Yes, it was only one Red Raider loss. But, it was much more than that.
70 Points.
Ten touchdowns.
Zero Longhorn punts.
The Red Raider loss at the hands of the Texas Longhorns was ugly any way you look at it. So what exactly went wrong for Texas Tech to result in a 70-35 defeat?
No Answer For Bijan Robinson
It was no secret Texas Tech needed to limit Bijan Robinson. Even if he was going to touch the ball a lot, he had to be kept from breaking big plays. Texas Tech couldn’t get past the opening drive without Robinson putting his mark on this game. On 4th down, Texas threw a swing pass to Robinson and after making two defenders tackle air, scampered 38 yards down the field for the game’s opening score. When it was all said and done, Robinson would touch the ball 20 times for 191 total yards and one touchdown. Texas would continue to spread the ball around and finish with a total of 639 yards of offense.
Red Raider Defense Exposed
Texas Tech came into this game with a highly-ranked rushing defense. But, the Texas offensive line consistently reset the line of scrimmage all game. A total of seven Longhorn players had rushing attempts. Even removing Robinson’s efforts (137 rushing yards), they still rushed for 199 yards. The pass rush was non-existent. Texas Tech only registered one sack in the game and was never even able to make Texas quarterback Casey Thompson look uncomfortable. Even with additional rushers, Thompson often looked like he was throwing from pocket one would find in a seven-on-seven game.
Shough Injured
The offense played behind the eight-ball all game. After all, Texas scored touchdowns on their first five possessions. Early on though, it did appear the offense was up for the challenge. Down 14-0, and aided by a defensive penalty that took a blocked punt touchdown off the board, Tyler Shough and the offense marched down the field to make it 14-7. On Shough’s dive into the endzone, he landed hard on his shoulder and could be seen clutching it. The very next drive, Shough floated a throw across the field which was intercepted, and run back for a touchdown. That would be how his day ended. After the game, Head Coach Matt Wells announced Shough’s shoulder injury would keep him out a few weeks.
Henry Colombi performed admirably under the circumstances. Despite his efforts of 324 yards passing and three touchdowns, this Red Raider loss felt all but guaranteed before Colombi even came into the game. This isn’t the first time Colombi has had to come in due to an injury during his career at Texas Tech. With West Virginia, TCU, and Kansas in the next 3 weeks, the offense should remain stable. Texas Tech was still able to generate 520 yards of offense against Texas and maybe without two interceptions, the final score margin might be even smaller.
What Does This Red Raider Loss Mean For The Season?
Texas has not scored this many points in a Big 12 game since the 2005 Big 12 championship game. There is no getting around the fact that it was an ugly loss. However, the Red Raiders need to remain focused. One bad game, no matter how bad, can be an isolated game if this veteran group can move on quickly. A road trip to West Virginia, which just held Oklahoma to 16 points, is less than an ideal spot for Texas Tech to get back off the mat. Another lackluster performance could make the calls for a new Red Raider football coach deafening.
