10 Things: Oklahoma 52, Texas Tech 21

1. Game Links:

2. Silver Lining? Rob Breaux tweeted after the game that the final score of 52-21 was the closest score between these two teams since 2018, which speaks to the uneven nature of these two teams for the last year of the Kingsbury and all of the Wells era. That sort of speaks to the idea that Texas Tech hasn’t been able to keep things close for four year running and that Kirby Hocutt was right to dismiss Matt Wells. Getting boat-raced for at least three games this year (Texas, TCU, and now Oklahoma) is not an indication that this team is headed in the right direction. I would wholeheartedly acknowledge that this loss really can’t be pinned on Wells, but I don’t think that with him at the helm things would have been that much closer.

3. Disaster of a Pass Defense. There’s definitely part of me that is watching these games thinking that I’m excited that Texas Tech sort of gets this fresh start in hopefully a couple of months. Whatever that may be and that’s especially true in the secondary. The biggest difference in a basketball vs football rebuild is that the rebuild doesn’t happen overnight most of the time. and that’s what’s so odd about the Matt Wells era is that 3 years is usually not enough time to make an assessment, but for me I was definitely in the camp to think that it was more than enough time last week.

Texas Tech is 106th in yards per attempt allowed after yesterday’s game (Oklahoma is 105th and SMU is 115th) allowing 8.2 yards per attempt. Again, I won’t criticize the players, Oklahoma receivers were just so wide open that you sort of hope that there’s some sort of miscommunication in the zone defense. So many just wide open spots with players not really close. I’d like to see what a coaching change can do here.

4. Donovan Smith Era. Maybe. I sort of don’t know what happens here on on. I do think that Henry Colombi absolutely gave it his all. I sincerely believe that Colombi absolutely maxed out his ability, but I also think that this is sort of it with him. This is who he is and my thought is that there’s not really a huge variance as to the upside and downside. This is it. He’s a shorter quarterback and will be prone to having passes batted down, which teams have figured out, and then he’s not going to really make a ton of mistakes either. He’s solid, but not spectacular, but this is it.

With Smith, you sort of get an idea as to what he could be and there’s part of me that thinks that the coaching staff should play him more with a mix of Behren Morton. With Donovan and his father being the running backs coach, he’ll likely follow his father or forge his own path because he’s got a year to transfer without sitting out. He’s a Division I athlete and with some additional playing time, he’ll be good. But I also tend to think that Smith’s odds of staying aren’t great. Not that I know anything, but that would seem likely unless he just happens to create a special relationship with whoever the new coach will be. With Behren Morton, I tend to think that he’s going to be here regardless and part of me thinks that he chose Texas Tech regardless as to who was the head coach. I think that Morton can play 3 additional games without utilizing a year and would still be a freshman next year. I think I’d like to see some Morton too even though it may not be pretty. And I also get that Cumbie is trying to win games and he’s not trying to appease any sort of audition that fans might want so this is likely wishful thinking.

5. More of E-Z. I wish we could have seen that version of Erik Ezukanma all year because he’s just unstoppable. I have a feeling that he’s going to look great for some NFL team next year. He’s ready. Physically, he’s got the goods to be incredibly good, so strong, and just has put it together. I really wish him nothing but the best, he’s been so tough and strong this year.

6. Ready to Move on From Special Teams. Except for Austin McNamara, I’m ready to move on from Mark Tommerdahl and all things special teams. Special teams have been a disaster for more years than not and I am struggling to figure out a time when special teams other than a field goal has turned a game for Texas Tech (again, not including a field goal to win a game)? I honestly can’t remember when a return or coverage unit changed the scope of a game. I’m ready for this to be something that is more than just running 11 guys out there to do something that doesn’t change anything.

7. Nit-Picks and Pick-Me-Ups.

Oklahoma averaged 9.8 yards per play. Per. Play.
Texas Tech averaged 5.7.
Texas Tech was 4 of 13 on 3rd downs, while Oklahoma only had 4 3rd downs the entire game and converted 3 of them. Oklahoma was advancing the ball so much that they didn’t need 3rd downs and didn’t need a 4th down attempt in any circumstance.
Three turnovers is usually a death knell for a game, but even more so when you do so with all of them on Texas Tech’s side of the field.
Oklahoma averaged 13.4 yards per attempt passing the ball. The pass defense isn’t just the secondary, but just sort of everything.

8. Thinking Independently. Dusty Dvoracek did the color for the game and he largely parroted what Joel Klatt said about firing Matt Wells, which is that Texas Tech shouldn’t have done it because he was close to winning a game. I think that Dvoracek should try to think independently rather than simply copying what someone else thinks, but that may be expecting too much. Independent thought his good. Regardless, and I’ll get more into this with a bye week in front of us, but there is no world where either Joel Klatt or Dusty Dvoracek would accept 7 and 16 in conference play and think that we’re taking this thing to the moon. If they say that they do, then they are lying. Just outright lying to either be contrarian or dismissive.

9. No Pressure. Previously, there was a ton of pressure for me watching these games. That pressure is sort of gone for me. I’ve sort of preached that I’ve got another year, maybe, doing this whole blogging thing and doing one more year with a coaching search, getting to know the new coaches, different recruiting, and a new coaching staff seems appropriate. I don’t know why I’d put pressure on myself, but I think that I just want Texas Tech to succeed that much. I’m ready for a new era.

10. Players of the Game

Tortilla Tossin’ Player of the Game: Pretty easy for me, Erik Ezukanma is the best player on the team. Hands down.

Swiss Army Do-It-All Defender of the Game: Kind of tough to pick a defender in this instance and will go with the one guy that got a sack, Tyree Wilson. That’s at least something.

Player Finding His Way: Myles Price is catching everything thrown his way, 6 of 6 on targets and receptions and I also loved the J.J. Sparkman touchdown.

Road Grader of the Game: Eh. Not going to go here when it’s 3.2 yards an attempt. Just gonna let this be.

Eraser of the Game: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had 8 tackles, but when a cornerback has 8 tackles, along with DaMarcus Fields who also had 8 and Eric Monroe had 7, means that the ball is in the secondary way too much.