2022 Texas Tech Post Mortem: Offense
If I told you before the game that the Texas offense averaged 7.1 yards per play while Texas Tech averaged 4.8 yards per play and asked you to guess the score, you would probably have predicted a three touchdown Longhorn win. Or at least a double digit separation. Unfortunately, that’s not how it played out. The Red Raiders ran 40 more plays from scrimmage, owned 4th down a half dozen times, and that queered the results substantially.
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This Texas offensive post mortem will be relatively short and sweet, unlike so many of Tech’s offensive possessions. Steve Sarkisian and Texas sliced up Texas Tech in the first half, with the Horns scoring on 4 of 5 first half possessions. Early on, it looked like this:
Full house wheel route TD. Tech is lost. Note the Sanders hustle.
And this:
Distraction in the flat with Whittington, crossers deep. Assignment killer.
The only possession Texas didn’t score on in the 1st half was an ill-advised deep ball interception to a safety standing over the top. As against UTSA, the main thing holding back the Texas offense in the opening half was the Longhorn defense’s inability to get it more possessions. Texas Tech’s corners couldn’t run with Xavier Worthy and in addition to the easy 39 yard touchdown toss to him running crossers, that fact created a lot of space elsewhere, which is why Whittington and the Texas running backs excelled early and often.
Then Worthy went out.
There was a good offseason debate about who our most valuable non-QB skill player is. I said Worthy. Others said Bijan. It’s Worthy. Heck, it may be Neyor. In the second half, Tech dared Texas to beat them deep or find separation and Texas could not. It was a steady dose of single high and press coverage with blitzing linebackers and the Tech front coming hard. The field got small for the Longhorn offense. When it had seemed so big just a few plays earlier.
Could Sark could have done more to manufacture the passing and running game? Probably.
Was the repetitive RoCat lead power the best use of that formation against a hard charging front? Probably not.
Would Sark like to have back the 2nd half possession coming out of the end zone after the Texas defense made a rare 4th down stop? I think so.
Did Texas mismanage time outs at end of game, despite the assurances of one Rod Gilmore? In my estimation, yes.
That’s all worth discussion. But Texas dominated Tech offensively in the 1st half and then floundered in the second half when Worthy left the game. I understand the weak Texas second half narrative must be served and there are some areas where I still find it valid, but Worthy’s departure was a game-changing event. The only effective drive Texas had in its last four possessions was when Tech mistakenly called off the dogs by playing prevent with baby powder soft coverage that allowed the Card to Milton completion and eventually the Auburn game tying field goal.
QB
Hudson Card played his best opening stanza as a Longhorn, going 13 of 18 for 205 yards and two passing touchdowns in the game’s first 30 minutes. He was hitting designed layups and open guys on many of his drop backs, but he climbed the ladder, moved subtly in the pocket to buy time (see the drop off pass to Roschon that went for 20+) and then carried it over to the early 3rd quarter with a beautiful throw to Casey Cain on 3rd and long followed by a decisive 3rd down conversion run later in that drive. It was Card at his best. When the field got smaller with Worthy’s departure and Sark didn’t find ways to manufacture some workable throws using the running backs and tight end, Card was not able to throw guy’s open or show the feel-based ball placement needed on single coverage slot fades or the go routes which Tech was daring Texas to connect on. Overall, Card was 20 of 30 for 277 yards and certainly played well enough to win.
RB
A fantastic start to the game as Texas exploited Tech’s lack of speed at linebacker with both Robinsons and Roschon getting big gains and a touchdown in the passing game. As a runner, Bijan had 16 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns, but if you remove his 40 yard run, the Longhorn run game was inconsistent and Robinson certainly turned a couple of plays blocked for -3 yard into 3-8 yard gains. As for his fumble, that’s a football play. Great hit right on the ball. It just came at a terrible time. If I have a critique for #5, it’s that he squatted in the hole looking for a cut a couple of times instead of putting his pads down and taking a hard 4 yards and maybe running through someone.
Roschon played hard as usual. Not effective as a runner, particularly in RoCat: 9 carries, 15 yards. Not his fault really. Lack of push and outnumbered. You’d like to see Texas option that or allow him to throw a pop pass to Sanders. Keilan had an easy rumblin’ stumblin’ touchdown in the passing game where it looked like the turf monster might get him, but he delivered it to pay dirt. In total, the running backs had 80 yards on 4 catches. Might Texas have tried to be a little more persistent reviving them as pass catchers when Worthy departed? We’ll never know.
OL
A very mixed performance overall. They gave up too much interior pressure and Jaylon Hutchings worked over Majors (with Conner late) and then Cole Hutson with big pressures and hits on Card on key downs in the second half. They also struggled for consistency running outside zone and they’re not strong and physical enough to maul a defense without some help from bells and whistles. Their best run blocking play was the short side counter play touchdown by Bijan and they seem to excel better at man blocking than trying to exchange defenders in zone. Note Jake Majors pulling from center and getting a terrific block in space while JT Sanders seals the edge.
Currently, Texas doesn’t have a lot of options in its running game, which is to be expected with two true freshman starting.
Christian Jones played pretty well for long stretches but had some lapses, most notably giving up a bad pressure inside that drew a hold when a blitzing linebacker ran right past his inside shoulder from distance.
These guys just aren’t strong enough across the board to displace defenders firing straight out unless they can get more possessions and run more plays to wear down defenders late in drives or the game itself. They need help with a fully functioning offense around them that creates doubt and favorable angles.
WR/TE
Whittington was very good early but struggled to get separation as the emergency deep threat. 4 catches, 56 yards, good blocking. Worthy made Tech pay for man coverage running a crosser route with a 39 yard touchdown and looked poised for a big day before his injury. Had a contested drop on a go route where he clearly expected the ball inside. Casey Cain had a couple of nice grabs, but possibly didn’t play defense enthusiastically enough on the sideline route that Card hung up to the safety. Agiye Hall got his first action and caught a short ball and drew a pass interference. He will be integrated more if he can demonstrate understanding of the playbook. Beautiful catch by Milton on the final regulation Longhorn drive. He has lost speed from his prime at Iowa State. Good pass catching game from Sanders (5-40) and he showed up in a lot of hustle plays all game.
Final
The Texas offense dominated their few possessions and then fell off a cliff after they lost Worthy. This highlights the importance of Worthy, but also the importance of finding some other options in the game plan when Worthy isn’t there to open up the field. Easier typed than done, but that’s why the Texas offensive staff makes the big bucks.
