Wow, for a game that had Oklahoma as a 15 point favorite at kickoff, that was one heck of a game! Obviously it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but after last weeks debacle I’m proud of our team for how they showed up in a big game! Here are a few thoughts while everything is still fresh.

Our Fan Base Didn’t Give Up On The Team

It’s pretty safe to say that nobody left at halftime this game! 60 thousand strong, and boy was it loud. Whether is was because of a certain ex QB, or just because of the fact that it was OU, the fans came out in full force! The nervous pent up energy before the game was palpable. We were all on the edge of our seat waiting for a reason to explode, and it lived up to the hype! That is the loudest I have heard The Jones in a while, and dang our stadium looks good blacked out!

Our Offensive Line Stepped Up Big Time

If you compare this game to last week’s game, our o-line was night and day. It felt like every time Mahomes dropped back to pass against Wet Virginia he was getting sacked or pressured. This game wasn’t near perfect, but it was a lot better that what it could have been. For once Mahomes actually had time to sit there and wait for someone to get open. He was still pressured quite a bit, but for the most past he was able to extend plays and make the throw or beat the defense with his legs. However, our o-line was also the reason why our offense wasn’t able to excel to its fullest capacity. Penalties killed us. I’m not sure how many personal fouls we had that turned first down throws into 1st and 25 situations, but it seemed to happen a lot.

Mahomes Is Back To His Old Ways

Break the record for most total yards in a game? Check. Throw 88 times in a single game? Check. We didn’t win, but for the most part Patty was back to his old self. He has several uncharacteristic overthrows on long balls that I’m betting he would want back, but it doesn’t help much when your receivers don’t catch the ball. He was making plays with his feet, and his arm. I just wish he wouldn’t have waited til 3rd and long to start moving the ball.

Our Defense Played Well, At Least In The First Half

Our defense stepped up big in the first half, if they wouldn’t have it could have been real ugly real quick. I know, we didn’t get a single stop the entire second half when we needed it the most, but honestly, if it wasn’t for the several stops that we got in the first half, this would have never even been a game. I kept waiting for Tech to sack Baker and for our stadium to explode, but unfortunately that never happened. We never got the sack, but we did get pressure on him several times forcing him to throw it away. Which, seeing how poorly our secondary played, anytime you can force an opposing QB to throw it away, that’s a win in my book.

Of course I wish we would have won, but I’m proud of our team for how hard they fought. As I was leaving the game I wasn’t even that mad that we lost, I was too busy dropping my jaw at the absurd amount of offense that was on display. The team that I watched last night is a team that I am proud to call my own. Win or lose, I am proud to be a Red Raider.