#8 Texas Longhorns vs Texas Tech Game Recap

Photo CC: Credit: Texas Tech Athletic Department

I bet most Red Raider fans have just as many questions after the game vs the Longhorns. The same “what the blank was that” from HBU two weeks ago was just the beginning. The Longhorns left the same feeling, just with a bonus gut punch. Tech is still at square one about what kind of team it has. It’s 2020, so Saturday’s game was pretty much par for the course.

Sitting in my folding chair on Saturday around a few whining Longhorn fans, I refused their “you should be happy, you played a helluva game” talk. I didn’t want anything to do with being excited until there were all zeros on the clock, and Tech had a W. Jinx was on high alert for me.

Let’s start with the elephants in the room. Allowing both a two-point conversation and an onsides kick, at home, late in the game, is just unacceptable. It just is. Tom Herman did nothing super tricky. His play-calling just worked, Tech’s didn’t.

Along with the conversion and onsides, it was Sam Ehlinger that played best when it was needed. His 262 yards and five touchdowns were along with his usual, but what makes him different this year is he marched down the field and scored when it mattered most. This is the leader that the Longhorns have been waiting for – a quarterback that can get the win, regardless of the ugliness of the game. Sure he got some assistance, but he maximized opportunity.

Defensive questions – Both the Longhorns and the Raiders have massive question marks. For Tech, was the near-win an indication of the slow continuity that is brewing? Transfer Schooler and Wilson got on the field and showed some flashes. Are these the defensive improvements fans were high on? It’s hard to know what team this is when the HBU game was just two weeks ago.

The Longhorn defense could be looking down the over-hyped path. At least when it comes to the DL/LB corp. I for one bit on the improved Texas defense. Texas just allowed over a hundred yards rushing in the game, and while that doesn’t sound like a lot, the 75 yard run by Sa’Rodrick Thompson was a big part of it. The Longhorns couldn’t stop the Tech running offense when they needed to.

Let’s get back to reality here. If 2020 were a football game, we saw it this weekend in Lubbock. I am still processing this game. What the heck was that?

If you are also still processing, leave a comment below.