Texas Tech Film Review (2015)

[Ryan Bridges]

Apologies for the tardiness. The holiday and work (read: the desire to do anything other than rewatch this game) has slowed me down.

Let's start with the first big play of the game. I did you the favor of cutting it off at a point where we can all pretend Holton Hill came down with one of the easiest interceptions ever thrown.

This is a really terrible decision by Patrick Mahomes. Tech is trying to fake the bubble screen to the four-receiver side, but Hill is covering the deep third of the field and doesn't pay any attention to the fake (take notes, Duke). I really don't have much else to say except "Finish the damn play."

 

[Ryan Bridges]

Hill did have a mental lapse on this trick play.

First and foremost Hill needed to be looking for a route coming back his direction on this play, not rushing the passer or trying to set the edge. This was a pretty smart play to pick on Texas' freshman corner.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

Still trying to focus on the positives, Anthony Wheeler (circled) did a nice job disrupting the pulling guard on this QB Power play. He's the reason Dylan Haines is unblocked. And you have to like Breckyn Hager's effort to try to run the play down from the back side.

Haines made contact just past the line of scrimmage, but he wasn't strong enough or technical enough (he didn't wrap up) to make the stop.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

Chris Warren's 91-yard run made me jump out of my chair and start yelling obscenities. But context is always important, and Tech's defense is really bad. Need proof? Look at the tackle attempts.

There are seven "serious" attempts to bring Warren down by six different Tech players. All of them aimed at his shoulders. The bit at the end might have been the sequel to Mykkele Thompson vs. Trey Millard had Texas won this game.

I was extremely encouraged by what I saw from Warren. He'd been underwhelming in the lead-up to this run, and watching him here was like seeing a superhero discover his powers. But it was Tech — the tackling was poor, and later in the game there were some holes so wide you could drive a Chris Warren through them. We'll have a better idea of what sort of player he is this weekend against Baylor. Believe it or not, their run defense is really good.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

It's too bad we don't have an end zone view for this one. I think Texas is trying to pinch the D-line but Naashon Hughes doesn't get his head across into the B gap. You'll also notice that Paul Boyette gets pushed two yards off the line of scrimmage by the left guard.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

This was a really nice run, but check out the blocking. Everyone gets their jobs done, even Taylor Doyle and Sedrick Flowers. (Connor Williams ends up on his back, but you didn't see his man make the tackle, did you?) Counter continues to be one of Texas' most productive runs — probably the most productive, actually.

There's a burst on display here that I didn't think Warren had.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

This was another productive run play, especially late in the game. This play falls flat on its face without Caleb Bluiett and Alex De La Torre — look at the canyon created by their blocks. I also marked in the pre-play portion that holy crap Flowers cut off pursuit on the backside of a play.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

Here's a 9.8-second argument for why safety and defensive tackle are the two biggest positions of need for Texas.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

Pretty much the same run as in the previous Warren touchdown except Swoopes is the ballcarrier this time. De La Torre kicks ass on this play — he blocks 50% of the backside pursuit (well, technically 33%, but the other two defenders were out wide covering receivers).

Depending on the direction of the offense next year, replacing De La Torre is going to be a serious priority. I would imagine his is the role Demarco Boyd will fill at some point. It's easy to forget about those fullbacks and tight ends, but Texas' secretly good run game would not be where it is without DLT and Bluiett.

 

[DMAC]

There's a burst on display here that I didn't think Warren had.

He surprised us all.  He seemed slow and lethargic early in the game and last week.  As the game went and his confidence grew he found a couple of new gears.  

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Chris Warren's 91-yard run made me jump out of my chair and start yelling obscenities. But context is always important, and Tech's defense is really bad. Need proof? Look at the tackle attempts.

There are seven "serious" attempts to bring Warren down by six different Tech players. All of them aimed at his shoulders. The bit at the end might have been the sequel to Mykkele Thompson vs. Trey Millard had Texas won this game.

I was extremely encouraged by what I saw from Warren. He'd been underwhelming in the lead-up to this run, and watching him here was like seeing a superhero discover his powers. But it was Tech — the tackling was poor, and later in the game there were some holes so wide you could drive a Chris Warren through them. We'll have a better idea of what sort of player he is this weekend against Baylor. Believe it or not, their run defense is really good.

Saw a funny line about this play over on Barking Carnival.

Said Warren was touched by 7 Tech players on this play which is 7 more than his left guard touched.