I let the game settle a bit, went back and watched a few things, so here are my thoughts from Tech's win in Austin last night...
*There's some sort of poetic justice to seeing both Jakeem Grant and DeAndre Washington having two of the biggest games of their career, the biggest plays of the game, to beat the Longhorns in the final regular season game of their careers. Both guys have had to work so hard to get to where they are, and it all paid off last night.
*While Pat Mahomes seemed very on edge and off in the first half, I thought he really settled in down the stretch in the second half and played much, much better as the game went on. Made much better decisions after halftime.
*The big turning point for Tech offensively was getting the run game going with a fullback in pistol formation. That adjustment by Kliff and the staff changed the game and helped Tech rack up a season high 293 rushing yards. That won the game.
*Ian Sadler is evolving into a huge security blanket for Mahomes when he's passing on the run and out of the pocket. He had several big catches again last night, and he's great at finding space when he needs to.
*The defense had an incredible first half, perhaps their best of the entire season. They were flying around, decisive, physical, and disciplined. It was incredible, in fact. But then, it was the polar opposite once Chris Warren unspooled a few long runs.
*I think Gibbs' defense was very much two steps forward, one step back through much of the month of November. They kept having GREAT stretches to start games, but things came unwound once the other teams got something going. Part of that is a lack of depth and the starters becoming pretty tired by the 4th, too.
*Either way, things are heading in the right direction. It's just gonna take more depth and a continual hammering away of assignment and scheme through bowl practices and into the spring.
*Great win, the best of Kliff's career at Tech, IMO. It was that because it was the first game where Tech was able to keep clawing and scratching when things went bad, and they got over the hump and finally didn't cave. Big, big momentum, over-the-hump win.
*There's some sort of poetic justice to seeing both Jakeem Grant and DeAndre Washington having two of the biggest games of their career, the biggest plays of the game, to beat the Longhorns in the final regular season game of their careers. Both guys have had to work so hard to get to where they are, and it all paid off last night.
*While Pat Mahomes seemed very on edge and off in the first half, I thought he really settled in down the stretch in the second half and played much, much better as the game went on. Made much better decisions after halftime.
*The big turning point for Tech offensively was getting the run game going with a fullback in pistol formation. That adjustment by Kliff and the staff changed the game and helped Tech rack up a season high 293 rushing yards. That won the game.
*Ian Sadler is evolving into a huge security blanket for Mahomes when he's passing on the run and out of the pocket. He had several big catches again last night, and he's great at finding space when he needs to.
*The defense had an incredible first half, perhaps their best of the entire season. They were flying around, decisive, physical, and disciplined. It was incredible, in fact. But then, it was the polar opposite once Chris Warren unspooled a few long runs.
*I think Gibbs' defense was very much two steps forward, one step back through much of the month of November. They kept having GREAT stretches to start games, but things came unwound once the other teams got something going. Part of that is a lack of depth and the starters becoming pretty tired by the 4th, too.
*Either way, things are heading in the right direction. It's just gonna take more depth and a continual hammering away of assignment and scheme through bowl practices and into the spring.
*Great win, the best of Kliff's career at Tech, IMO. It was that because it was the first game where Tech was able to keep clawing and scratching when things went bad, and they got over the hump and finally didn't cave. Big, big momentum, over-the-hump win.
