Texas Tech Football: Seven Things We Learned About The Red Raiders Vs. Texas
Texas Tech’s 24-14 loss to Texas Saturday night is difficult to define in concrete terms.
Did Texas struggle so mightily that it gave Tech a chance to win based solely on its poor play?
Or, did Tech’s sparks of defensive brilliance against No. 6 Texas truly keep the Red Raiders in the game until the fourth quarter?
Regardless, both teams walked away from Saturday night's clash with more questions than answers (i.e. does Tech really have an “O” that can go and is the Red Raider defense really that good or was the Texas offense just awful?).
The following slideshow attempts to battle the murky unknown and identifies seven things we learned about the 2010 Red Raiders in their contest with the Longhorns.
1. The Offense Has Issues
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As hard as it is for the Red Raider nation to admit (outside of therapy), Tech’s offense has real issues that were made glaringly obvious on Saturday night.
Tech managed only 144 yards of total offense vs. the Longhorns. To put this in perspective this is the lowest Red Raider offensive output since a 1990 loss to Miami (FL) in Lubbock.
Ironically, Tommy Tuberville was also at that 1990 meeting as a member of the Hurricanes' defensive coaching staff.
Though there were brief glimpses of an offense that could possibly click; 11 first downs, minus-14 yards rushing, and 158 yards simply does not inspire any offensive confidence.
2. Big Questions at Offensive Line
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Though the entire offensive unit struggled vs. the Longhorns, the line, especially late in the game, was porous and rather welcoming to Longhorn defenders.
Overall, Tech allowed three sacks and most of these came at critical points late in the game.
Combine this with minus-14 yards of rushing and there are many questions about the O-Line.
Texas Tech returned only two starters on the offensive line from a 2009 team that ranked 115th in rushing.
This combined with the fact that Texas was No. 1 against the run and No. 3 in total defense in 2009 did not bode well for a stellar performance on Saturday night.
The issues at offensive line will need to be addressed quickly in order to expect future victories, especially in conference games.
3. Penalties
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Regardless of opinions regarding the subjective nature of the penalties charged the Red Raiders vs. Texas 98 yards of infractions are too many in a game vs. the No. 6 team in the nation.
Texas Tech simply cannot afford, given their schedule and their transitory status, to put themselves in a position to be penalized.
One could rightly argue that several key penalties (whether they were warranted or not) cost the Red Raiders an opportunity to win the game vs. the Longhorns.
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4. The Defense
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It’s simply impossible to put into words the performance of the Texas Tech defense on Saturday.
Words like stifling, aggressive, ready, on fire, relentless, adaptable, and courageous come to mind when thinking about Tech’s defensive unit vs. Texas.
No matter what position they were put in, the Red Raider “D” simply got it done.
It might be effectively argued that Texas’ offense and quarterback might be labeled “green” or “youthful,” but this simply cannot wipe away what magically happened defensively in Jones Stadium on Saturday night.
It was here that James Willis led the Red Raider Nation in part one of the physical transformation of an offensive people to a culture where defense is held in the same esteem as that of gained yards and relentless scoring.
Sitting in the Jones on Saturday evening I suddenly felt the need to be comforted by having the Tech defense on the field.
Good Lord. I need therapy.
5. Don’t Lose Faith in the Offense Just Yet . . .
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Though the Red Raider offense output was dismal at best, and the NASCAR scheme basically crashed and burned the Tech faithful should not totally lose heart just yet.
Let’s remember that Texas’ primary strength in 2010 and really the basis for the high esteem in which they are held by the voters is defense.
Texas returned six starters in 2010 to a 2009 squad that ranked 12th nationally in scoring defense, first in rushing defense, 19th in passing defense, and third overall in defense.
Putting the offensive performance vs. the Longhorns into this perspective, the Red Raider Nation need not be ready to completely ready to part with their offensive visions of grandeur.
The Tech offense is going to improve, not because it can’t get any worse, but because it has all the pieces in place to be successful now.
6. Special Teams
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For all the talk of what went right and what went very wrong vs. the Longhorns, it would be an oversight not to mention what did and didn’t happen on special teams.
What did happen was the Red Raiders did gain field position and did contain on punt and kickoff returns.
What didn’t happen were muffed kicks or punts, blocked kicks or any sizable returns by a very talented group of Texas athletes.
There seems to be no mention of special teams unless something goes wrong or they score.
Tech’s special teams units quietly kept the Red Raiders in the game vs. Texas.
They deserve some credit for their performance, and, long may it continue.
7. The State of the Red Raider Nation
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One of the bright spots of Saturday night’s game was that the Red Raider Nation supported the “Red Out” campaign and really had a hand in throwing Texas QB Garret Gilbert off kilter.
The crowd involvement, enthusiasm and noise never waned until late in the fourth quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt.
Will the loss to Texas deflate the support of the Red Raider Nation for the newly established Tommy Tuberville regime?
History tells us that this will not be the case. Even with the markedly ramped up expectations in Raiderland brought on by the Mike Leach era, Texas Tech fans have seen enough unsheltered, real life football to realize that it will take time for Tuberville’s changes to take hold in Lubbock.
Tech fans can and will wait. That said, the Red Raider Nation is obviously a fan base that expects to be saddled with a football program that is destined to go to the next level.
The question is not if it will happen; the question is when it will happen.
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