Texas Tech football: 5 observations from the Red Raiders' season-opening loss to Wyoming
The Texas Tech football team got its most-anticipated season in quite some time started Saturday night and dropped a 35-33 decision to Wyoming in double overtime.
Here are five takeaways from the first game of the 2023 season.
Lightning delayed the start of Texas Tech football's season
Weather brought a delayed start to Texas Tech's 2023 football season. Lightning was spotted in the area of War Memorial Stadium about an hour before the scheduled 6:30 p.m. CDT kickoff.
Players for Tech and Wyoming were finally allowed to take the field around 7:10 p.m.. The game officially began at 7:48 p.m., about 80 minutes later than originally scheduled.
More: Texas Tech football player Bryce Ramirez poised to complete remarkable comeback
Quick start proves beneficial
Even with the delayed beginning, the Red Raiders were ready to go. In Wyoming's first three possessions, the Cowboys had more penalties (two) and turnovers (one) than they did first downs.
The quick-strike Tech offense operated with precision. Myles Price caught three passes on the first possession, including a 33-yard touchdown from Tyler Shough.
Following the fumble forced by Quincy Ledet Jr., the Red Raiders only needed to go 26 yards and got a 19-yard TD from Shough to Jaden York.
Shough started the game 6 of 6 for 91 yards.
Tech defense hit by injuries early
Relatively healthy earlier this week, the Red Raiders defense took a couple of hits on Saturday.
The first came from defensive end Isaac Smith, who did not make the trip to Laramie. According to Avalanche-Journal sources, Smith, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound sophomore, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
During Saturday's game, Tech also lost linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The junior Wichita Falls Rider grad got the start at the MIKE where he forced and recovered a fumble in the first quarter. Rodriguez was seen holding his leg after the play and did not return for the rest of the game.
Rodriguez's status was not immediately known after the game.
Penalties, Wyoming's long drives plagued Tech defense
Wyoming's run-heavy offense didn't generate a ton of yardage, but it helped prolong the Cowboys' time on the field. It also opened up short-yardage pass plays, which kept the Red Raider defense on the field for over half the game.
On top of that, penalties at inopportune times proved costly. Bralyn Lux had an interception called back with a hands-to-the-face infraction in the first half. Tyler Owens was flagged for a late hit out of bounds on Wyoming quarterback Andrew Peasley. That penalty set the Cowboys up for the go-ahead field goal with 8:58 left in regulation.
Road woes continue for Tech
The Red Raiders entered Saturday's game just 6-18 in road games over the last five years. This included a 1-4 mark in 2022. Winning on the road is important for successful teams, and Tech has been unable to do that for a while now.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 5 observations from the Texas Tech football's season-opening loss to Wyoming
