Red Raider Gridiron: Recapping Oklahoma; Wallerstedt Passes Around Defensive Signals?

It's On Us. As you note, Viva The Matadors and the rest of the SB Nation network have changed their logos to take part in the "It's On Us" campaign.  It is a simple idea, but it's on each and every one of us to stop sexual assault. You do your part, just by taking the pledge, this will become less of a problem in the U.S. Pretty easy.

Can't Sustain. LAJ's Don Williams writes that Texas Tech simply could not sustain the defensive pressure in comparison to what Oklahoma was doing offensively:

Against Tech, just keep pounding. Red Raiders safety Keenon Ward didn't think much of it when Perine got loose the first time, going 64 yards to chop that 21-7 deficit in half.

"I didn't really start to stress about that one," Ward said. "We let one pop. I felt like it was just one play. It was seven points we were still up at that point, so I wasn't worried about that one."

On the next series, Thomas decided to keep it for once, bolted for 35 yards and it was if Heupel had discovered a new toy. After that, Thomas had carries for 16, 14, a 4-yard touchdown and 14 again.

Ward said the Red Raiders never dreamed he'd be so bold, not a freshman making his first start on the road.

"Once he pulled that first one and ran for about (35)," Ward said, "we had to start making adjustments to that. I couldn't fill as much as I was. I had to start playing contain. That left gaps open, and he took advantage of those gaps."

Youth Movement. LAJ's Nicholas Talbot writes that it's time for a youth movement, or something:

That's why Kingsbury is at least considering a change. And it is not a coincidence that that change should be starting a freshman quarterback.

Several freshmen made an impact against Oklahoma. Sadler, who should have had two touchdown catches, had four catches for 89 yards and the one score.

Tevin Madison, who came in for Justis Nelson (who left the game with an apparent head injury), had a key interception in the first half. In all seven true freshmen and four redshirt freshmen played.

That's a clear sign that Texas Tech, which fell to 3-7 with the loss and is no longer eligible for a bowl game, is already building for the future.

"We're playing a lot of young guys," Kingsbury said. "They've come a long way. It's been rough at times with some of those youngsters, but I am just proud of them for not shying away from the moment."

Mahomes certainly didn't shy away. That's why much like Grant did on the first touchdown play, it is time for Kingsbury and Texas Tech to adjust on the fly.

It's time to start the freshmen and further the Red Raiders' youth movement.

It's time to start Patrick Mahomes.

Oh man, I don't even know where to start.  I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just let it all go.  This bring me joy every Monday morning.

Notebooky. The LAJ has a few notes and I wasn't sure where the reporters were going in with all of this, but I think a lot of us noticed that Texas Tech was shielding it's defensive signals and here's Don Williams to opine that we can maybe thank the former defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt:

"Obviously, with the situation we had earlier in the year," Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said, "I'm sure our signals had been passed around. So we've changed some up, and they just wanted to make sure."

Kingsbury appeared to allude to former defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt's departure earlier this season, not the much talked-about presence of former Tech quarterback Baker Mayfield, who transferred to OU and was in the house Saturday.

Notably, Tech was shielding only its defensive calls, not the offensive signals. "Yeah, we changed our signals back in the spring," Kingsbury said. "So that hasn't been an issue for us. With the defense, we had just heard some things that our signals had been around. So we've changed them up and just trying to protect them."

Asked if he felt the defensive calls had been compromised in earlier games, Kingsbury said, "Yes, possibly."

Well, that's all sorts of sorry on Wallerstedt's part and makes me want to cuss.  It's one thing to have it out for your former employer, but he's not only doing this to the coaches, but to the kids that he coached. Can't imagine looking them in the eye and telling them that he helped sabotage their season.  Wallerstedt just showed what type of person he really is and please, DO NOT CALL WALLERSTEDT A NAME. Wallerstedt, you have officially been unfollowed and removed from the Texas Tech twitter lists.  Click.

Miscellaneous. SAEN's Tim Griffin with his weekly ranking of the Texas teams . . . Fox Sports' David Ubben (Ubbs, can you do something about the auto-play vidoes?) with his best and worst of week 12 and Big 12 power rankings . . .