Week 3 recap: at Texas Tech (2-0)

It was a tense week in Austin. The loss to Florida State on our own home turf set shockwaves through the program. The offenses inability to move the ball effectively had the boosters and fans alike raising hell on talk radio, blogs, and newspapers. We decided to bring up some new assistant coaches and install some option packages, as well as more looks from multiple formations.

Going on the road to our rival, Texas Tech, is a must win game considering the FSU game, dropping back to back games this early is a terrible way to start a BCS bowl bid try.


Our busses pull into Lubbock and we are surprised to find the rain storming down. Not your typical Texas Saturday.

The game gets started with Tech receiving the kick off. They move the ball to midfield before being forced to punt. Potts looks terrible early but is saved by a nifty screen pass and a nice draw play on third and long. I fair catch the punt and drive the ball down the field, mostly thanks to clutch completions on third and long. The run was getting stuffed early and Gilbert had to bail the offense out numerous times with accurate strikes down the middle to keep the chains moving. On the goaline, Gilbert scores the first points of the game with a 6 yard option keeper. 7-0 nothing Longhorns.

For almost entire rest of the half hardly any offense is generated. We trade punts until finally, with about 2 minutes left in the half, I get the ball and thanks to a sudden no huddle aggressive attack move the ball to their 20 yard line with a minute left in the half. We call a stretch play to sophomore speedster Monroe and he takes it to the house. 14-0 Longhorns.

Receive the second half kickoff, and on the second play of the series Gilbert fumbles an option pitch. Tech then proceeds to squander the glorious opportunity to get back in the game with fumbling the ball right back to us. We then trade punts and after a 29 yard pass to Kirkendoll we were set up in the opponents territory again. With four minutes left in the third quarter Monroe gets in the endzone for the second time in the game on an 8 yard toss play. Score 21-0 Texas.

Tech, for the enire third quarter and half of the fourth quarter, fails to move the ball effectively at all. A first down here and there, but no sustained drives. Potts was missing wide open receivers and GROSSLY overthrowing guys. His offense didn't stand a chance beause he wasn't putting the ball anywhere near the receivers. About a minute in to the fourth quarter, starting RB Foswhitt Whittacker breaks a 60 yard run that gets called back for holding. Needing a breather, Monroe comes in and on the very next play breaks a 70 yarder for his third TD of the game, effectively putting the game completely out of reach making the score 28-0. Tech again gets the ball and does nothing with it. With 5 minutes left in the fourth, the game sealed and conservative tempo/big run on ready to chew clock, third and fourth string RBs Newton and Johnson (mostly due to a big run from Johnson) combine for all the yards on a 64 yard scoring drive, capped off by a TD run by Newton, to make the game 35-0. Apparently Tech really didn't want to get shut out, and finally, for the first time all game, come out with a sense of urgency, running the spread no huddle with great efficiency and finally, on a 7 yard QB draw from Potts, breaks up Texas' shutout bid and gets on the board with less than a minute left. Final score 35 - 0

DJ Monroe finished the game with 17 carries, 182 yards, and 3 tds. Whittacker finished with 22 carries, 102 yards. Johnson and Newton combined for 55 yards and a score. Monroe, upset over his lack of carries in game 2 and the 60-40 split in game one, wanted to make the case loud and clear to the coaching staff that he needs more touches. Whittacker remains the starter for now, but Monroe isn't going to be treated like Jamaal Charles in Kansas City, we are gonna give he stud the rock (im a jaded Charles fantasy owner).

Texas' offense put up over 520 yards of offense and held Tech to less than 220 yards of offense. The defense played solidly again and is a reliable group of athletes. Gilbert was a steady 12 of 15 for 207 yards. Potts only managed 147 yards, on 14 completions and 27 attempts. Techs running game was held to under 58 yards and texas combined for 54 carries and around 330 rushing yards, 6.2 yards per carry.

We get to rest up next week with a bye and hopefully gain some ground in the recruiting wars.