Nate Night Thoughts: Tech needs to start fast

As the Red Raiders get ready for a trip to Cowtown to play the Horned Frogs, Texas Tech will have to get off to a fast start in this prime time game. Over the years, this team has struggled mightily when the opposition scores first. On top of that, the Texas Tech Red Raiders have not been good, to say the least when trailing at halftime. Kliff has only won a handful of games when facing a halftime deficit, one of those games being at Texas last season which propelled the Red Raiders to the Birmingham Bowl.

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In last year’s match up against the Horned Frogs, the Red Raiders opened the game with a 9-minute possession that ended in a field goal. That would be the only score for the Red Raiders in a chilly and windy afternoon in November. TCU went on to score touchdown on the next possession and they never looked back. With former Red Raider, Sonny Cumbie calling plays for the Horned Frogs we know that their offense can be as lethal as anyone in the Big 12. Forcing turnovers and taking the air out of Amon G. Carter Stadium early in the game will be a key to victory for Tech.

It’s apparent that Texas Tech has the offense to pull off a comeback win, but in the last game against West Virginia we saw why you can’t play catch up in the Big 12. Even though the defense has played well in the past two games, it took second half adjustments for them to really shine. The Red Raiders will need to score quickly to open the game and the defense needs to play the first half with the same sense of urgency they have had in the second half of games.

Whoever the quarterback is on Thursday Kliff needs to put the team in position to convert first downs and control the ball against a stingy TCU defense. An opening drive touchdown would set the tone for this team and give it the confidence to chip away at the Horned Frogs. If Texas Tech goes down by more than one possession early, don’t expect a comeback in Fort Worth.