Cannot believe how quickly we’ve reached early-to-mid November but it’s here and what it brings is one of the biggest football games for Texas Tech in the 2020’s. The Red Raiders are hosting the No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes with Big Noon Kickoff in attendance, the main event on what’s been a busy week in Lubbock.
However, with everything that’s going on, ultimately it is about the football game, and that’s what this is about, so let’s jump into what we can expect from the Buffs in all facets tomorrow afternoon.
The Shedeur Sanders Conversation
One of the most polarizing, talented and talked about quarterbacks in the country is playing the most important game of his collegiate career on Saturday, and it comes in Lubbock.
Sanders is going to be an early draft pick in this season’s draft and has a range of talents and skills that make him as good as he is. Sanders possesses strong arm strength and touch when pushing the ball downfield while being a strong processor of defenses a lot of the time.
Sanders is excellent on the move, possessing good athleticism but is not a major threat to run, he is looking to extend plays and create when things break down along the line, or if his receivers don’t get open, which is rare.
The issue for Sanders is when he gets under pressure, especially in key moments, he will show cracks. Sanders tends to hold the ball too long when extending plays and will at times make the offensive line a bigger issue than it is.
It is absolutely imperative for Tech to rush the passer because Tech will fall behind the eight ball if Sanders is given time to sit back and carve up Tech’s secondary, something he will do without being pressured.
The Best Receiving Core in the Big 12
This skill group is special, there’s not really another way to say it. Everyone is a burner and is a threat to create an explosive at any moment.
The leader is obviously Travis Hunter (12) and if you don’t know about him, you’ve been living under a rock for the last two years. Likely the most dynamic athlete in college football, playing both sides of the ball significantly.
Hunter, offensively, is a dynamic route runner with elite movement skills, body control and ball skills, he is nearly the whole package and will draw a ton of attention on every snap.
You can’t give him too much attention because behind Hunter is a trio of excellent supporting cast receivers, who all consistently break the 20+ mph threshold, according to PFF’s player tracking data.
LaJohntay Wester is the starting slot, and number two option for the Buffs, who has very good foot speed and is extremely shifty with the ball in his hands, being extremely tough to tackle despite his small frame at 5-11, 167.
Will Sheppard (14) will play the other outside position, a big body that can go up and get it with anyone, but is the least dynamic of all the skill players in the starting rotation, creating a lack of YAC opportunities for him.
The other slot, which is on the field around 60% of the time, is Jimmy Horn Jr. who looks like a clone of Wester in both play style and stature. A player with the ability to run away from anyone.
Isaiah Augustave is the best running back option for the Buffs, a large-bodied back who runs with force. Another strong athlete with a track background in high school on the offense.
Colorado’s O-Line
I talked quite a bit about this group earlier in the week when writing about Tech’s D-Line’s emergence over the past weeks, but I’ll sum it up quickly.
Overall, the left side of the line is much better than the right side, that is the weak point and where Tech must capitalize.
LT Jordan Seaton has been CU’s best offensive lineman this season and it’s impressive that a true freshman has been able to do so for them. Next to him at LG is UTEP transfer Justin Mayers, who was recruited by Tech last winter. Mayers has been strong in pass pro, a good athlete with good processing.
The right side has been a pretty big mess for CU with OC Hank Zilinskas, RG Kareem Harden and RT Phillip Houston all having their drawbacks. The worst of which is Houston, an FIU transfer who does not have the length to play tackle competitively while also lacking the strength to anchor, collapsing the pocket at times on his QB.
Colorado's D-Line
This group has been a major surprise, frankly. The Big 12 leaders in sacks and it comes from both the interior and outside.
DT Shane Cokes is a very athletic player, yet slightly undersized, who is best rushing the passer with good ability to bend and accelerate off the ball. Houston transfer Chidozie Nwankwo is another strong player who plays with power and a strong ability to impact the pocket, lacking the ability to get off blocks at times.
Off the edge, my favorite is sophomore Samuel Okunlola, a transfer from Pitt who wins with speed and is able to set up a nasty spin move when he executes it at a high level. Not going to bull rush effectively often, but Buchanan and his tweener body at tackle will likely have an issue here.
The 2nd & 3rd levels of the defense
This group has been pretty solid this season, but obviously have their holes.
Starting with the corners, the best of this group, again led by Hunter, who uses all of those athletic traits already mentioned to do the same at corner. He plays with elite anticipation and is a very, very strong coverage player.
The rest of the corner group is as well, which is why CU plays as much man coverage as they do, primarily living in cover-1 and cover-2-man structures, playing around 17% cover-three on the season. The other corners to watch for are DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge.
McKinney is a long and athletic CB who wins at the catch point but can be stretched vertically and beat over the top. Hodge is the nickel who is strong in man and is fine to line up in press coverage and win at the line of scrimmage, it’s a big test for Josh Kelly on Saturday.
The linebackers play with their hair on fire, a high effort group that rallies to the ball consistently. Really impressive in that aspect but are not the best in coverage, so if Tech can get favorable matchups with LBs on WRs, it will be key to watch for. Look for Hill-Green (41) and Bentley (20) to get the majority of the snaps.
The safeties might be my least favorite group on this team. Shilo Sanders (21) plays with reckless abandon and is overly physical at times. He will take himself out of plays by trying to do too much, and it has been to CU’s detriment this season. Also believe that Silmon-Craig (7) is undersized and lacks some football savvy to be in the right place, while lacking the athleticism to recover.
Overall, this is a very, very strong group that has their limitations and weaknesses but also have some all-American level talent on the team, so buckle up, it should be quite the matchup on Saturday.
Founded by a Red Raider, All Hands Craft Cocktails is proud to announce their partnership with RedRaiderSports.com. Try these bar strength, ready-to-drink vodka cocktails at Jones AT&T Stadium this football season or find them at a retailer near you. Cheers.
@ALL HANDS
However, with everything that’s going on, ultimately it is about the football game, and that’s what this is about, so let’s jump into what we can expect from the Buffs in all facets tomorrow afternoon.
The Shedeur Sanders Conversation
One of the most polarizing, talented and talked about quarterbacks in the country is playing the most important game of his collegiate career on Saturday, and it comes in Lubbock.
Sanders is going to be an early draft pick in this season’s draft and has a range of talents and skills that make him as good as he is. Sanders possesses strong arm strength and touch when pushing the ball downfield while being a strong processor of defenses a lot of the time.
Sanders is excellent on the move, possessing good athleticism but is not a major threat to run, he is looking to extend plays and create when things break down along the line, or if his receivers don’t get open, which is rare.
The issue for Sanders is when he gets under pressure, especially in key moments, he will show cracks. Sanders tends to hold the ball too long when extending plays and will at times make the offensive line a bigger issue than it is.
It is absolutely imperative for Tech to rush the passer because Tech will fall behind the eight ball if Sanders is given time to sit back and carve up Tech’s secondary, something he will do without being pressured.
The Best Receiving Core in the Big 12
This skill group is special, there’s not really another way to say it. Everyone is a burner and is a threat to create an explosive at any moment.
The leader is obviously Travis Hunter (12) and if you don’t know about him, you’ve been living under a rock for the last two years. Likely the most dynamic athlete in college football, playing both sides of the ball significantly.
Hunter, offensively, is a dynamic route runner with elite movement skills, body control and ball skills, he is nearly the whole package and will draw a ton of attention on every snap.
You can’t give him too much attention because behind Hunter is a trio of excellent supporting cast receivers, who all consistently break the 20+ mph threshold, according to PFF’s player tracking data.
LaJohntay Wester is the starting slot, and number two option for the Buffs, who has very good foot speed and is extremely shifty with the ball in his hands, being extremely tough to tackle despite his small frame at 5-11, 167.
Will Sheppard (14) will play the other outside position, a big body that can go up and get it with anyone, but is the least dynamic of all the skill players in the starting rotation, creating a lack of YAC opportunities for him.
The other slot, which is on the field around 60% of the time, is Jimmy Horn Jr. who looks like a clone of Wester in both play style and stature. A player with the ability to run away from anyone.
Isaiah Augustave is the best running back option for the Buffs, a large-bodied back who runs with force. Another strong athlete with a track background in high school on the offense.
Colorado’s O-Line
I talked quite a bit about this group earlier in the week when writing about Tech’s D-Line’s emergence over the past weeks, but I’ll sum it up quickly.
Overall, the left side of the line is much better than the right side, that is the weak point and where Tech must capitalize.
LT Jordan Seaton has been CU’s best offensive lineman this season and it’s impressive that a true freshman has been able to do so for them. Next to him at LG is UTEP transfer Justin Mayers, who was recruited by Tech last winter. Mayers has been strong in pass pro, a good athlete with good processing.
The right side has been a pretty big mess for CU with OC Hank Zilinskas, RG Kareem Harden and RT Phillip Houston all having their drawbacks. The worst of which is Houston, an FIU transfer who does not have the length to play tackle competitively while also lacking the strength to anchor, collapsing the pocket at times on his QB.
Colorado's D-Line
This group has been a major surprise, frankly. The Big 12 leaders in sacks and it comes from both the interior and outside.
DT Shane Cokes is a very athletic player, yet slightly undersized, who is best rushing the passer with good ability to bend and accelerate off the ball. Houston transfer Chidozie Nwankwo is another strong player who plays with power and a strong ability to impact the pocket, lacking the ability to get off blocks at times.
Off the edge, my favorite is sophomore Samuel Okunlola, a transfer from Pitt who wins with speed and is able to set up a nasty spin move when he executes it at a high level. Not going to bull rush effectively often, but Buchanan and his tweener body at tackle will likely have an issue here.
The 2nd & 3rd levels of the defense
This group has been pretty solid this season, but obviously have their holes.
Starting with the corners, the best of this group, again led by Hunter, who uses all of those athletic traits already mentioned to do the same at corner. He plays with elite anticipation and is a very, very strong coverage player.
The rest of the corner group is as well, which is why CU plays as much man coverage as they do, primarily living in cover-1 and cover-2-man structures, playing around 17% cover-three on the season. The other corners to watch for are DJ McKinney and Preston Hodge.
McKinney is a long and athletic CB who wins at the catch point but can be stretched vertically and beat over the top. Hodge is the nickel who is strong in man and is fine to line up in press coverage and win at the line of scrimmage, it’s a big test for Josh Kelly on Saturday.
The linebackers play with their hair on fire, a high effort group that rallies to the ball consistently. Really impressive in that aspect but are not the best in coverage, so if Tech can get favorable matchups with LBs on WRs, it will be key to watch for. Look for Hill-Green (41) and Bentley (20) to get the majority of the snaps.
The safeties might be my least favorite group on this team. Shilo Sanders (21) plays with reckless abandon and is overly physical at times. He will take himself out of plays by trying to do too much, and it has been to CU’s detriment this season. Also believe that Silmon-Craig (7) is undersized and lacks some football savvy to be in the right place, while lacking the athleticism to recover.
Overall, this is a very, very strong group that has their limitations and weaknesses but also have some all-American level talent on the team, so buckle up, it should be quite the matchup on Saturday.
Founded by a Red Raider, All Hands Craft Cocktails is proud to announce their partnership with RedRaiderSports.com. Try these bar strength, ready-to-drink vodka cocktails at Jones AT&T Stadium this football season or find them at a retailer near you. Cheers.
@ALL HANDS
