Texas Tech's offense is now ranked 3rd in the country in total yards with 2,378, tied for 3rd in points per game with 53.8, and are 5th in the nation in passing yards per game with 397.3 yards a game. The Red Raiders usually mediocre run game is now ranked 49th in the country with 197.3 yards a game. It's safe to say that Texas Tech has one of the most high octane offenses in the nation and can trade blows with the best of them.
Overall Grade: A
The Red Raiders scored 52 points on the Horned Frogs but in the end it just wasn't enough. Everyone was expecting this game to be a shootout and it was. Patrick Mahomes was slinging the ball, DeAndre Washington looked like a stud again, the receivers were making big plays, and the offensive line didn't give up a sack for a fourth consecutive week but they did have one big mistake.
Quarterback Grade: A
Mahomes threw for 392 yards and two touchdowns against TCU. He completed 25 of his 45 attempts (55.56%) and eliminated turnovers this week. Mahomes also had 36 yards on the ground and added another rushing touchdown to his name. Mahomes proved that he can show up for the big games and almost pulled out a win against one of the best teams in the nation. This week will be another shootout with Baylor so expect big numbers again from Mahomes.
Running Back Grade: A
DeAndre Washington tore it up against the Horned Frogs. He ran the ball 22 times racking up 188 yards and picked up 4 TDs on the ground. He busted off a 43 yard run and proved that Justin Stockton isn't the only one with wheels in the backfield. Speaking of Stockton he didn't have too much success on the ground, only gaining 12 yards on 7 carries. Stockton did have a huge play out of the backfield though on the receiving end of things, he caught a throw back pass from Mahomes and took it to the house for a 50 yard TD. The Red Raiders gained a total of 215 yards on the ground, averaging 5.5 yards a carry. I'll take those numbers all day and really enjoy this balanced offensive attack.
Wide Receiver Grade: A
Jakeem Grant once again showed us that this isn't his first rodeo. The senior hauled in 8 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. Devin Lauderdale showed back up this week after be kept quiet against Arkansas. Lauderdale had 3 catches for 110 yards. Reginald Davis didn't have a huge game like his past two weeks but he did manage to have 3 catches for 28 yards. As I mentioned last week, these guys are getting things done in the run game as well. They provide the downfield blocks that help the Red Raiders have the big home run plays.
Offensive Line Grade: B+
Last week the offensive line was pretty much flawless and earned an A+ grade and was my week 3 MVP. While they still haven't given up a sack, this week they drop down to a B+ and because of one big mistake. Jared Kaster sent a snap buzzing past Mahomes that was eventually recovered by DeAndre Washington in the end zone for a safety. The game was tied 7-7 at the time but the safety gave TCU a 9-7 lead and the ball back. What would've happened if this snap didn't happen? That's a huge what-if that we'll never know.
