The Red Raiders came out firing on all cylinders scoring 42 points in the first half. 28 of those points came in the second quarter alone. While the offense did look pretty impressive there were a few things that can be improved upon.
Overall Grade: B+
Texas Tech put up 59 points in the first game of the year. I'll take 59 points any day of the week. Mahomes looked great and after week 1 he leads the FBS in passing. The run game didn't blow anyone away but it got the job done. The receiving core had a good showing but also had some key drops. Offensive line proved to be the savvy veterans we all expected.
Quarterback Grade: A
Patrick Mahomes looked like an All-American on Saturday. He threw for 425 yards while completing 62.3% of his passes. Mahomes tossed 4 touchdown passes to only 1 interception which was tipped off of Ian Sadler's extended hand. He showed great awareness and wasn't sacked all day. Mahomes also showed off his wheels with 5 rushes for 48 yards with his longest run going for 24 yards. Davis Webb even made an appearance completing one pass for 12 yards on 4 attempts. I'm pretty excited for what Mahomes could do this year.
Running Back Grade: B
As I mentioned above, the run game performed well but didn't blow anyone out of the water. DeAndre Washington ran 13 times gaining 74 yards and lead the Red Raiders in carries and yards. Justin Stockton was second in carries with 7 touches but only averaged 3.6 yards a carry. Jakeem Grant even had a goal line carry for a touchdown. While the run game didn't have any highlight reel runs they did managed to get the tough yards that kept many drives alive.
Wide Receiver Grade: B-
The wide receiver group looked pretty impressive if you look at the stat line but they also had some key drops in the game. Devin Lauderdale racked up 150 yards on 8 catches along with 2 touchdowns. I made the stat line prediction of 75 catches, 1100 yards, and 13 TDs in my position preview and he looks well on his way to reach that. But on the other hand, he did have a few drops as well. If this game was much closer those drops could have been the make or break in the game. Overall, the group did perform well but less drops next week would be nice.
Offensive Line Grade: A
The offensive line looked great against the Bear Kats. They didn't allow a sack all day, which is outstanding against any team even a FCS opponent. PJ Hall was a beast last year for Sam Houston but on Saturday he was kept quiet. Going forward this year, the offensive line will be a strong position group for the Red Raiders. The only reason they didn't get an A+ here is because it would've been nice to get a little more out of the run game. But either way, the hogs up front played a great game.
