It appeared Texas Tech had successfully moved on from the disastrous homecoming performance against Baylor . At one point, the Red Raiders scored 28 unanswered points against TCU. They held a 31-14 lead with 6:53 left in the third quarter. The TCU fans were emptying from Amon G Carter Stadium. But those who stayed got to witness a horrific Texas Tech collapse. The Texas Tech coaches can only point the finger at themselves as the Red Raiders lose a very winnable game 35-34.
Defense Did 75% of Its Job
After zero sacks and tackles for loss last week, Tim DeRuyter knew his defense had to make some negative plays if the Red Raiders were going to win . They responded emphatically in this area. The Red Raiders registered three sacks and seven tackles for loss. As a result, the defensive pressure forced TCU into some costly turnovers, three of them to be exact. That’s the good news.
The bad news was when the defense wasn’t making life difficult for Sonny Dykes’ offense, the unit was non-existent. Texas Tech coaches watched helplessly as their defense surrendered touchdowns of 35, 75, and 84 yards in this game. The longest touchdown of the game came at the most inexcusable point in the game. Clinging to a six-point lead, TCU wide receiver Eric McAlister was easily able to defeat man coverage outside. Poor tackling was then on display as he scampered down the field for the eventual game-winning touchdown.
Offensive Play Calling Left Plenty to be Desired
Early in the second quarter, Texas Tech executed a fake field goal to perfection for its first touchdown of the day. As great as it was, it was the result of bad offensive execution from inside the TCU five-yard line. The playcalling seemed to never find a consistent answer for TCU’s defense. Tahj Brooks was clearly the focal point of the Horned Frogs’ defense, selling out to stop the run. Brooks was limited to four yards per carry on the day. There was only one drive in the first half when quarterback Behren Morton and the offense looked in sync and free-flowing. Most positive plays still felt like unlubricated gears grinding.
In the second half, true freshman Will Hammond had to take over due to Morton suffering a shoulder injury. Hammond looked impressive on the first two drives. He was on time with throws. He was making plays with his legs, including a touchdown run. However, the offense stalled out on its next drive. But the most confusing play-calling sequence came late when Texas Tech was trying to win the game. With 1:48 left in the game, the Red Raiders had the ball on TCU’s 30. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley opted for inside run calls to Brooks…