Texas Tech defensive lineman Vidal Scott (42) gestures to the crowd prior to the Houston game, Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
In the past decade, it has been rare for the Texas Tech football team to win games they lost, games they should have lost. However, that’s exactly what Joey McGuire’s team did on Saturday with a 33-30 double overtime victory over Houston.
Typically, the narrative has been Tech being the team that loses games they were supposed to win.
Think of the Texas game in 2020, when Tech blew a two-touchdown lead in the final three minutes, thanks in large part to the infamous “sky kick” then-coach Matt Wells ordered in the fourth quarter. Or how about in 2019, when the Red Raiders reached a failed fumble by defeating Baylor in Waco before going down 33-30 in double overtime?
Although the Big 12’s officiating team worked royally against the Red Raiders in the first overtime of that day, Tech had opportunities to win the game in regulation. In fact, that afternoon, Tech kicked three field goals and intercepted four pitches that penetrated the Baylor 25, leaving a possible 19 points off the scoreboard.
Remember the 2017 overtime loss to Kansas State? That day, Tech missed a 31-yard FG in the 4th quarter as it led by eight points to breathe new life into the Wildcats in a game that KSU would win 42-35 in overtime.
A year earlier, the Red Raiders struggled to a 45-44 deficit at No. 13 Oklahoma State, needing just one extra point attempt to tie the game with 1:44 to play, only for the kick to miss the target. . You understood. Technology has a long history of losing big games it should have won, not winning games it should have lost.
This is a sign of a program that is having health issues. It’s an indictment of the culture within the locker room, as losing seems to permeate every aspect of a team and become contagious.
It will be interesting to see if Saturday’s victory over Houston proves to be a stepping stone for the Red Raiders or just an anomaly. It’s certainly a potentially positive step forward as McGuire tries to change attitudes within the football building and around Raiderland.
“I mean, that’s how we win football games,” McGuire said when asked about his team’s composure, “But our team’s number one rule is don’t beat yourself up, you know, and that’s huge. I mean, especially, we’ve been talking all week about, you know, not doing this about football and not getting involved in things that they might try to get you involved. I thought our guys really responded. If we stay on the side where we are winning the penalty shootout and winning the ‘don’t beat yourself up’ we’re going to win a lot of these football games.
So let’s take a look at how remarkable this win proved to be, not only examining why Tech should have lost, but also understanding how McGuire’s team pulled it off.
