It's Monday, so you guys know what that means. It's time for this week's edition of Rewatch Reactions. The Red Raiders are 3-0, and they found a way to get it done as a team in Houston. So, here we go...
*I've watched this game three times from start to finish, and one thing is abundantly clear to me: This team flat out dominated the Cougars in this game. It doesn't show up in the final scoreboard, and it doesn't show up as much as it should in the stats, but the Red Raiders are absolutely a class above Houston as a team. By my math, Tech should've been up 27-10 at the half, and that's using conservative math. You biffed two chip shot field goals, had some hair-pulling penalties, dropped a touchdown, and missed on at least one other TD opportunity. This should've been all she wrote after two quarters. But to Houston's credit, their front seven kept them in this game, and their receivers made just enough plays to keep it close.
*But that's the thing that, while certainly frustrating, that you can take as major encouragement early on: You're playing sloppy football and still winning against solid teams, often by more than arms length for the majority of the contests. ASU is starting to get things figured out offensively, as witnessed by Tech and Oregon, Eastern Washington is rounding into form, and Houston has been as stingy of a defense at home against Power 5 teams as any Group of 5 team in college football, maybe ever. This is a Tech football team with something I haven't seen in a long time: Real potential. They have real potential to be playing really good football in November if you keep correcting mistakes, sharpening up play, and growing as a team.
*Let's start out here with the offense. Was it the kind of day you would ever hope for with the talent you have on that side of the ball? No, no it was not. Shimonek had a hard time finding receivers in the 2nd half, quite often because of good coverage, you were sloppy in execution throughout the first half, it was hard to run the ball most of the day, and you rarely strung together a solid drive without an explosive play. But even with that, you put up 27 points. You played to your floor as an offensive unit and still had a chance at 40ish points.
*Going back and watching the game, I do think you moved the ball a lot better throughout the first half than I initially realized. I LOVED Kliff/Morris' initial script and gameplan out of the gates, as they clearly saw that Houston was going to play off coverage to try and help their inexperienced corners. This created outside passing lanes for screens, swing passes, and out routes, and sticks early on. They also threw in some cool wrinkles with under center stuff that was used to misdirect Houston's aggressive front seven. If there was one thing I personally think Kingsbury should've done more of, it's play with Thompson as a TE, Reed as a wing or fullback, and really try to get more one-on-ones and open space outside in the flats for your receivers by forcing Houston to gather in the front seven tight.
*The second half was a bit of a different story. Houston started screwing down on you in the flats, as their corners and outside linebackers seemed to play a lot more aggressively underneath than they did in the 1st half. This is where you needed to establish the run game, which happened in the 4th quarter, but it was mostly tough sledding in the 3rd.
*I also thought Kliff abandoned the run too much a handful of times, particularly with a few of the three and outs. I thought you'd worn down Houston enough late in the 1st half and throughout the 2nd half that you just needed to be patient in the ground game and let things sort themselves out. Which Kliff did do that a lot more late in the 3rd and early on in the 4th, and it was when really started to get some momentum going on offense for the first time in the 2nd half.
*That being said, I thought Paul Stawarz and Jack Anderson in particular held up against Ed Oliver about as well as you could've asked for. Stawarz is strong, and it showed in this game. Oliver still got his a few times, but you limited him from being a monster in this game that he could've been.
*Let's talk about some of the new wrinkles you've added to your running game, particularly the power play they ran with Tre King. Tech pulled both guards, Akamnonu and Anderson, out right on King's 70 yard run, and it was a perfectly executed play because of blocking. It also makes a ton of sense to add wrinkles like this to your run game, as Anderson and Akamnonu are both great athletes with good feet for their size. On top of that, they both played in downhill running schemes in high school where they pulled all the time. This is great game planning and understanding your personnel. This was old hat to them, and I'd guess they might even feel more comfortable run blocking out in space than they do anything else. With backs like King and Stockton, I think Tech really needs to focus on running plays like these where you get your backs into space with blockers and just look for a crease. I expect power plays, trap plays, and things that are more old school run game to become a bigger factor as the year goes on.
*Speaking of Anderson, I think you all need to truly realize what Tech has here in this true freshman. Mostly because he's never once looked like a true freshman. Yes, he got beat straight up a few times against Houston, but that's more because of their age/speed/talent, not because he's bad. In fact he's been really damn good, good enough that I might even tell you he's your best O-lineman right now, which is mind blowing. You'll notice that Tech's running to the right a lot more than to the left right now, and Anderson is a big reason for it. He's still not nearly as strong as his linemates and will likely get overwhelmed by a few senior vets physically a few times in Big 12 play, but his feet are flat out stellar, and he plays real mean. Anderson should be a shoo-in for a freshman All-American today.
*I think we've all wondered how good KeKe Coutee really is, and he showed it on Saturday in Houston. He made a defense that's got nothing but speed all over it look slow and unathletic at times. While the rest of the offense struggled, Coutee continued to thrive. Coutee is your best player on this football team. Period. My question now is what will you do when someone like TCU, OSU, WVU, OU, or UT decides they want to try and take him away. My assumption is that Cantrell, Willies, and Batson are all good enough as a group to take advantage when Coutee gets the lions share of attention, but we'll soon find out.
*So, Derrick Willies. While he did make a few nice catches for you on the day, particularly in the first half, he also flat out has to play 10 times better than he did on Saturday if he's going to be a factor in this offense. He made a ton of mental mistakes, including bad penalties, like one that cost Tech a 1st and goal on the 1st drive of the game because he wasn't set, resulting in a 3rd down conversion from Cam Batson being negated, dropped a for-sure touchdown that he should catch 10 times out of 10, stopping on a go route where Shimonek was clearly going to throw him the ball in a one-on-one where he would've definitely had a chance at a big play, and tipping a pass thrown at him that results in an INT for Shimonek. Willies has always been a hard worker, a guy that blocks his tail off, and almost always gets every bang for his buck with the ball in his hands, so I don't know what the issue was on Saturday. His head coach certainly took issue with his play, however, in particular after he dogged the go route. He sat out a few series after that, too. I expect Mr. Willies will have a big game this week or next week...
*I thought Akamnonu and Bruffy were pretty shaky on the left side of the O-line in the 1st quarter. They didn't seem to communicate well, as a number of rushers came unblocked or were poorly blocked through the first 15 minutes. However, they settled in and were much better as the game went on. They still need to keep building their chemistry up. I think you'll see a much improved effort from this duo moving forward as they play together.
*As for this offensive line as a whole, I think they're miles better than they were in 2016, particularly in run blocking. Pass pro is much more solid as whole, and while they've given up a few sacks, they've also done it against as tough of a 3 game non-con D-line group as any team in the country likely saw. All three teams of EWU, ASU, and UH have salty veterans in their front seven, and this young Tech O-line held their own for the most part. I think it will end up being a blessing in disguise for Big 12 play, as they're not going to see anything that will shock them or be a major step up as a challenge outside of maybe OU or TCU's group.
*I thought Nic Shimonek had a few throws or decisions in this game he'd like to have back, but for the most part, once again, he did his best job to stay away from the mistakes. The one thing I saw that's a knock is that there were a few balls he held onto too long, and he locked in on a target or two to telegraph a couple throws. But those are some minor nitpicks. I thought he was a great leader, as he did some real ass-chewing throughout this game that kept the offense going. You can tell his teammates respect him. Also, the ball on the play-action over the middle that Willies tipped for a pick was on Willies, IMO. That's a ball he's got to catch. Yes, there was a corner rolling in from the right side, but you still have to catch that.
*The best thing this Tech offense did on Saturday, in a stove-top boiler of a day in Houston, was stay on the field and run twice as many plays as Houston did in the first half. The UH defense was flat out on their heels because of how exhausted they were after seeing 52 snaps, and the Tech defense was plenty ready to roll in the 2nd half because they saw just 35 snaps. This was the bare bones difference in why Tech went into the locker room dominating everything but the score. Now, Houston caught up to you with how many plays they ran in the 2nd half while the offense mostly sputtered to string a drive together in the 3rd quarter, but Tech got ahead of the curve early because of the amount of plays you ran in the 1st half.
*I think this Tech offense really took advantage of Houston in the 2nd half with their explosiveness as a result of the number of plays they made Houston run in the 1st half. UH was out of position on a number of Tech's big plays, and I think that's because you got a few yards and hurried up to run the next play several times.
*On tape, I wasn't quite sure how good Houston's front 7 actually was, because I don't think Arizona or Rice are really that good at all on offense. There just wasn't a great barometer. But I'll tell you what: After seeing them play Tech, I don't know if you'll see a front 7 that's that collectively good the rest of the year. They had size, they were fast, and they played mean. Tech tried to run King and Stockton to the flats several times in the 2nd half to hit big gainers against the corners and DBs, but the shocking speed of Houston's LBs shut that down real quick and made a legitimate impact on what Tech was able to do offensively in the 2nd half. OSU isn't as fast as Houston, I know that much. How many times have we ever seen anyone catch Justin Stockton when he has an open field?
*Let's move on to defense, which is a lot of fun to talk about. I've been trying to put a finger on what this defense does that makes them so much better than a year ago, and I finally figured it out this weekend. Yes, they're obviously more talented, a lot more in a few spots, and they're older, but the thing that really sticks out to me with this group from top to bottom is they play pissed off. They're energetic, physical, and they're downright angry most of the time. It's been since 2009 that I've seen a defense play with as much emotion and aggression as this current group does. DBs, LBs, DL, all three units are mean, physical, and they're going to let you know it. I think that's doing more for this group than some realize. Confidence is a wonderful thing.
*If this front seven continues to dominate teams in Big 12 play like they did in the non-con, you're gonna win some ball games, folks. While the big focus was on the number of turnovers that Tech forced, I think the real focus and the real reason why Tech had all the success they did with turnovers was because of the way Tech flat out shut down Houston's run game. The Cougs played with 2nd and 3rd and long all afternoon, and as a result, the front seven was able to pin their ears back while Gibbs let his DBs play physical with Houston's big receivers. You were able to blitz, show a ton of looks, and do a lot of different things with your front seven's pass rush because of how dominant Tech was against Houston's run game for most of the day. In fact, UH had just 68 yards rushing and 2.5 a carry before Postma came in at quarterback. Big kudos to the front seven for their ability to take away Houston's ability to run the ball Saturday.
*And a big chunk of credit for that play in the run game should go to Mych Thomas, Broderick Washington, Jordyn Brooks, and Dakota Allen. Those 4 get an A++ for their efforts through three games. They've been absolutely stellar in run defense so far this year. In fact, so far it's been damn near impossible to run up the middle on Tech this year.
*I could not tell you the last time Tech's had two DTs as good on the field together as Thomas and Washington have been through three games. They've controlled the line of scrimmage through three games, and the two have been trading off as to which one has the dominant day. Washington was a force against UH and affected their offense more than Oliver affected Tech's offense, and Houston has a bunch of seniors that have seen some really damn good fronts over the last two years. Do not take what these two are doing together right now for granted. I'd tell you they've been the best DT duo in the Big 12 at the end of non-con, and I'm being 100 percent serious.
*Dakota Allen is playing on another level right now. He's making a ton of big plays, he's making all the right decisions, diagnosing things extremely well, and he was all over the field against Houston. This guy is just playing out of his mind right now, both in coverage and in run support. Again, after what we saw at LB last year, it's just as night and day a difference as is possible.
*Jaylon Lane. What if I told you I think that in four or five weeks, he's going to be the best corner you've had since Jamar Wall? Lane is big, physical, has a great sense timing, and he played with some fantastic technique for a lot of the game against Houston on Saturday, even when the Cougs tried to pick on him a few times. He tackles well, and he covers well. This man is earning his keep right now. I think he's already the best corner on your roster.
*Speaking of your DBs, I was so encouraged by the play of your defensive skill guys and what they did in tackling in space. They screamed down hard on anything that Houston tried to throw in the flats, and Lane, Dorsey, Johnson, and Des Smith all made some fantastic tackles out in space in the flats, and this really limited Houston's offense, as they focus on screens and flats throws a TON. Tech was great at both screwing down on the flats and not letting Allen throw anything over the top.
*Speaking of Allen, while I wasn't impressed with him on Saturday, I think this front seven really got after him and banged him around all afternoon. Rarely did he make a throw where there wasn't a defender either barreling down on him or somewhere in the vicinity. I think you also finally got to see what David Gibbs will do with a bunch of different stunt, twist, blitz, etc. packages when his DL and LBs can pin their ears back against a pocket passer.
*Can this team rush the passer better this year? Check. Zach Barnes, Eli Howard, Tony Jones, Jordyn Brooks, and Dakota Allen all made plays as a pass rusher in this game.
*As for when UH went to Postma at QB: I think you were very worn out as a defense that late in the game, and Houston bringing in a mobile athlete who was completely fresh against a defense mostly playing back and trying to stop big plays was a smart decision by Applewhite and his staff. Yes, they scored 14 late that made it close, but I think this had more to do with Postma being mobile and fresh when you hadn't gameplanned for that at all than your defense being bad.
*This was your best team defensive performance in years. They'll take some lumps at times this year still, as they haven't faced the good offenses in the Big 12 yet, but it's still mind-blowing just how much better this unit is this year. Fun times.
Offensive player of the Game: WR KeKe Coutee
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Dakota Allen
Offensive Standouts: C Paul Stawarz, RG Jack Anderson, RB Tre King, RB Justin Stockton, WR KeKe Coutee, WR Cam Batson
Defensive Standouts: DT Broderick Washington, NT Mych Thomas, LB Dakota Allen, LB Jordyn Brooks, DE Eli Howard, DE Zach Barnes, RE Tony Jones, CB Jaylon Lane, CB Damarcus Fields, CB Octavious Morgan, CB Des Smith, S Vaughnte Dorsey
*I've watched this game three times from start to finish, and one thing is abundantly clear to me: This team flat out dominated the Cougars in this game. It doesn't show up in the final scoreboard, and it doesn't show up as much as it should in the stats, but the Red Raiders are absolutely a class above Houston as a team. By my math, Tech should've been up 27-10 at the half, and that's using conservative math. You biffed two chip shot field goals, had some hair-pulling penalties, dropped a touchdown, and missed on at least one other TD opportunity. This should've been all she wrote after two quarters. But to Houston's credit, their front seven kept them in this game, and their receivers made just enough plays to keep it close.
*But that's the thing that, while certainly frustrating, that you can take as major encouragement early on: You're playing sloppy football and still winning against solid teams, often by more than arms length for the majority of the contests. ASU is starting to get things figured out offensively, as witnessed by Tech and Oregon, Eastern Washington is rounding into form, and Houston has been as stingy of a defense at home against Power 5 teams as any Group of 5 team in college football, maybe ever. This is a Tech football team with something I haven't seen in a long time: Real potential. They have real potential to be playing really good football in November if you keep correcting mistakes, sharpening up play, and growing as a team.
*Let's start out here with the offense. Was it the kind of day you would ever hope for with the talent you have on that side of the ball? No, no it was not. Shimonek had a hard time finding receivers in the 2nd half, quite often because of good coverage, you were sloppy in execution throughout the first half, it was hard to run the ball most of the day, and you rarely strung together a solid drive without an explosive play. But even with that, you put up 27 points. You played to your floor as an offensive unit and still had a chance at 40ish points.
*Going back and watching the game, I do think you moved the ball a lot better throughout the first half than I initially realized. I LOVED Kliff/Morris' initial script and gameplan out of the gates, as they clearly saw that Houston was going to play off coverage to try and help their inexperienced corners. This created outside passing lanes for screens, swing passes, and out routes, and sticks early on. They also threw in some cool wrinkles with under center stuff that was used to misdirect Houston's aggressive front seven. If there was one thing I personally think Kingsbury should've done more of, it's play with Thompson as a TE, Reed as a wing or fullback, and really try to get more one-on-ones and open space outside in the flats for your receivers by forcing Houston to gather in the front seven tight.
*The second half was a bit of a different story. Houston started screwing down on you in the flats, as their corners and outside linebackers seemed to play a lot more aggressively underneath than they did in the 1st half. This is where you needed to establish the run game, which happened in the 4th quarter, but it was mostly tough sledding in the 3rd.
*I also thought Kliff abandoned the run too much a handful of times, particularly with a few of the three and outs. I thought you'd worn down Houston enough late in the 1st half and throughout the 2nd half that you just needed to be patient in the ground game and let things sort themselves out. Which Kliff did do that a lot more late in the 3rd and early on in the 4th, and it was when really started to get some momentum going on offense for the first time in the 2nd half.
*That being said, I thought Paul Stawarz and Jack Anderson in particular held up against Ed Oliver about as well as you could've asked for. Stawarz is strong, and it showed in this game. Oliver still got his a few times, but you limited him from being a monster in this game that he could've been.
*Let's talk about some of the new wrinkles you've added to your running game, particularly the power play they ran with Tre King. Tech pulled both guards, Akamnonu and Anderson, out right on King's 70 yard run, and it was a perfectly executed play because of blocking. It also makes a ton of sense to add wrinkles like this to your run game, as Anderson and Akamnonu are both great athletes with good feet for their size. On top of that, they both played in downhill running schemes in high school where they pulled all the time. This is great game planning and understanding your personnel. This was old hat to them, and I'd guess they might even feel more comfortable run blocking out in space than they do anything else. With backs like King and Stockton, I think Tech really needs to focus on running plays like these where you get your backs into space with blockers and just look for a crease. I expect power plays, trap plays, and things that are more old school run game to become a bigger factor as the year goes on.
*Speaking of Anderson, I think you all need to truly realize what Tech has here in this true freshman. Mostly because he's never once looked like a true freshman. Yes, he got beat straight up a few times against Houston, but that's more because of their age/speed/talent, not because he's bad. In fact he's been really damn good, good enough that I might even tell you he's your best O-lineman right now, which is mind blowing. You'll notice that Tech's running to the right a lot more than to the left right now, and Anderson is a big reason for it. He's still not nearly as strong as his linemates and will likely get overwhelmed by a few senior vets physically a few times in Big 12 play, but his feet are flat out stellar, and he plays real mean. Anderson should be a shoo-in for a freshman All-American today.
*I think we've all wondered how good KeKe Coutee really is, and he showed it on Saturday in Houston. He made a defense that's got nothing but speed all over it look slow and unathletic at times. While the rest of the offense struggled, Coutee continued to thrive. Coutee is your best player on this football team. Period. My question now is what will you do when someone like TCU, OSU, WVU, OU, or UT decides they want to try and take him away. My assumption is that Cantrell, Willies, and Batson are all good enough as a group to take advantage when Coutee gets the lions share of attention, but we'll soon find out.
*So, Derrick Willies. While he did make a few nice catches for you on the day, particularly in the first half, he also flat out has to play 10 times better than he did on Saturday if he's going to be a factor in this offense. He made a ton of mental mistakes, including bad penalties, like one that cost Tech a 1st and goal on the 1st drive of the game because he wasn't set, resulting in a 3rd down conversion from Cam Batson being negated, dropped a for-sure touchdown that he should catch 10 times out of 10, stopping on a go route where Shimonek was clearly going to throw him the ball in a one-on-one where he would've definitely had a chance at a big play, and tipping a pass thrown at him that results in an INT for Shimonek. Willies has always been a hard worker, a guy that blocks his tail off, and almost always gets every bang for his buck with the ball in his hands, so I don't know what the issue was on Saturday. His head coach certainly took issue with his play, however, in particular after he dogged the go route. He sat out a few series after that, too. I expect Mr. Willies will have a big game this week or next week...
*I thought Akamnonu and Bruffy were pretty shaky on the left side of the O-line in the 1st quarter. They didn't seem to communicate well, as a number of rushers came unblocked or were poorly blocked through the first 15 minutes. However, they settled in and were much better as the game went on. They still need to keep building their chemistry up. I think you'll see a much improved effort from this duo moving forward as they play together.
*As for this offensive line as a whole, I think they're miles better than they were in 2016, particularly in run blocking. Pass pro is much more solid as whole, and while they've given up a few sacks, they've also done it against as tough of a 3 game non-con D-line group as any team in the country likely saw. All three teams of EWU, ASU, and UH have salty veterans in their front seven, and this young Tech O-line held their own for the most part. I think it will end up being a blessing in disguise for Big 12 play, as they're not going to see anything that will shock them or be a major step up as a challenge outside of maybe OU or TCU's group.
*I thought Nic Shimonek had a few throws or decisions in this game he'd like to have back, but for the most part, once again, he did his best job to stay away from the mistakes. The one thing I saw that's a knock is that there were a few balls he held onto too long, and he locked in on a target or two to telegraph a couple throws. But those are some minor nitpicks. I thought he was a great leader, as he did some real ass-chewing throughout this game that kept the offense going. You can tell his teammates respect him. Also, the ball on the play-action over the middle that Willies tipped for a pick was on Willies, IMO. That's a ball he's got to catch. Yes, there was a corner rolling in from the right side, but you still have to catch that.
*The best thing this Tech offense did on Saturday, in a stove-top boiler of a day in Houston, was stay on the field and run twice as many plays as Houston did in the first half. The UH defense was flat out on their heels because of how exhausted they were after seeing 52 snaps, and the Tech defense was plenty ready to roll in the 2nd half because they saw just 35 snaps. This was the bare bones difference in why Tech went into the locker room dominating everything but the score. Now, Houston caught up to you with how many plays they ran in the 2nd half while the offense mostly sputtered to string a drive together in the 3rd quarter, but Tech got ahead of the curve early because of the amount of plays you ran in the 1st half.
*I think this Tech offense really took advantage of Houston in the 2nd half with their explosiveness as a result of the number of plays they made Houston run in the 1st half. UH was out of position on a number of Tech's big plays, and I think that's because you got a few yards and hurried up to run the next play several times.
*On tape, I wasn't quite sure how good Houston's front 7 actually was, because I don't think Arizona or Rice are really that good at all on offense. There just wasn't a great barometer. But I'll tell you what: After seeing them play Tech, I don't know if you'll see a front 7 that's that collectively good the rest of the year. They had size, they were fast, and they played mean. Tech tried to run King and Stockton to the flats several times in the 2nd half to hit big gainers against the corners and DBs, but the shocking speed of Houston's LBs shut that down real quick and made a legitimate impact on what Tech was able to do offensively in the 2nd half. OSU isn't as fast as Houston, I know that much. How many times have we ever seen anyone catch Justin Stockton when he has an open field?
*Let's move on to defense, which is a lot of fun to talk about. I've been trying to put a finger on what this defense does that makes them so much better than a year ago, and I finally figured it out this weekend. Yes, they're obviously more talented, a lot more in a few spots, and they're older, but the thing that really sticks out to me with this group from top to bottom is they play pissed off. They're energetic, physical, and they're downright angry most of the time. It's been since 2009 that I've seen a defense play with as much emotion and aggression as this current group does. DBs, LBs, DL, all three units are mean, physical, and they're going to let you know it. I think that's doing more for this group than some realize. Confidence is a wonderful thing.
*If this front seven continues to dominate teams in Big 12 play like they did in the non-con, you're gonna win some ball games, folks. While the big focus was on the number of turnovers that Tech forced, I think the real focus and the real reason why Tech had all the success they did with turnovers was because of the way Tech flat out shut down Houston's run game. The Cougs played with 2nd and 3rd and long all afternoon, and as a result, the front seven was able to pin their ears back while Gibbs let his DBs play physical with Houston's big receivers. You were able to blitz, show a ton of looks, and do a lot of different things with your front seven's pass rush because of how dominant Tech was against Houston's run game for most of the day. In fact, UH had just 68 yards rushing and 2.5 a carry before Postma came in at quarterback. Big kudos to the front seven for their ability to take away Houston's ability to run the ball Saturday.
*And a big chunk of credit for that play in the run game should go to Mych Thomas, Broderick Washington, Jordyn Brooks, and Dakota Allen. Those 4 get an A++ for their efforts through three games. They've been absolutely stellar in run defense so far this year. In fact, so far it's been damn near impossible to run up the middle on Tech this year.
*I could not tell you the last time Tech's had two DTs as good on the field together as Thomas and Washington have been through three games. They've controlled the line of scrimmage through three games, and the two have been trading off as to which one has the dominant day. Washington was a force against UH and affected their offense more than Oliver affected Tech's offense, and Houston has a bunch of seniors that have seen some really damn good fronts over the last two years. Do not take what these two are doing together right now for granted. I'd tell you they've been the best DT duo in the Big 12 at the end of non-con, and I'm being 100 percent serious.
*Dakota Allen is playing on another level right now. He's making a ton of big plays, he's making all the right decisions, diagnosing things extremely well, and he was all over the field against Houston. This guy is just playing out of his mind right now, both in coverage and in run support. Again, after what we saw at LB last year, it's just as night and day a difference as is possible.
*Jaylon Lane. What if I told you I think that in four or five weeks, he's going to be the best corner you've had since Jamar Wall? Lane is big, physical, has a great sense timing, and he played with some fantastic technique for a lot of the game against Houston on Saturday, even when the Cougs tried to pick on him a few times. He tackles well, and he covers well. This man is earning his keep right now. I think he's already the best corner on your roster.
*Speaking of your DBs, I was so encouraged by the play of your defensive skill guys and what they did in tackling in space. They screamed down hard on anything that Houston tried to throw in the flats, and Lane, Dorsey, Johnson, and Des Smith all made some fantastic tackles out in space in the flats, and this really limited Houston's offense, as they focus on screens and flats throws a TON. Tech was great at both screwing down on the flats and not letting Allen throw anything over the top.
*Speaking of Allen, while I wasn't impressed with him on Saturday, I think this front seven really got after him and banged him around all afternoon. Rarely did he make a throw where there wasn't a defender either barreling down on him or somewhere in the vicinity. I think you also finally got to see what David Gibbs will do with a bunch of different stunt, twist, blitz, etc. packages when his DL and LBs can pin their ears back against a pocket passer.
*Can this team rush the passer better this year? Check. Zach Barnes, Eli Howard, Tony Jones, Jordyn Brooks, and Dakota Allen all made plays as a pass rusher in this game.
*As for when UH went to Postma at QB: I think you were very worn out as a defense that late in the game, and Houston bringing in a mobile athlete who was completely fresh against a defense mostly playing back and trying to stop big plays was a smart decision by Applewhite and his staff. Yes, they scored 14 late that made it close, but I think this had more to do with Postma being mobile and fresh when you hadn't gameplanned for that at all than your defense being bad.
*This was your best team defensive performance in years. They'll take some lumps at times this year still, as they haven't faced the good offenses in the Big 12 yet, but it's still mind-blowing just how much better this unit is this year. Fun times.
Offensive player of the Game: WR KeKe Coutee
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Dakota Allen
Offensive Standouts: C Paul Stawarz, RG Jack Anderson, RB Tre King, RB Justin Stockton, WR KeKe Coutee, WR Cam Batson
Defensive Standouts: DT Broderick Washington, NT Mych Thomas, LB Dakota Allen, LB Jordyn Brooks, DE Eli Howard, DE Zach Barnes, RE Tony Jones, CB Jaylon Lane, CB Damarcus Fields, CB Octavious Morgan, CB Des Smith, S Vaughnte Dorsey
