How a loss at Wyoming puts Texas Tech football in danger of matching a 33-season low
LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Texas Tech football program hasn't started 0-2 since 1990, and the Red Raiders had no such thoughts going into this season either. Not with them ranked to start the season. Not with expectations the highest they've been in 15 years.
But Wyoming's 35-33 double-overtime victory Saturday against Texas Tech in a season opener makes it a distinct possibility. The Red Raiders were a two-touchdown favorite and now, to avoid the 0-2 start, Tech will have to spring an upset of its own when No. 15 Oregon comes to Lubbock next week.
The way the Red Raiders played Saturday, blowing an early 17-0 lead and losing in sloppy fashion, prompts a question: Better to play the Ducks now or one of your typical, lesser week-two opponents?
"Screw that. We're excited to play Oregon," quarterback Tyler Shough said. "We want a strong opponent. We want to go up against the best. We want to show what we can do, we want to clean up those details and we want to give them everything we've got.
"Whoever's coming in next, the home opener, we're ready to go. We've got to get back, have a really good week of practice and show what we can do."
Tech hosts Oregon at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Ducks are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons.
"It's always good to come out and play a great competitor," defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings said. "But I feel like the opportunity is there for us to seize. Tonight didn't go how we wanted it to, but we always have the opportunity to correct ourselves. Oregon's a great next opponent, and we're excited for the opportunity to play them."
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The Red Raiders scored 17 points on their first four possessions against Wyoming, but then unraveled. They were unable to finish drives in the second, third and most of the fourth quarters and helped the Cowboys with bad-judgment penalties on defense.
The Red Raiders committed personal fouls on series in which the Cowboys cut the gap to 17-3 and 17-10 in the first half and on the series they went ahead 20-17 in the fourth quarter.
"I feel like we came out with great energy, made a lot of plays," Hutchings said. "I wish I could tell you exactly what happened, but we definitely need to fix that, really learn how to finish and play for four quarters."
Tech lost its first four road games last season. The Red Raiders built some confidence outside of Jones AT&T Stadium at the end of the year, winning a close game at Iowa State and pounding Mississippi in the Texas Bowl.
Wyoming didn't give in, though, when down 17-0 early and 33-27 in the second overtime.
"I told our guys going into this week, they have a better home record the last five years than we do," Tech coach Joey McGuire said. "They play well at home.
"The one thing you cannot do is get in third-and-6 and give them a first down on a penalty. You can't have an interception and give them the ball back on a penalty. That affected this game more than being on the road."
After scoring two touchdowns and a field goal on its first four series, Tech went scoreless on its next seven possessions.
"I didn't think we were out of whack on offense because of the crowd noise or anything like that, even though it was loud," McGuire said. "We just didn't play a very clean game. We didn't finish it off tonight, but we cannot allow this game to define who we are."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How a loss at Wyoming puts Texas Tech football in danger of matching a 33-season low
