It was the same song, the eighth verse in Lubbock on Saturday night. Kansas State looked exactly like what we expect a good Kansas State team to look like. They were physical and controlled the game on the ground. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders had no answers again for the team from Manhattan, Kansas. The Texas Tech losing streak marches on as the Red Raiders fall by the score of 38-21.
Unexpected Duel Between Freshman Quarterbacks
Coming into the game, there were some rumblings that Kansas State quarterback Will Howard did not have a firm grip on the starting quarterback job. There were some calls from the local media for freshman Avery Johnson to make his debut. Chris Klieman had also made hints that Johnson was going to see the field soon. After tonight, it is hard to see Johnson leaving the field. He came in for Howard on Kansas State’s third drive of the game. It is worth noting that Howard has done plenty of running from the quarterback position. It should not have been a surprise to see Johnson relying on rushing the ball instead of throwing it. But Texas Tech never had an answer for him. Johnson finished the game with 12 rushing attempts for 91 yards and five touchdowns. Just as impressive was the zero in the turnover column for Johnson.
The Red Raiders never intended for Jake Strong to make his debut this evening. But after Behren Morton, who was already playing after Tyler Shough’s injury, never came out of the locker room at halftime. So for the second consecutive season, Texas Tech was playing with its third-string quarterback. And while Strong looked good in his very first drive, he very much looked the part of a true freshman the rest of the game. He finished the game 16-for-28 for 173 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. All of the interceptions were bad mistakes by the freshman. He actually “threw” two interceptions on one drive. The first of which was overturned on replay, but both of the throws on the drive Kansas State got their hands on were no better than an airdrop mission without a designated target.
Kansas State Never Had To Pass
Even before Howard was benched, the game plan was to force the Wildcats to beat the Red Raiders through the air. So it stands to reason that with a true freshman quarterback, this game plan would be even more apparent. And while the Wildcats did finish the game with 163 passing yards, they never were threatened to play from behind. Johnson only attempted nine passes in the game and completed eight of them.
The Red Raider defense, particularly in the second half, was put in some bad situations due to the turnovers by Strong. Tim DeRuyter’s defensive unit did finish with five TFLs and had one sack. The second quarter seemed like the defense made some quick adjustments. They held the Wildcats to only 39 yards rushing in the quarter and the offense got the game back to striking distance down 17-14 at halftime. But the senior-laden offensive line of the Wildcats just kept leaning on the Red Raider front. Combined with the lack of offense execution, the defense seemed to be playing deflated for most of the second half.
Texas Tech Losing Streak Puts Bowl Birth On Notice
It’s hard not to compare what the two offensive coordinators did with true freshman quarterbacks making their debuts. Kansas State offensive coordinator Collin Klein watched his quarterback become the first Big 12 play since…himself, to score five rushing touchdowns in one game. Meanwhile, Texas Tech coordinator Zach Kittley seemingly forgot what has been working the last few weeks. Tahj Brooks finished the game with only 17 carries for 98 yards and one touchdown.
In the second half specifically when Strong came in, Brooks only touched the ball nine times. For reasons unknown, Kittley seemed to think the Red Raiders were down by four touchdowns as they kept attempting passes over twenty yards. Strong, while he never stopped chucking it, also lacked real comfort on the field. Not only does the Texas Tech losing streak to the Wildcats climb to eight, they drop to 3-4 on the season. Bowl season now is in serious jeopardy. If we assume a loss to Texas to close out the season, it means the Red Raiders have to go 3-1 against BYU, TCU, Kansas, and UCF. It will be interesting to see how Joey McGuire’s “Brand” holds up for the rest of this season.
