--Neal Brown felt his team prepared well and had a chance to win a tough, emotional game. Special teams it was their best game overall. The penalty on the opening kickoff return was bad, an offsides on the kickoff and the blocked field goal at the end was a struggle. They returned a kickoff return for a touchdown and Winston Wright will be the kickoff return guy for the rest of the year. The coverage teams were good, especially the punt return group. The punt block team was as best as they’ve been all year. Defensively it was the best they had played from start to finish all year but they missed too many tackles and had opportunities to get off the field that set up the game-winning field goal. The defensive line was dominant, they had 8 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, and the goal line stand was huge. Offensively they got whipped up front and they continue to beat themselves. Defensively Jeffery Pooler and Dylan Tonkery played their best games and Darius Stills and Reese Donahue played well. Both Sean Mahone and Noah Guzman were good. Winston Wright and Josh Growden played well on special teams.
--Jack Allison and Ricky Johns have both entered the transfer portal.
Noah Guzman and Kennedy McKoy are questionable for this week. Quondarius Qualls had surgery today and is out for the year. Josh Chandler is questionable and will work to build up in the week. Evan Staley also is questionable. T.J. Simmons is doubtful for the game. Sean Ryan will be out this week but is getting real close. Chase Behrndt left the game and they will see how it progresses. Jovani Haskins should be back. Dreshun Miller is improving but won’t be back this week.
--Offensively Texas Tech plays with a lot of tempo and their coordinator there goes back to Missouri with Chase Daniels playing there. They have one of the top offensive lines in the conference and the running back Thompson is a tough runner. Their wide receiver T.J. Vasher is tall and has won a lot of one-on-one balls. Jet Duffey, the quarterback, gets the ball out quick and is a capable runner. All teams are remembered for how they finish and this is their chance. It’s a true blue game.
--Brown is hopeful McKoy is going to go but Tony Mathis will play and Leddie Brown needs to play better in that role.
--His team played well in the third quarter and it’s something that they focused on during the bye week with the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. They want to be better in those situations.
--Quarterbacks Jarret Doege and Trey Lowe will have an opportunity to see time in this game and they both are going to battle for the backup spot. Brown said he is looking at the position where they have to get better there. They will have some plans to use those other two guys if needed.
--West Virginia linebacker Dylan Tonkery did a good job timing up his rushes and is more comfortable with his role in the scheme.
--Improving the drops must be something addressed with repetition.
--On film, the Baylor player was clapping but Brown isn’t sure if he was doing that to simulate the snap. There were costly snaps on both that hurt. But if they made a routine play on the ensuing down on the first one they’d have chance to make a field goal. On the second one, nobody was able to get on the ball which led to the turnover.
--Brown has used quarterbacks on the punt team before at Troy and it allows them to stymie the punt block with the threat of fakes. He also can run and cover. It slows down the rush and forces them to be a little more conservative.
--The head coach enjoyed his time in Lubbock that was his first power five coordinating experience and it was a unique time in that program’s history with how Mike Leach left. Our middle child was born in Lubbock.
--West Virginia thought Evan Staley would be able to go up until pre-game warmups, but he couldn’t and Legg made 4 of 4 field goals. He didn’t kick in high school; he was a soccer player so it’s a unique situation.
--Brown said they’ve approached this whole season with the idea that they’re going to get better. They are preparing to win them but it’s important they show that improvement. That’s been the case all year they have to continue to show improvement and the best way is to focus at the task at hand and be their best. They have a lot of hope in the building and a reason to be excited but there is plenty to play for with the seniors and there is an opportunity to make post-season play. Even with their record there is a lot of reason to be excited.
--Brown said it probably happens with Stills saying he called his shot but it’s usually not reported.
--Jack Allison and Ricky Johns have both entered the transfer portal.
Noah Guzman and Kennedy McKoy are questionable for this week. Quondarius Qualls had surgery today and is out for the year. Josh Chandler is questionable and will work to build up in the week. Evan Staley also is questionable. T.J. Simmons is doubtful for the game. Sean Ryan will be out this week but is getting real close. Chase Behrndt left the game and they will see how it progresses. Jovani Haskins should be back. Dreshun Miller is improving but won’t be back this week.
--Offensively Texas Tech plays with a lot of tempo and their coordinator there goes back to Missouri with Chase Daniels playing there. They have one of the top offensive lines in the conference and the running back Thompson is a tough runner. Their wide receiver T.J. Vasher is tall and has won a lot of one-on-one balls. Jet Duffey, the quarterback, gets the ball out quick and is a capable runner. All teams are remembered for how they finish and this is their chance. It’s a true blue game.
--Brown is hopeful McKoy is going to go but Tony Mathis will play and Leddie Brown needs to play better in that role.
--His team played well in the third quarter and it’s something that they focused on during the bye week with the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. They want to be better in those situations.
--Quarterbacks Jarret Doege and Trey Lowe will have an opportunity to see time in this game and they both are going to battle for the backup spot. Brown said he is looking at the position where they have to get better there. They will have some plans to use those other two guys if needed.
--West Virginia linebacker Dylan Tonkery did a good job timing up his rushes and is more comfortable with his role in the scheme.
--Improving the drops must be something addressed with repetition.
--On film, the Baylor player was clapping but Brown isn’t sure if he was doing that to simulate the snap. There were costly snaps on both that hurt. But if they made a routine play on the ensuing down on the first one they’d have chance to make a field goal. On the second one, nobody was able to get on the ball which led to the turnover.
--Brown has used quarterbacks on the punt team before at Troy and it allows them to stymie the punt block with the threat of fakes. He also can run and cover. It slows down the rush and forces them to be a little more conservative.
--The head coach enjoyed his time in Lubbock that was his first power five coordinating experience and it was a unique time in that program’s history with how Mike Leach left. Our middle child was born in Lubbock.
--West Virginia thought Evan Staley would be able to go up until pre-game warmups, but he couldn’t and Legg made 4 of 4 field goals. He didn’t kick in high school; he was a soccer player so it’s a unique situation.
--Brown said they’ve approached this whole season with the idea that they’re going to get better. They are preparing to win them but it’s important they show that improvement. That’s been the case all year they have to continue to show improvement and the best way is to focus at the task at hand and be their best. They have a lot of hope in the building and a reason to be excited but there is plenty to play for with the seniors and there is an opportunity to make post-season play. Even with their record there is a lot of reason to be excited.
--Brown said it probably happens with Stills saying he called his shot but it’s usually not reported.
