In a matchup of an explosive offense versus one of the worst teams in the country, few expected Kansas to hang with Texas Tech Thursday night. While the Jayhawks kept it close for a while, the Red Raiders prevailed 55-19. For Kansas, the result is reminiscent of many games in recent memory, with missed opportunities and positional mismatches galore. With these trends in mind, it’s far from a shock that Texas Tech defeated Kansas.
Red Raiders Strike First
Texas Tech started the game in dominating fashion, leading 14-0 just 5:05 into the first quarter. While the game started on a bleak note for KU, their offensive and defensive efforts improved later in the half. This was due, in part, to numerous special teams errors throughout the game by Texas Tech.
A safety on a botched punt led to Kansas’ first points. After a later muffed punt, The Jayhawks converted a short field into a Montell Cozart touchdown pass to Steven Sims Jr. Aside from that score, a field goal and an earlier touchdown pass from Ryan Willis to Chase Harrell, the Kansas offense was its typical, impotent self.
Defensively, in spite of the final score, Kansas did show improvement. After the two early Red Raiders touchdowns, they went scoreless over their next four possessions. Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen’s unit showed flashes of excellence throughout the evening. However, fatigue and a large talent disparity led to the eventual lopsided score.
Tech Quarterbacks Excel
Facing one of the best quarterbacks in the nation is never easy, regardless of what team you are. Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes II is arguably the best quarterback in the Big 12, and it showed on Thursday. While not a flawless performance, he shredded the Kansas defense with precision passing before leaving with an injury. Mahomes’ four touchdown passes on the evening brings his season total to 18.
Even without Mahomes in the game, Texas Tech scored seemingly at will. Backup quarterback Nic Shimonek entered the game in the third quarter and passed for four touchdowns as well. Whether it was a top-tier athlete or a backup QB, the Red Raiders fired on all cylinders through the air.
While Kansas’ defense attempted to keep the game close, the offense struggled mightily, excluding brief positive moments. Redshirt junior Montell Cozart started at quarterback for Kansas, struggling along the way. Sophomore Ryan Willis replaced him in the second quarter, instantly jump-starting the offense with a touchdown drive. Willis finished with 142 passing yards and the one touchdown.
The indecisiveness at quarterback continues to be an issue for coach David Beaty’s offense. The decision to start Cozart was baffling to some, although Willis seemed to be the go-to option late in the game until he left with an injury. Nonetheless, Beaty was once again noncommittal about the quarterback position in his postgame press conference.
On the QB job Beaty said he is with the the guys every day and evaluates his QB daily no matter what people want to say #kufball
— JayhawkSlant (@JayhawkSlant) September 30, 2016
Continued Struggles
Thursday night saw a bevy of long-lasting, unproductive trends continue for Kansas. While performing decently overall, the defense was caught out of position numerous times. Questionable, conservative play calling remained a constant for the offense, leading to several quick three-and-outs. These unproductive series were a major contributing factor to the fatigue experienced by the defense in the second half.
These shortcomings are nothing new for the Jayhawks. There’s a reason why KU hasn’t won on the road since before the start of this decade.
Kansas might (will) go the entire Obama administration without a Big 12 road win. Last one came exactly one month before the 2008 election.
— Matt Smith (@MattSmithCFB) September 30, 2016
Texas Tech racked up 621 yards of offense on the evening; Kansas had just 296. There’s a plethora of stats that can be used to show how KU was dominated in this matchup. That cannot be the Jayhawks’ collective focus, however. Their upcoming schedule is brutal, and with no off weeks remaining, KU can’t wallow in misery for long.
Losses to dominant offenses will happen. It happened to Kansas Thursday night, it will inevitably happen again this season. The key for Beaty’s team going forward is to show they are improving on a week-by-week basis. Otherwise, this will be nothing but another lost season for the Jayhawks.
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