Did Texas Tech's Leach Make The Right Call Saturday Night Against Houston?

In the 4th quarter Texas Tech had an opportunity to take a 12 point lead over Houston with a touchdown. Currently the score was 28-23 and Tech had a 1st-and-goal from the four yard line.

The offense decided to run the ball on the first three plays resulting in three gained yards and in that 4th-and-goal from the one yard line. Mike Leach decided to go for it and put the offense back out on the field.

QB Taylor Potts was denied on the QB sneak and the ball was given to Houston on the turnover on downs.

Tech ended up losing to the Cougars 29-28 when QB Case Keenum ran in for a TD with 40 seconds left in the game. Houston fans rushed the field and now can look on towards a BCS game if they run the table.

After the Cougar fans rushed the field and the crowd exited Robertson Stadium all Tech fans were questioning Leach’s decision to go for it on the fourth down play. I even heard a couple of people saying Leach should get fired for it, but I am a bit puzzled by this all.

Isn’t that why we love Leach at Tech? Isn’t it because he’s a crazy pirate that is braze and confident in his play calling? Don’t we love him for being ordinary and shying away from the norm?

Leach stuck to what has earned him a reputation in Lubbock for a decade on Saturday. Being unconventional.

Even if that was the wrong call on the fourth down, and I’m not sure it is, why are people jumping off the ship, so to speak? When he goes for it on 4th-and-six from his own 30 yard line and gets the first down he is considered crazy, but a genius. When he fails he is an idiot and should be fired.

Who said you could have your cake and eat it to?

That play didn’t lose the game for Tech on Saturday. A fumble by Potts on their first drive, a fumble by RB Eric Stephens in the third quarter on the Houston 30 yard line, the humidity and the defense’s inability to get pressure on Keenum in the second half cost the Raiders this game.

For the coaching miscue that was counted on Saturday I can think of four plays that should have not made that call matter. The two above mentioned fumbles and a dropped first down pass by Lyle Leong that would have continued a drive and a drop pass by WR Edward Britton.

Tech fans easily made the connection after the one point loss that a field goal would have won that game, but you take out any of these mistakes and Tech would have a win against Houston.

I know it’s hard for Tech fans to hear, but Tech lost to a very good team on Saturday and their losses are to two ranked teams on the road by less than a combined 12 points. A moral victory isn’t a victory, but it should push this team over teams like Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.

Leach will take over Spike Dykes career win record this year with four more wins and will have done this playing the style of football that is now expected from the team way out in West Texas. Saturday was another example of his philosophy that has become admired in Lubbock.

He is heralded for his ingenuity and his creativity when it comes to the offensive game, but when it doesn’t go as planned against the Cougars the captain sank our ship. We all want to make a scapegoat in Leach, but in reality Tech got beat by a good Houston team that knew the elements and capitalized on the Raider offense miscues.