Offense grades: Second half slowdown hurts Tech

For a full three quarters, Texas Tech looked like it was going to beat West Virginia.

That is, until the offense decided to malfunction in a catastrophic way. Sure, the Red Raiders put up some solid numbers, but the fourth-quarter collapse will effectively drop everyone’s letter grades significantly.

Quarterback grade: C+

Nic Shimonek looked OK on Saturday, completing 24 of 39 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns and one interception. His completion percentage, 61 percent, is a little low for this Texas Tech offense, which prides itself in completing high-percentage throws. Shimonek’s inability to come through in the clutch is the reason why I’m giving him a C+.

Running back grade: B+

The Tech running backs carried the ball 28 times collectively for 209 yards and a touchdown, which was actually really impressive. Averaging about six yards per carry, the ground game was the more effective method of moving the football on Saturday, and maybe 28 carries wasn’t enough for this group. Maybe 40 carries would’ve won Tech the game. Who knows?

Wide receivers grade: B-

Can we please get TJ Vasher the ball more? Two receptions, 113 yards and two touchdowns. Talk about efficient. Keke Coutee registered six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, but it oddly felt like he wasn’t really a major factor in this game. I would like to see him get some more touches, as well. Dylan Cantrell played pretty well with eight grabs for 85 yards and a touchdown, but it just felt like this corps could’ve done more against a weak West Virginia defense.

Offensive line grade: A-

The big boys up front did a great job moving the football on the ground. How often do you see Texas Tech rush for more than 200 yards? And they only gave up two sacks on the day, so I was pretty impressed overall, and Tech fans should feel encouraged about the progress this group is making.