... Texas Techs' defense rounded back into form Saturday against Texas. Gone was the unit that scrapped, clawed and showed fight for four quarters against TCU. In its place returned the group that spent three quarters missing tackles, taking bad angles and giving up big plays. Last week, David Gibbs' group showed that it could be successful against a Big 12 peer. Today, it showed its inability to duplicate that success or carry it over in a meaningful way.
... For as much as the defense got pushed around today -- and giving up 415 rushing yards on 49 carries absolutely qualifies -- hats off to the group for forcing two turnovers and bowing up in the fourth quarter. There were a ton of issues on defense today, but Gibbs' bunch gave the ball back to the offense three times in the fourth quarter with UT up by just one score and Kliff Kingsbury's unit came up empty in every instance. While the fall-off from the TCU performance was both significant and disappointing, it's hard to pin too much of Saturday's result on the defense because of how they rose up in the fourth quarter.
... More alarmingly than the defense falling back to earth is the fact that, suddenly, the team's offensive explosion against Oklahoma looks like an outlier. The Texas Tech offense struggled much more than it should have against Kansas, went dark in the second half against Kansas State, was embarrassed at home by West Virginia, scored just 27 points in double overtime against TCU and was largely shut down by a statistically unimpressive Texas defense for the better part of three quarters.
The team has averaged less than five yards per play in back-to-back games. In the Big 12. Against statistically unimpressive defenses.
Pat Mahomes' injury surely has something to do with that, but that injury occurred six weeks ago and Kingsbury tells us every Monday that he is better this week than the last.
Either way, if the Red Raiders had this much trouble scoring at home against the Longhorns, then it's fair to wonder if they will win any of their remaining three games, let alone the two necessary to salvage what's left of the season and make a bowl game.
... Da'Leon Ward continues to impress as the team's primary option at running back. He has a combination of power, wiggle and burst that Texas Tech's other backs don't possess.
... I don't know how much weight the successful fake punt carries on the scales -- and, to be clear, that was a huge, positive play -- but Texas Tech has to be better at punter next year. Michael Barden is averaging a meager 37.8 yards per punt.
... Kudos to the Red Raiders for a second-consecutive game where they've played relatively clean, penalty-free football. Kingsbury's team was flagged just four times for 14 yards on the afternoon.
... Today's game marked just the second time in two years that Texas had led a road game at halftime. This was the Longhorns' first win away from Austin this season.
... The way things stand right now, it looks as if the Red Raiders will be free in December for the second time in three seasons. That would be a massive failure.
... For as much as the defense got pushed around today -- and giving up 415 rushing yards on 49 carries absolutely qualifies -- hats off to the group for forcing two turnovers and bowing up in the fourth quarter. There were a ton of issues on defense today, but Gibbs' bunch gave the ball back to the offense three times in the fourth quarter with UT up by just one score and Kliff Kingsbury's unit came up empty in every instance. While the fall-off from the TCU performance was both significant and disappointing, it's hard to pin too much of Saturday's result on the defense because of how they rose up in the fourth quarter.
... More alarmingly than the defense falling back to earth is the fact that, suddenly, the team's offensive explosion against Oklahoma looks like an outlier. The Texas Tech offense struggled much more than it should have against Kansas, went dark in the second half against Kansas State, was embarrassed at home by West Virginia, scored just 27 points in double overtime against TCU and was largely shut down by a statistically unimpressive Texas defense for the better part of three quarters.
The team has averaged less than five yards per play in back-to-back games. In the Big 12. Against statistically unimpressive defenses.
Pat Mahomes' injury surely has something to do with that, but that injury occurred six weeks ago and Kingsbury tells us every Monday that he is better this week than the last.
Either way, if the Red Raiders had this much trouble scoring at home against the Longhorns, then it's fair to wonder if they will win any of their remaining three games, let alone the two necessary to salvage what's left of the season and make a bowl game.
... Da'Leon Ward continues to impress as the team's primary option at running back. He has a combination of power, wiggle and burst that Texas Tech's other backs don't possess.
... I don't know how much weight the successful fake punt carries on the scales -- and, to be clear, that was a huge, positive play -- but Texas Tech has to be better at punter next year. Michael Barden is averaging a meager 37.8 yards per punt.
... Kudos to the Red Raiders for a second-consecutive game where they've played relatively clean, penalty-free football. Kingsbury's team was flagged just four times for 14 yards on the afternoon.
... Today's game marked just the second time in two years that Texas had led a road game at halftime. This was the Longhorns' first win away from Austin this season.
... The way things stand right now, it looks as if the Red Raiders will be free in December for the second time in three seasons. That would be a massive failure.
