Texas Tech’s Eric Monroe sits in shock after the Red Raiders fell in stunning fashion to Kansas State at Jones AT&T Stadium on Saturday. [John E. Moore III/Getty Images]
1. Is this the worst loss in the Matt Wells era?
Kansas State entered Saturday 3-3 overall, 0-3 in the Big 12 and trailing twice by 14 in the first half going down early 14-0 and then 24-10 at halftime.
Kansas State proceeded to out score Tech 15-0 in the second half, in essence the winning points on a safety after a punt pinned Tech deep.
Third-year Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells was frustrated in the press conference following saying “we went cold in the second half.”
True that.
The thing about this loss is it’s against a very average Kansas State team with a legit running back in Deuce Vaughn and a moxie quarterback in Skylar Thompson.
But that’s it. This isn’t a top 20 team or a top tier team.
Wells has had some tough losses in his tenure at Tech, like the debacle against Texas last year.
But the rumblings are real.
Walking in the crowd after the game I overheard one fan say to his friends, “The solution is simple. Fire Wells.”
Wells was asked in the postgame presser that the Tech program has struggled the last 11 years and does it feel like a ‘here we go again’ after the loss to K-State.
Wells said he had nothing to do with those “other eight years” and his players were “hurting” in that locker room. “They still are fighting,” Wells said.
If Wells doesn’t get this team bowl eligible, let’s get real.
Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt will have a lot of explaining to do.
2. Local flavor
The Texas Panhandle is represented by four schools and five players on the Texas Tech roster.
The veteran of the group is senior wide receiver Dalton Rigdon who was in the rotation Saturday at Tech’s H position with McLane Mannix and Myles Price.
Rigdon broke open the two targets to him – ne in the end zone – but Tech quarterback Henry Colombi was off target on both.
Also suited up Saturday from the Panhandle but I didn’t see them get in were: defensive back Louis Ortiz, freshman, Dumas; defensive back Joseph Plunk, redshirt freshman, Tascosa; defensive back Joe Shaw, freshman, Canyon; defensive end L.B. Moore, freshman, Tascosa.
3. Where have all the passing yards gone?
Look it, this isn’t an official stat but you have to admit 148 yards passing by a Texas Tech team used to be an after thought. You know, maybe a strong first quarter.
Saturday, Tech quarterback Henry Columbi completed 10-of-17 passes for 148 yards and one interception.
When you consider one of Columbi’s passes was for 48 yards to Travis Koontz, that’s just not a college passing attack.
4. Bowl bound?
Texas Tech departed that awful loss to Kansas State Saturday still a win away from bowl eligible at 5-3.
The Red Raiders have not been to a bowl since 2017, the current streak is the longest Tech has gone without a bowl since missing the postseason in 1990-92.
Getting that sixth win doesn’t look like a guarantee with the remaining games against what I consider the top four teams in the Big 12: at Oklahoma (Oct. 30), Iowa State at home (Nov. 13), Oklahoma State at home (Nov. 20), and Baylor on the road (Nov. 27).
5. This-n-that
When Tech wide receiver Eric Ezukanma scored on 45-yard jet sweep 30 seconds into the game it marked the 299thconsecutive game Tech has score in. That number ranks eighth nationally and started in 1997. Florida ranks No. 1 at 416. … Amarillo native and Palo Duro High graduate Lo van Pham was the side judge in this game. … Texas Tech returns to action next week at Oklahoma in a 2:30 p.m. game scheduled to be televised on ABC. … Official attendance for tickets sold was announced at 52,874. These eyes saw about 30,000 in actual attendance.