins hit senior receiver Blair White for a 19-yard gain on first down and freshman running back Edwin Baker did the rest on the next play, getting a great block from sophomore guard Joel Foreman and going 46 yards up the middle for his first career touchdown.

“The line did a tremendous job,” Baker said. “They opened up a hole so big, I saw it and said, ‘Go.’ I just told myself to go, don’t stop and don’t look back.”

But the revelry was short-lived.

Texas Tech marched back down the field, going 70 yards on 11 plays, but the Spartans were able to hold the Red Raiders, who settled for a 21-yard field goal by Matt Williams.

The Spartans were unable to answer on the following drive, going three-and-out. On the first play of its drive, Texas Tech ran a flea flicker. Potts got the pitch back and found receiver Austin Zouzalik for 50 yards to the 2-yard line.

Two plays later, a Texas Tech coach ran down from the bench area to the 10-yard line looking for a timeout, but didn’t get it. Instead, Potts found receiver Lyle Leong on a quick-hit touchdown, giving the Red Raiders a 17-7 edge.

Things looked bleak for MSU, but on their next drive, Cousins cashed in for the Spartans, avoiding a sack and finding sophomore receiver Keshawn Martin, who broke off his route, for a 48-yard touchdown.

MSU looked to tie the game later in the second quarter, but senior kicker Brett Swenson’s 52-yard field goal was blocked. Texas Tech responded with a 38-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the half to go into halftime up 20-14.

The beginning of the third quarter saw the Spartans gain hope — and the lead — for the first time.

Texas Tech fumbled the opening kick and MSU took over at the Red Raiders 26-yard line. Out of the Wildcat formation, sophomore quarterback Keith Nichol, who played most of the game at receiver, went up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown. Swenson’s extra point gave MSU its first lead, 21-20, early in the third quarter.

Potts fumbled the snap on fourth-and-one on Texas Tech’s next drive, giving the ball to MSU, but the Spartans weren’t able to capitalize, punting to the Red Raiders 8-yard line.

Texas Tech showed what its offense is could do on the drive, going all 92 yards in nine plays totaling 3:05, capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Potts to receiver Jacoby Franks, giving the Red Raiders a 27-21 lead. The big play on the drive was a 49-yard swing pass from Potts to Batch.

Again, MSU’s offense couldn’t respond, going three-and-out. Texas Tech got the ball back and looked to be moving for another touchdown, but a holding penalty, combined with a quarterback hurry and a batted pass, forced Texas Tech to punt.

The next drive was one of the biggest under Dantonio, which started with a 49-yard pass from Cousins to White. The drive appeared to stall, but Dantonio called a fake field goal and it converted on an 18-yard pass from junior punter Aaron Bates to junior tight end Charlie Gantt. On the next play, Martin, out of the Wildcat formation, hit White for a 7-yard score, giving MSU a 28-27 lead.

Texas Tech again looked to be mounting offense, but senior cornerback Ross Weaver intercepted Potts, ending the drive.

MSU made the Red Raiders pay for the turnover, converting it into three points on a 44-yard field goal by Swenson with 8:05 to play in the fourth quarter.

But the Red Raiders came right back with Potts on the bench. Back-up quarterback Steven Sheffield led Texas Tech on an eight play, 77-yard touchdown drive to give his team a 34-31 lead with about five minutes to play.

MSU got the ball back, but Cousins was intercepted at the MSU 35-yard line with 4:19 remaining when he threw off his back foot while eluding a sack.

“It was a play we got exactly what we wanted on, in terms of the coverage,” Cousins said. “It was open, but I had to step up in the pocket a little bit and it threw the timing off on the route and by the time I needed to throw it it was too late. … I didn’t throw a good pass. It wasn’t a good decision.”

On the ensuing drive, receiver Alex Torres dropped a pass on third-and-five, but the Red Raiders decided to go for it on fourth down at the MSU 30. Sheffield went back to Torres and got a 6-yard gain for the first down with about four minutes to play.

MSU again held Texas Tech to a fourth-down situation with 2:42 to play from the 18-yard line, but Sheffield found Lewis for five yards and the first. On the next play, Batch went in from 11 yards out, giving the Red Raiders a 41-31 lead with 2:08 to play.

“You gotta take a swing,” Texas Tech interim head coach Ruffin McNeill said of the two fourth down conversions. “You can’t hit unless you swing.”

Texas Tech finished with 579 yards of total offense, while the Spartans notched 396 yards.

“You can’t miss opportunities against a good football team,” Dantonio said. “We came away with some turnovers, we got back in the game in the second (half). We’re hanging in just like some of our other games, but at the end of the day they make a play and we’ve got to come up with one.”

Potts finished with an Alamo Bowl-record 372 yards on 29-of-43 passing, helping the Red Raiders to a whopping 31 first downs.

Cousins finished 13-of-27 for 220 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

“I thought we played with a tremendous amount of pride and effort,” Cousins said. “We just came up short once again.”