Opinion: Texas Tech a program that seems lost

Buttons on remote controls across West Texas, eastern New Mexico and beyond were being punched late Saturday night. Time for bed or maybe Saturday Night Live. Some of it had to do with the central time zone kickoff of 9 p.m., but most of it had to do with the showing of Texas Tech, which for the second time in two games looked …

… What’s the word? Bad? Does that fit? That’s a simple basic word, but in this case works just fine. Bad.

These are sobering humbling times for Tech loyalists, whose admirable patience has basically been shattered by the Red Raiders’ second embarrassing performance in a row, a non-competitive 37-16 loss at Washington State. By halftime, it was over with Tech gasping at a 27-10 deficit.

Actually, it was probably over when Tech’s John Carlos Miller muffed the opening kickoff, but things had to play out a little bit. The rest of the nationally televised game was basically a recruiting video for Washington State and looks of frustration and ineptness for Tech, which may very well be through two games the worst team in the Power 4 conferences.

For some who shared the stubborn belief that Tech would show great improvement after a season-opening 52-51 overtime win over Abilene Christian that was a win in name only, they probably had that same vacant stare afterward they had when the Raiders hung on to beat ACU.

Washington State is a program that had been devastated. Along with Oregon State, they lost their entire conference when the Pac-10 disintegrated and every school but those two left for the Big 10, ACC or Big 12. Predictably, both schools saw a line of players transferring out the door. The Cougars returned just eight of 22 starters from a 5-6 program.

But they looked far more buttoned up and in sync than the visitors. Tech’s water pistol offense, under beleaguered offensive coordinator Zach Kittley, was a mismash of wide receiver screens, some occasional decent runs, quarterback Behren Morton missing open receivers, a no-huddle offense that seemed to have the Raiders in constant third-and-5, failed fourth downs, and, of course, the obligatory penalties.

Maybe it’s the South Plains water. Being among the worst in all of NCAA Division I in penalties has been true over multiple coaches and staffs. It’s a Tech tradition that stands among tortilla tossing and the Masked Rider. The Raiders had 10 for 80 yards – compared to WSU’s three for 30 – and now have 21 penalties for 161 yards. That has Tech on pace to finish No. 132 out of 134 teams. Same as it ever was.

Defensively, Tech was an abomination against ACU with the Wildcats going up and down the field for 615 yards. Against WSU, it was better for a while, but failed fourth downs and turnovers allowed the Cougars to capitalize on a short field. Eventually the dam broke in the second and third quarters. Only with Tech could the opposition be outgained by 80 yards at halftime and lead, 27-10.

Chandler Morris, the quarterback at North Texas, Tech’s next opponent, probably can’t wait until Saturday. In the opener, ACU transfer QB Maverick McIvor, buried on the Tech depth chart, threw for 506 yards and three touchdowns. WSU’s John Mateer, in only his second start at quarterback, rushed for 197 yards, breaking a school record for rushing yards for a QB that had stood for 82 years.

Tech fans are just now working through the seven stages of grief. Shock and denial are the first. There was always the belief that Tech had the right coach in Joey McGuire, and the things that were wrong with the program weren’t on him. They are working through that denial now.

These first three games were supposed to be the easy portion of the schedule. Washington State, as well as it played, would probably be in the bottom third of the Big 12. ACU was expected to be a nice tune-up. North Texas brings a 2-0 record into Lubbock on Saturday.

Though it’s a long season, this may not be more than a 3-9 or 4-8 team. This would be in McGuire’s third year where it’s nearly all his players and program. How much can really change going forward for a team that surprisingly just doesn’t seem to have a lot of dudes?

The one dude they may have, 5-star freshman recruit Micah Hudson, has barely seen the field in two games after McGuire called him “a generational talent” during Big 12 Media Days in July.

That’s just one surprise of many for a program that looks lost. If there’s a way out, it sure seems hidden.

Jon Mark Beilue writes about sports for The Eastern New Mexico News.