• The Road Warrior Report - November 15, 2014 - Texas Tech Review

      LUBBOCK, TX – The Sooners defeated Texas Tech this afternoon 42-30 in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated, given that the Red Raiders scored a meaningless touchdown on the final play of the game. That said, the Sooners trailed 21-7 in the third quarter, and played one of the most futile offensive first halves seen in a while, mostly due to their inexplicable reluctance to pound the running game against the weak Tech rushing defense.


      Instead, the Sooners had freshman first-time starter Cody Thomas slinging the ball all over the yard, going 7 for 17 including three throws caught by the guys in the ugly uniforms. When the Sooners came to their senses in the second half, Thomas threw the ball only three times, completing them all, while rushing for 103 yards. Samaje “Optimus” Perine bulled through the Tech defense for 214 yards, and the Sooners scored touchdowns on all five of their second half possessions.

      Meanwhile, the Sooners defense, last seen giving up a Tech bomb when a pair of Sooner defenders ran into each other, stiffened enough to keep this game from becoming a shootout. Frankly, although the Sooners didn’t take the lead for the first time until there was 10:06 to play in the game, it seemed a foregone conclusion ever since they decided to pound the ball at Tech in the third quarter. It was clear that the only question was whether Tech would be able to score enough to stay in the game. They weren’t, as it turned out, and a good thing, too. The angst that’s been flowing would have reached epic proportions if a bad Tech team were able to beat the Sooners.

      We had been in California since Monday, missing the arrival of winter, and Friday’s travel went via air from LAX to Vegas to OKC, then by car from OKC to Amarillo and some much-needed rest. The frigid temps, while not unexpected, were still an unpleasant revelation upon leaving baggage claim in OKC. Then a Saturday morning drive to Lubbock on a day that could not have been ordered up to be a better day for football. About 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

      We have had the privilege (or the curse, depending on how you look at it) of personally attending every game ever played between OU and Texas Tech. That’s 21 games, to be exact, 9 of them played here in Lubbock. I must give the Techies credit – their stadium is not even close to the same place it was when we first came here in 1992. Back then, it was an erector set. Now, the erector set has been covered up with a very nice façade that matches the rest of their campus, they have club and suite seating on both sides, and have generally upgraded things very nicely with their Big 12 money.

      But we do not have to return to Lubbock for another two years, having dispatched the tortilla throwers on this trip. Actually, we personally have to come back to Lubbock next Friday for work, but only for the day, and we are flying in and out, fortunately. It’s really too much to ask for any human to go to Lubbock two separate times within one week, but it's a cross we must bear.

      Next up, another breakfast game, this time against an improving Kansas team in Norman. See you there.
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