Letdown at Lubbock

Well, folks, back to current events/pop culture/sports/whatever pops into my head. This day was a sad day in Longhorn football. The University of Texas faced Texas Tech in Lubbock for what was supposed to be a vitrual shootout between two undefeated Lone Star teams. Two of the best quarterbacks in college ball faced off- Graham Harrell and Colt Mccoy. Both men are prime candidates for the Heisman and accomplished atheletes in their own rights. All eyes were on them as the game kicked off at 7pm.
No one could have predicted the following first quarter as Texas Tech was the first on the scoreboard. Touchdown? Field goal maybe? No. Of all the ways to score, it was a rookie mistake by the offensive coordinator who called for a running play from the end zone that allowed Tech to take the early lead (not to mention the more important momentum) of two points. The game would follow in a strange, and for UT, sluggish fashion. Colt was 7 for 15 in the first quarter which most likely baffled coaches, fans and analysts alike as he was at an 81.8 percent pass completion before the start. UT couldn't really find a rhythm. Unfortunately for them, Texas Tech was at home with momentum and boy could you tell! They were hitting pass after pass, and running as though the Horns weren't even there.
One of the big problems (among many) for the Longhorns was their ailing secondary. Graham Harrell didn't need to thread needles to his wide receivers because there were several gaping holes in UT secondary defense that NINE Tech receivers seemed to find and exploit without fail. Texas Tech ran the score up to 18-0 before the Longhorns could capitalize on a turnover in Raider territory for a field goal. Sadly, that wasn't even until the second quarter.
Another problem for the Longhorns, and more specifically Mccoy, was the breakdown of their offensive line. Colt Mccoy had very little time to hit any of his open men (of which there were few) because the Raiders plowed through the Texas line with ease. At one point Mccoy was nailed by two big linesmen and was thoroughly checked on the sideline. On the plays that the line did hold for Mccoy, he held the ball far too long and his scrambles, for which he is known to pick up serious yardage, were highly unsuccessful.
Injuries also plagued the Texas team and took out two star players fairly early in play. One of their best defensive ends- Brian Orakpo- went down early and never returned while clutch receiver Quan Cosby was out most of the game. Usual go-to guy for Mccoy, Shipley couldn't seem to catch much of anything until the second half. On top of all that the entire rushing game for the Longhorns amounted to a pathetic 80 yards for the night.
It wasn't until the fourth quarter that glimpses of the real UT football team started to shine through. Texas had managed (with the help of a few miraculous plays) to hang somewhat close to the Raiders with a score of 29-19. Mccoy managed a long pass to Shipley for a touchdown early in the fourth, giving Horns fans reason to hope. The defense stepped it up and held the Red Raiders to a field goal and for Colt Mccoy, the game was once again manageable. Six points down with under six minutes to play, UT was ready to win it. Mccoy and the Longhorn offense burned over four minutes in a drive that ended in a touchdown, giving the Longhorns their first lead of the night. With a minute and change to play, Tech returned the punt and landed at their 38 yard line. Harrell completed five passes in a row and the game was looking bleak. The nail in the coffin came when Harrell completed a pass to All-Amrican receiver Michael Crabtree who danced his way to a touchdown, leaving one second on the clock.

Needless to say, there was no miraculous kick-off return for Texas as they fell for the first time this season to number six ranked Texas Tech. There are rumors flying as to where each team will land in the standings now, but all will have to wait and see. No matter where they land, there is still plenty of time for ground to be regained or lost. Here's to hoping for a comeback.