View from the Cheap Seats-Texas Tech

[echeese]

View from the Cheap Seats-Texas Tech​

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Great Googly Moogly’s​

 

 

 

What a roller coaster ride.    It was a tale of two halves and a tale of two story lines.   We would ALWAYS take an ugly, though exciting win over a well-played loss.     TEXAS will move up in the National rankings as they now lead the BigXII.   Deserved?   No so fast my friends.   We can also say that this team has more in common with 2019 than many will want to admit.   Hey face it, it’s Lubbock, weird shit always happens in Lubbock.  More than a few TEXAS seasons have died in Lubbock.  1999, we win, we play for the BigXII title. . . but we lost when Major went down with injury.  2008, we play for the National Title if any one of a dozen plays break right for us.

 

So TEXAS won, which is awesome.   That it needed an amazing and improbable comeback to do it?   That the team could not put away another inferior opponent?    The defense cannot tackle well nor is it pressuring our opponent’s QB much, the offense could not establish a consistent running game and Sam was sacked twice facing a 3 man D front.   Sam had some poor throws but he also has pass catchers failing to catch balls.   Special teams was a complete mixed bag.  On the plus side, punt block for a TD, Dicker the Kicker was money and several nice KO returns.   On the not so plus side, a punt block and a muffed punt into the endzone for an easy TT TD.   TEXAS would record 3 INTs, in the end each proved critical which is offset by some really poor tackling.

 

TEXAS badly lost the half time adjustment battle.    TT came out and took advantage of what TEXAS was doing.  After only punting twice in the 1st half, TEXAS would punt 4 times in the 3rd while giving up 34 points. . . in the 2nd half alone..    TEXAS offense went plain jane while TT flipped a 10 point deficit to  a 15 point lead.

 

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2 weeks in a row, 2 announcers that are simply hard to put up with.    Spenser Tillman trying to create drama announced in the 4th “the season is on the line for TEXAS”.     WHAT????     Even had TEXAS lost, win out and we are ASSURED of one seat in the BigXII title game.   Now the Cheap Seats are glad we did not burn our mulligan but sorry, season was not “on the line”

 

The game took almost 4 and a half hours to play, it featured some amazing plays as well some plays that you only expect to see in a pee wee game.   TEXAS would take a 10 point lead 3 times in the 1st half but the pesky Raiders simply would not go away.   Instead of getting a stop and a drive to grow the lead to 3 scores, TT would put together a drive and hang around through the 1st 3 quarters.    Then at the end of the 3rd, Tech would capitalize on TEXAS’ off a Sam Ehlinger INT, punch it in from the 10 and take a 42-38 lead to start the 4th quarter.     LET THE MAYHEM BEGIN.    And what a wild 4th quarter it would be.

 

4th quarter/OT

 

After TT had cut the lead to 38-35, Sam throws a pick, which TT converted to a TD on the last play of the 3rd quarter to take their 1st lead of the day.

 

38-42 TT

 

 TEXAS responds with a Dicker the Kicker 26 yard FG to cut the score

 

 42-41

 

D bows up and stops TT 3 and out.  

 

TEXAS goes backwards 21 yards off a holding penalty, run stuff and sack then a short punt, the ugliest drive of the day

 

TT starts at midfield and carves up the TEXAS D to take a 49-41 lead

 

49-41   TT

 

TEXAS’ drive is snuffed out thanks to a personal foul penalty, punt

 

TT drive starts at their 22, time for a stop and a score.    Well we got half of that.  A complete breakdown in tackling (which frankly was not good all day) sees TT score on a 75 yard run.    How do you score on a 75 yard run??????

 

56-41   Tech with 3:31 to go.    All hope appears lost

 

TEXAS  Takes KO return out to our 41 then an excellent 34 second drive makes the score

 

48-56  TT

 

8 points down 2:30 or so on the clock but D has already burned 2 TOs.   No Sweat for Dicker the kicker as he executes a great on side kick (assist from the TT player who alligator arms the ball) and a Malcom Epps recovery.   

 

Sam takes over and using other his arm and legs, get TEXAS to the 5 before penalties move it back to the 18.  No problem, Sam to #1 WR Joshua Moore for his 2nd TD of the game.

 

56-54 TT

 

The all important 2 point conversion.   Excellent scheme to over load the right side and isolate Brennan Eagles 1 on 1.   Very nice, simple get’tem leaning left, inside post right.   Tie game

 

56-56

 

OT, TEXAS goes 1st, Sam to Josh Moore for his 3rd TD of the game.

 

63-56

 

The pressure was clearly getting to TT QB Bowman (karma???  See below) and TEXAS’ D blanket’s the TT pass catchers, TT goes -4 yards rushing before an INT seals an improbable win.  We’ll TAKE IT.

 

63-56 FINAL

 

39 points scored by both teams in the 4th quarter.   

 

Offensive player of the game

 

Co Players, Sam for his arm (5 TDs) and legs (saved several drives) and Josh Moore for his 3 TD performance including the game winner day.    He climbed the ladder on his 1st for an amazing reception.

 

Defensive player of the game

 

Considering the tackling and giving up 56 points, we debated not awarding this but Chris Amidora was a bright spot with a 72 yard INT return, 5 tackles and 2 pass breakups.  We will add the Cheap Seats picked him as our “under rated” defensive player of the year.

 

Karma

 

Son, sometimes it’s best not to tempt fate cuz she will bite you in the ass when you get cocky.  Though up by 15 with 3 minutes to go. . . . . .perhaps just getting your guns up might have been a better idea.View attachment 2755conference

 

 

 

 

Running back rotation

 

Before the game, one of the “hot sports takes” was fan boys claiming Roshon would be TEXAS most effective runner.     We always hate when fans jump on a player’s bandwagon based on a great story instead of on field performance.    Time to recognize the fact that Ingrham is and has been the most effective runner, Bjion is the future and Roshon has a clear role.     We will need them all by year end but what we need is a more effective running game.    Against a 2nd tier opponent, TEXAS could not extend drives with the running game and impose it’s will.    Sam lead the team in carries and that is NOT a good sign.

 

Stats that matter

 

3   Number of 10 point leads TEXAS reached but could not hold.

 

5-16   TEXAS on 3rd down.   Not championship quality

 

7-7   Red Zone  6 TDs   Championship quality

 

14    TT points off TEXAS turnovers

 

Up Next

 Horny Frogs of TCU.    So far CTH is 1-2 vs Gary Patterson and yet to show he can outcoach him.   Lots to get fixed between now and then.   

 

 

Fighting Mack Brown’s

 Canceled with Boston College on deck

 

 

Ranking the BigXII

 #1  TEXAS     A shaky #1 at best

  #2  KSU    They are a well coached football team and Chris Klienman is 2-0 vs OU

  #3  OSU    2-0 with a less than impressive win over WVU

  #4  OU    Don’t expect them to be this low for long, Rattler can be rattled

 Next 5 in about any order, next two weeks should show some separation.

 #5   Baylor

 #6  TCU

 #7  WVU

 #8  ISU

 #9  TT

 

Dragging the bottom

 #10  Kansas

 

 Too Early Playoff projections

 

#1  Bama

 

#2   Clemson

 

#3  tOSU   yes it sucks but they easily sweep the B1G

 

#4  TEXAS    on the strength of winning the conference with 1 loss

. 

 

[joeywa]

Very disappointed that this team was so ill-prepared in basic fundamentals coming off of a bye week. Tackling, blocking and special teams were, as mentioned, a disaster. Hopefully this was an eye-opener for both the coaching staff and the players. There are no “gimmies” in this shortened schedule.  It doesn’t matter who took who down to the wire the previous game. 

 

[echeese]

Very disappointed that this team was so ill-prepared in basic fundamentals coming off of a bye week. Tackling, blocking and special teams were, as mentioned, a disaster. Hopefully this was an eye-opener for both the coaching staff and the players. There are no “gimmies” in this shortened schedule.  It doesn’t matter who took who down to the wire the previous game. 

This seems to be CTH's pattern.   where as the elite coaches come off a bye week ready to go, as with OSU last year, we see Tom Troops not ready to go.    This defense will not stand up if it does not improve quickly.

 

[oldhorn2]

reminds of the many times CS teams would come out of a time out and get a delay of game call.

I am not happy with either. Why in hell did we not even consider Matt Rhule? I doubt he would have left us for the NFL.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

There's a toughness factor that's missing with TFH coached teams, both mentally and physically.

That Tech squad is mediocre at best. Why do we consistently play down to our competition? Both defense and special teams were embarrassing. Be prepared to lose games we shouldn't somewhere this season; TCU, Iowa St, WVU, whatever.

 

[DBut82]

Am I the only one not impressed with the rb rotation?  It almost seems as if they purposely do not allow any of the running backs to get into any sort of rhythm.  Idk, I guess I'd like to see them stick with one guy for more than half a series...

 

[Johnstark23]

Nice summation Cheese. 

 

[echeese]

Nice summation Cheese. 

Thank you sir

Am I the only one not impressed with the rb rotation?  It almost seems as if they purposely do not allow any of the running backs to get into any sort of rhythm.  Idk, I guess I'd like to see them stick with one guy for more than half a series...

Yep

reminds of the many times CS teams would come out of a time out and get a delay of game call.

I am not happy with either. Why in hell did we not even consider Matt Rhule? I doubt he would have left us for the NFL.

I suspect Rhule had his eye on the NFL.   

 

[primal defense]

Am I the only one not impressed with the rb rotation?  It almost seems as if they purposely do not allow any of the running backs to get into any sort of rhythm.  Idk, I guess I'd like to see them stick with one guy for more than half a series...

That may or may not be helpful. The problem is the blocking of our offensive line.