*Wanted to get back to my Rewatch Reactions this week to discuss where things are at, how I feel after the Baylor game, and what we might see here from this Tech team in its final two regular season games. Here we go...
*First, let's start with the performance of this Red Raider front seven. I really thought they played their best game since West Virginia as a whole. Yes, the defense ended up giving up a ton of points late in that game, but I attribute that to the secondary and the number of snaps the unit had spent on the field, not the front seven having a late, straight up dip in performance. Against Baylor, the Tech defensive line was extremely active.
*Leading that activity was Eli Howard. While Howard didn't show up in the box score or make as big of an impact on this game as he has a few others this fall, I thought the way he motored and just kept on plugging with a ton of effort all afternoon was merit-worthy. It's pretty fun to think about the fact that he's just a redshirt sophomore at this point, because he's gonna be a damn good player for you over the next two seasons. Remember all the pesky defensive linemen that Kansas State has had over the last decade? That's who Howard reminds me of. He just continues to steady chug along, doing his best to make a play whenever the opportunity shows itself. He'll play as a five tech, a seven tech, or a three tech. Doesn't matter if you want him at end or tackle. He'll get it done because of his effort. Tech fell into a good one here.
*I though that both Mych Thomas and Broderick Washington made a big impact at different times in this game, too. Both made some big plays, and both did a great job of both controlling the line of scrimmage and eating blockers whenever called upon. I thought this was Thomas' best game in a few weeks, too. Really, really liked him.
*Kudos to Zach Barnes as well. I thought this was arguably his best game of the season. He made an impact when he got his snaps, as he was regularly in the backfield because of his speed vs. some bigger, slower Baylor offensive linemen. I wish Barnes would've put all this weight on when he was younger, and I really wish he was a sophomore right now, because he's a guy who I think has his best football in the next few years in front of him as a 3-4 stand up end. I'm curious to see if he tests well at Tech's combine day and gets a training camp deal, cause I think he may have a chance. He's a great athlete that really seems to flash every once in a while now. Maybe I'm crazy, but I see the potential and how he's taken a big leap forward as a football player this year.
*While Tech only technically registered a sack and three QB hurries, I thought the front seven and blitzing DBs were basically in Charlie Brewer's face for most of the game. Which is why I wanted to give some big kudos to this young cat, as he never panicked and showed some real cajones for a player of his age. He doesn't have a big arm and is a smaller guy, but he just kept making plays in the flats that kept Baylor alive in this game, whether those be scrambling to find a receiver open or running for a few yards for a first down. If Zach Smith had played QB in this game, Tech may have had 6 or 7 sacks. Brewer's speed and cool under pressure is what kept the Baylor offense rolling.
*Was thrilled to see Dakota Allen really make a big impact after going quiet for a few weeks. He was all over the place at times in stopping the run, rushing the passer, and going out into pass coverage. I thought he played with his hair on fire, and it was noticeable. Mr. Allen made the biggest individual impact again this week, I thought.
*Well, that and one other thing: Non-stop off coverage from Tech's corners. I understand the theory behind it, and I'm even in favor of Tech doing this defensively quite a bit on 1st and 2nd down. I completely get the idea of not wanting to give up big plays over the top to good receivers, and Baylor hits on about as many 40 plus yarders with their receivers as anyone in the Big 12. I totally understand the idea and reasoning behind it. But here's the thing for me: When it's 3rd down and Tech has a chance to get off the field, I think the number of off zone coverage calls need to get cut in half. There were more than a handful of times where, in my opinion, Gibbs and the defense are just handing out free third down conversions because they're backed off and allowing receivers space to take short routes, slant routes, and post routes for easy first downs. Tech got Baylor into 3rd down situations 19 times, which is great! That means what you're doing on 1st and 2nd down is working a lot of the time. Great news. In fact, Tech is tied with TCU with 148 opponent third down conversion attempts. So that means that, in theory, you're doing similarly as well as TCU - the 8th ranked scoring defense in all of college football - on your first two downs. But then the comparisons drop off a cliff. TCU allows opponents to convert on just 27 percent of their third downs, ranking 7th in the country. Tech, on the other hand? 44 percent, which lands them at 107th. Tech got Baylor to 3rd down 19 times but allowed them to convert on 11 of them. That is this defense's biggest issue, in my book. They do extremely well on 1st and 2nd down, but they let teams convert almost every other third down. I think much of that has to do with the off coverage. Do I think it's to protect your corners from giving up big plays because you may not have a ton of speed? Partially, but I also think these corners are physical and competitive enough to let them man up, press, and try their luck at least a few more times a game. It's better than just handing opponents free conversions.
*And do I think some of that off coverage stems from all the PI penalties Tech got in the middle third of the year? I do, yes. But you know what? They didn't really bother me as much as they did some. I say let your DBs be physical. Some ref crews are cool with more physical play, while others aren't, and that's just part of it. I think you take your chances. If you give up a few 15 yard freebies, I say so be it. I'd much rather them be physical and give up a few 15 yarders than to continually give receivers free roam in soft zones to slice and dice up and down the field. Hell, I'm even okay with getting beat a few times over the top. I think your DBs will play better and you'll get a net positive in pass defense at the end of the day.
*I also thought that with the way Tech's front seven and other blitzers were getting to Brewer, a little bit of press coverage would've helped you get a few more sacks or run attempts from Brewer.
*The thing that ultimately was the deciding factor in this game, and obviously so, was the way the Tech defense played in the redzone. To get a field goal, two turnovers, and a straight up goal line stand is worth a standing ovation for that unit. They bowed up big time where they needed to, and it's the reason the Red Raiders won this game. Because if you allow the touchdown at the goal line, if you even give up another field goal on the other two trips, that is much, much different game at the end. The defense's stonewalling of Baylor in the redzone is the reason for this W.
*Which now brings me to the offense. It's become a broken record at this point: Start off really hot, show some good play, mix things up well, win in the trenches, and score in clusters. Then, fall off a cliff in the second half. This unit scored a grand total of 7 points in the fourth quarter since the Kansas game, and those 7 came with 14 minutes left in the 4th quarter against Kansas State. And to be fair, they were much better in the second half overall against the Wildcats, but that's 1 game in the last 5 where they've had a good second half offensively. This is the issue that is costing this team football games this season.
*So why is that? Why does the offense seem to almost always come out scorching hot, go through opposing defenses like hot butter for good chunks of the first half in games, then come to a screeching halt production-wise, specifically in the fourth quarter? I don't know. Is it a failure to adjust well at the half? Is it an issue with the coaching staff failing to properly motivate and keep the offense confident when mistakes happen? Is it on the senior leadership on the offense for failing to motivate their teammates? I think all of those things are clearly on the table, as this is not an isolated issue. It's a trend. Execution falls apart in the fourth quarter for this offense this season, and at almost every position, including quarterback. This is what must get fixed above all going into the final two games if the Red Raiders are to have any chance against TCU or Texas here.
*All that being said, I thought that overall, this was one of Shimonek's best days as a decision maker on the year. He didn't really make any big throws, but he didn't have to. He was smart with the ball, made good reads, and above all, he quit drifting right as much unnecessarily like he has been. He had a throw or two he'd like back, but that was really it. Mostly really good decisions here.
*I realize Coutee had just two catches on the day, but I'd say that was more so due to the fact that Baylor was just silver-plattering Dylan Cantrell with opportunities for catches all afternoon. It really, really surprised me that Baylor never really seemed to adjust their coverage at all once Shimonek just started throwing it all Cantrell on a regular basis whenever he saw all the off coverage throughout the second and third quarter. Odd deal.
*All that being said, I thought Cantrell had his second best game behind the Arizona State performance. He made tough catches, was physical, and really fought his tail off for some big conversions and key yardage at times. This was also just more proof to me that the staff should've moved him over to X sooner. The outside receiving game has magically opened up in the last three weeks now that Cantrell and Vasher are both starting. Huh, wonder how that happened...
*Tre King continues to be a boss. Again, more carries for him, please. I really like giving him the ball at least a time or two a game on third and five to eightish inside the 40. He seems to thrive in situations where he gets light boxes and has wiggle room with the defense expecting pass. I think these carries for him and Stockton both on third and long this year have been great counter plays that have worked a ton for first downs or fourth and real short.
*So, moving on to the offensive line: I thought it was a really up and down day, which is very disappointing to me against what was one of the weaker front sevens that Tech's seen this year as a whole. Baylor had the worst run defense in the conference, and Tech didn't take advantage of that like they should, despite showing flashes on a few series where they dominated on the ground. As the game went on, I thought run blocking got worse. Execution, missing blocks, bad leverage, etc.. It wasn't a terrible day at all, just not the kind of day I was expecting out of this O-line that had been getting better each and every week. They also gave up a few sacks with missed blockers, too. This unit will need a major bounce back game against TCU for the Red Raiders to have any chance this weekend. Side note: I did think that Jack Anderson, Paul Stawarz, and Terence Steele played pretty well on the right side. I thought Akamnonu and Bruffy were just okay for what I expect out of them, particularly in run support. Just too up and down.
*So, what do I think going into the final two games? I think your offense is flat out going to have to find another gear after halftime. I felt like that after the Tre King fumble at the goal line, they were clearly affected mentally. The execution become sloppy, and I thought the unit clearly had their dobber down as a whole. Can't happen. They just have not reacted well to adversity in the second half this season, particularly late. TCU and Texas will make bad things happen at some point. That's simply because they play really good defense. If Tech is going to have a chance to win either game, they have to stop letting mistakes effect them. That simple.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Dylan Cantrell
Offensive Standouts: WR Dylan Cantrell, WR Cam Batson, WR TJ Vasher, QB Nic Shimonek, RB Tre King, C Paul Stawarz, RG Jack Anderson, RT Terence Steele
DEFENSIVE MVP: LB Dakota Allen
Defensive Standouts: LB Dakota Allen, LB Jordyn Brooks, LB Riko Jeffers, NT Mych Thomas, DT Broderick Washington, DE/DT Eli Howard, DE Zach Barnes, S JahShawn Johnson, S Vaughnte Dorsey, DB Doug Coleman
*First, let's start with the performance of this Red Raider front seven. I really thought they played their best game since West Virginia as a whole. Yes, the defense ended up giving up a ton of points late in that game, but I attribute that to the secondary and the number of snaps the unit had spent on the field, not the front seven having a late, straight up dip in performance. Against Baylor, the Tech defensive line was extremely active.
*Leading that activity was Eli Howard. While Howard didn't show up in the box score or make as big of an impact on this game as he has a few others this fall, I thought the way he motored and just kept on plugging with a ton of effort all afternoon was merit-worthy. It's pretty fun to think about the fact that he's just a redshirt sophomore at this point, because he's gonna be a damn good player for you over the next two seasons. Remember all the pesky defensive linemen that Kansas State has had over the last decade? That's who Howard reminds me of. He just continues to steady chug along, doing his best to make a play whenever the opportunity shows itself. He'll play as a five tech, a seven tech, or a three tech. Doesn't matter if you want him at end or tackle. He'll get it done because of his effort. Tech fell into a good one here.
*I though that both Mych Thomas and Broderick Washington made a big impact at different times in this game, too. Both made some big plays, and both did a great job of both controlling the line of scrimmage and eating blockers whenever called upon. I thought this was Thomas' best game in a few weeks, too. Really, really liked him.
*Kudos to Zach Barnes as well. I thought this was arguably his best game of the season. He made an impact when he got his snaps, as he was regularly in the backfield because of his speed vs. some bigger, slower Baylor offensive linemen. I wish Barnes would've put all this weight on when he was younger, and I really wish he was a sophomore right now, because he's a guy who I think has his best football in the next few years in front of him as a 3-4 stand up end. I'm curious to see if he tests well at Tech's combine day and gets a training camp deal, cause I think he may have a chance. He's a great athlete that really seems to flash every once in a while now. Maybe I'm crazy, but I see the potential and how he's taken a big leap forward as a football player this year.
*While Tech only technically registered a sack and three QB hurries, I thought the front seven and blitzing DBs were basically in Charlie Brewer's face for most of the game. Which is why I wanted to give some big kudos to this young cat, as he never panicked and showed some real cajones for a player of his age. He doesn't have a big arm and is a smaller guy, but he just kept making plays in the flats that kept Baylor alive in this game, whether those be scrambling to find a receiver open or running for a few yards for a first down. If Zach Smith had played QB in this game, Tech may have had 6 or 7 sacks. Brewer's speed and cool under pressure is what kept the Baylor offense rolling.
*Was thrilled to see Dakota Allen really make a big impact after going quiet for a few weeks. He was all over the place at times in stopping the run, rushing the passer, and going out into pass coverage. I thought he played with his hair on fire, and it was noticeable. Mr. Allen made the biggest individual impact again this week, I thought.
*Well, that and one other thing: Non-stop off coverage from Tech's corners. I understand the theory behind it, and I'm even in favor of Tech doing this defensively quite a bit on 1st and 2nd down. I completely get the idea of not wanting to give up big plays over the top to good receivers, and Baylor hits on about as many 40 plus yarders with their receivers as anyone in the Big 12. I totally understand the idea and reasoning behind it. But here's the thing for me: When it's 3rd down and Tech has a chance to get off the field, I think the number of off zone coverage calls need to get cut in half. There were more than a handful of times where, in my opinion, Gibbs and the defense are just handing out free third down conversions because they're backed off and allowing receivers space to take short routes, slant routes, and post routes for easy first downs. Tech got Baylor into 3rd down situations 19 times, which is great! That means what you're doing on 1st and 2nd down is working a lot of the time. Great news. In fact, Tech is tied with TCU with 148 opponent third down conversion attempts. So that means that, in theory, you're doing similarly as well as TCU - the 8th ranked scoring defense in all of college football - on your first two downs. But then the comparisons drop off a cliff. TCU allows opponents to convert on just 27 percent of their third downs, ranking 7th in the country. Tech, on the other hand? 44 percent, which lands them at 107th. Tech got Baylor to 3rd down 19 times but allowed them to convert on 11 of them. That is this defense's biggest issue, in my book. They do extremely well on 1st and 2nd down, but they let teams convert almost every other third down. I think much of that has to do with the off coverage. Do I think it's to protect your corners from giving up big plays because you may not have a ton of speed? Partially, but I also think these corners are physical and competitive enough to let them man up, press, and try their luck at least a few more times a game. It's better than just handing opponents free conversions.
*And do I think some of that off coverage stems from all the PI penalties Tech got in the middle third of the year? I do, yes. But you know what? They didn't really bother me as much as they did some. I say let your DBs be physical. Some ref crews are cool with more physical play, while others aren't, and that's just part of it. I think you take your chances. If you give up a few 15 yard freebies, I say so be it. I'd much rather them be physical and give up a few 15 yarders than to continually give receivers free roam in soft zones to slice and dice up and down the field. Hell, I'm even okay with getting beat a few times over the top. I think your DBs will play better and you'll get a net positive in pass defense at the end of the day.
*I also thought that with the way Tech's front seven and other blitzers were getting to Brewer, a little bit of press coverage would've helped you get a few more sacks or run attempts from Brewer.
*The thing that ultimately was the deciding factor in this game, and obviously so, was the way the Tech defense played in the redzone. To get a field goal, two turnovers, and a straight up goal line stand is worth a standing ovation for that unit. They bowed up big time where they needed to, and it's the reason the Red Raiders won this game. Because if you allow the touchdown at the goal line, if you even give up another field goal on the other two trips, that is much, much different game at the end. The defense's stonewalling of Baylor in the redzone is the reason for this W.
*Which now brings me to the offense. It's become a broken record at this point: Start off really hot, show some good play, mix things up well, win in the trenches, and score in clusters. Then, fall off a cliff in the second half. This unit scored a grand total of 7 points in the fourth quarter since the Kansas game, and those 7 came with 14 minutes left in the 4th quarter against Kansas State. And to be fair, they were much better in the second half overall against the Wildcats, but that's 1 game in the last 5 where they've had a good second half offensively. This is the issue that is costing this team football games this season.
*So why is that? Why does the offense seem to almost always come out scorching hot, go through opposing defenses like hot butter for good chunks of the first half in games, then come to a screeching halt production-wise, specifically in the fourth quarter? I don't know. Is it a failure to adjust well at the half? Is it an issue with the coaching staff failing to properly motivate and keep the offense confident when mistakes happen? Is it on the senior leadership on the offense for failing to motivate their teammates? I think all of those things are clearly on the table, as this is not an isolated issue. It's a trend. Execution falls apart in the fourth quarter for this offense this season, and at almost every position, including quarterback. This is what must get fixed above all going into the final two games if the Red Raiders are to have any chance against TCU or Texas here.
*All that being said, I thought that overall, this was one of Shimonek's best days as a decision maker on the year. He didn't really make any big throws, but he didn't have to. He was smart with the ball, made good reads, and above all, he quit drifting right as much unnecessarily like he has been. He had a throw or two he'd like back, but that was really it. Mostly really good decisions here.
*I realize Coutee had just two catches on the day, but I'd say that was more so due to the fact that Baylor was just silver-plattering Dylan Cantrell with opportunities for catches all afternoon. It really, really surprised me that Baylor never really seemed to adjust their coverage at all once Shimonek just started throwing it all Cantrell on a regular basis whenever he saw all the off coverage throughout the second and third quarter. Odd deal.
*All that being said, I thought Cantrell had his second best game behind the Arizona State performance. He made tough catches, was physical, and really fought his tail off for some big conversions and key yardage at times. This was also just more proof to me that the staff should've moved him over to X sooner. The outside receiving game has magically opened up in the last three weeks now that Cantrell and Vasher are both starting. Huh, wonder how that happened...
*Tre King continues to be a boss. Again, more carries for him, please. I really like giving him the ball at least a time or two a game on third and five to eightish inside the 40. He seems to thrive in situations where he gets light boxes and has wiggle room with the defense expecting pass. I think these carries for him and Stockton both on third and long this year have been great counter plays that have worked a ton for first downs or fourth and real short.
*So, moving on to the offensive line: I thought it was a really up and down day, which is very disappointing to me against what was one of the weaker front sevens that Tech's seen this year as a whole. Baylor had the worst run defense in the conference, and Tech didn't take advantage of that like they should, despite showing flashes on a few series where they dominated on the ground. As the game went on, I thought run blocking got worse. Execution, missing blocks, bad leverage, etc.. It wasn't a terrible day at all, just not the kind of day I was expecting out of this O-line that had been getting better each and every week. They also gave up a few sacks with missed blockers, too. This unit will need a major bounce back game against TCU for the Red Raiders to have any chance this weekend. Side note: I did think that Jack Anderson, Paul Stawarz, and Terence Steele played pretty well on the right side. I thought Akamnonu and Bruffy were just okay for what I expect out of them, particularly in run support. Just too up and down.
*So, what do I think going into the final two games? I think your offense is flat out going to have to find another gear after halftime. I felt like that after the Tre King fumble at the goal line, they were clearly affected mentally. The execution become sloppy, and I thought the unit clearly had their dobber down as a whole. Can't happen. They just have not reacted well to adversity in the second half this season, particularly late. TCU and Texas will make bad things happen at some point. That's simply because they play really good defense. If Tech is going to have a chance to win either game, they have to stop letting mistakes effect them. That simple.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Dylan Cantrell
Offensive Standouts: WR Dylan Cantrell, WR Cam Batson, WR TJ Vasher, QB Nic Shimonek, RB Tre King, C Paul Stawarz, RG Jack Anderson, RT Terence Steele
DEFENSIVE MVP: LB Dakota Allen
Defensive Standouts: LB Dakota Allen, LB Jordyn Brooks, LB Riko Jeffers, NT Mych Thomas, DT Broderick Washington, DE/DT Eli Howard, DE Zach Barnes, S JahShawn Johnson, S Vaughnte Dorsey, DB Doug Coleman
