What Worked, And What Didn't, In Week Two For Texas Tech
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders continued rolling in week two, just as they did the week before to start the season. A dominant 62-14 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes has the hype in Lubbock at an all-time high.
Now, with one non-conference game remaining, welcoming the Oregon State Beavers to West Texas next weekend, they hope to continue this trend as they prepare for conference play, in search of their first Big 12 championship in program history.
For the Red Raiders in week two, though, everything worked for them, but how did it work, and what did they learn from it?
Success, Success, Success
The Red Raiders welcomed the Golden Flashers to Lubbock by opening the scoring with a 35-yard touchdown to Reggie Virgil. This helped the Offense find a rhythm for passing and running for the rest of the game, and the offense looked great as a team that was splitting the defense.
The offensive line played great as pass blocking for Behren Morton and run blocking for Cameron Dicky, opening holes so he could run right through that defense, even getting to the second level on some plays. The offense finished with 601 total yards, 371 passing, and 230 rushing, while also having a time of possession of just 14:31. This offense looked very comfortable in the hurry-up.
Behren Morton looked great after an injury scare for the Red Raiders. He threw for three touchdowns after coming off an injury in the game against Arkansas Pine Bluff, also threw for 258 yards, and was 18/36 until his backup, Will Hammond, came in. Coy Eakin led the team in completion yards with 59, and Virgil outshone Eakin, overlooked by how he was playing and finishing with two touchdowns and 59 yards.
Let’s not forget about the Red Raiders' Defense in this game, which the big man topped off with a pick-six by Skyler Gill-Howard. But all around, the defensive line was playing great, rushing, tackling, and blitzing. The defensive line had the pocket collapse very quickly in almost every play. The defense was doing a great job of creating turnovers by punching the ball out and tackling, while also holding the Kent State offense to only 229 total yards with only 10 first downs.
The Red Raiders just need to be ready for conference play to absolutely fulfill the expectations for the season and prove all the analysts who say the Red Raiders will not bring the Big 12 championship home because they have not played real competition yet wrong. These players need to keep all this confidence in conference play because it only takes one week to let that slip away, and Joey McGuire and his staff don't want that to happen.
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JD Andress is an accomplished sports writer and journalist with extensive experience covering a wide range of collegiate sports. JD has provided in-depth coverage of the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns. He looks forward to being part of the coverage of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. His experience spans various sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, rifle, equestrian, and others, reflecting his broad interest and commitment to sports journalism.