Anytime a team blows a 17-point lead with 3:08 remaining in the third quarter as Texas Tech did, there is ample blame to go around for the debacle. And such is the case with the Red Raiders and their coaches. At the top of my black list, however, is offensive coordinator Zach Kittley’s decision to take the ball out of Will Hammond’s hands, put it in the deep freeze, and then put it back in his hands on the final play that could and should have set the team up for victory.
Behren Morton, who had been rather ineffective, hurt his shoulder late in the second quarter and was replaced by the freshman Hammonds. My guess is that there was more elation than disappointment in Raiderland at Hammond getting a shot. Regardless, Texas Tech’s hitherto listless offense sprang to life under Hammond’s command. He completed his first eight passes and led the Red Raiders to 17 points on his first three drives. Additionally, Hammond scored six of those 17 points on a read option. A precarious three-point halftime cushion ballooned to a seemingly secure 17-point advantage.
Now, full personal disclosure here–I’m one of those run-the-dam’-ball kind of guys. And one can understand why an offensive coordinator would be tempted to abandon the pass when you’ve got Tahj Brooks, one of the best running backs in program history, in the backfield. The calculus is further strengthened when you’ve got a highly inexperienced quarterback making decisions on the gridiron. And truthfully, I wouldn’t have objected to upping the run quotient somewhat with that 17-point lead deep in the third quarter. However, giving how well Hammond was spinning it, never would I have altered the play-calling scheme so dramatically in favor of the run…