Opposing View: KU vs Texas Tech
To get a closer view at tonight's game we spoke with Will McKay from Red Raider Sports.com for a look from the Texas Tech side.
On Monday Kliff Kingsbury and the players talked about playing Kansas last year in a fairly close 30-20 game. Kingsbury said they were out-coached and Mahomes said the Jayhawks were more physical. Although Texas Tech is a big favorite is there any chance they take Kansas lightly?
After what happened last year, not a chance. That was the worst game the Red Raider offense played all of 2015, and it was a wake up call of sorts then for the unit. I think Kliff and this staff have hammered home all week what happened last year, and it should mean a lot to many of the players on offense, seeing as roughly a dozen of the players who will either start or contribute on offense on Thursday night were a part of that game in Lawrence last year.
Tech won't be sleepwalking into the contest if what we've heard over the last week and a half rings true.
Has the Texas Tech offense changed much from last year and who are the key play-makers?
Schematically, the offense is essentially exactly the same as it was last year, and QB Pat Mahomes is still the player at the helm. And believe it or not, this Tech offense looks to be even better than the one a year ago because of Mahomes' continued growth as a signal caller and a developed, fleshed out receiving corps that many would tell you is the best as a whole that the Red Raiders have had in arguably a decade.
Unlike last year where slot receiver Jakeem Grant and tailback DeAndre Washington were the primary focus of the offense, the production for this unit is spread out across the group, and it's made it a more deadly unit as a result.
There are a few key playmakers, starting obviously with Mahomes at QB. He's pretty inarguably the best signal caller in the conference, and he's been arguably the second best QB in the country behind only Lamar Jackson at Louisville so far this year. He's just so incredibly dynamic because of his unworldly arm strength and escapability when it comes to scrambing and feeling pressure in the pocket.
The top pass catcher this year has been slot receiver Jonathan Giles, who has exploded onto the scene this season after being a reserve last year. He has incredibly strong hands, runs like a deer, and is great at getting open due to great route running.
Those are the top two playmakers for this offense, and the other guys worth mentioning are big outside receiver Derrick Willies, slot receiver Cam Batson, outside receiver Dylan Cantrell, and tailbacks Justin Stockton and DeMarcus Felton. They all can and have made big plays already this year for this offense.
The defense has been giving up points early on. What is the fan bases reaction to David Gibbs at defensive coordinator who is a former Kansas coach?
Obviously, fans haven't been thrilled with the way the defense has hemorrhaged points so far this season. They've played way too much unsound football by missing tackles, busting pass coverages, and popping gaps in the run game so far. It's just been way too sloppy, and much of that sloppy play has come after momentum swings in games late in the first half or early in the second half after the defense gives up a big play or series and doesn't handle the adversity well.
Gibbs just has to find ways to get enough stops to give this Tech offense a chance to get separation, and that's going to be the goal for the rest of the year. If they can get turnovers like they want Gibbs to and simply clean up some of the sloppy play, the unit will improve enough.
Now as for the future, I think Red Raider fans are just ready to see defense that isn't historically terrible, which it has been in Lubbock for almost half a decade. The hope is that's on the way as Gibbs continues to add an influx of young players and transfers to the defense.
Has there been any key news like depth chart changes, players coming back from injury, players not healthy, etc.?
Left tackle Terence Steele missed most of the Louisiana Tech with an ankle injury, but he's set to be back playing this weekend. Starting corner D.J. Polite_Bray will be back this weekend as well after missing most of the La Tech game with a shoulder injury, too.
As for depth chart changes, I'll be curious to see what happens at running back. DeMarcus Felton had a breakout game against La Tech and looked fantastic running the ball, but starter Justin Stockton is as big a home run threat as you'll see from an offense in the conference. How Kingsbury decides to split the reps there moving forward, including against the Jayhawks, will be interesting.
How do you see this match-up and the game playing out?
It'll be interesting to see what changes, if any, these teams made during the bye week, as off week tweaking is a bit unpredictable at times. You just never know how your team is going to exactly react with their first game in two weeks.
That being said, if we don't get any Thursday night, post-bye week weirdness, I think the Red Raiders will win this one going away simply because I don't think the Jayhawks will be able to keep up offensively. Tech has scored at least 50 points at home in eight straight games, and until someone actually holds them under that, I'll keep expecting them to score at will in Jones Stadium.
For me, how much Texas Tech wins by will simply be up to the defense. The Jayhawks haven't scored 30 on the road in essentially half a decade. Can this Red Raider defensive unit hold them under that? It's worth wondering, as they obviously just haven't been any good.
If I have to give a score, I say that Texas Tech comes out on top in this one 56-24.