Coach Duggs revenge-fueled bout against no. 18 UCLA comes short of glory

What is this guy talking about??

Allow me to catch y’all up to speed. With the COVID-19 pandemic still running high in some parts of the country, many people have thought of creative ways for us to come together and enjoy sports. Dan Katz (pseudonym Big Cat) has received the most attention with an investment in live-streaming the NCAA 14 video game’s Dynasty mode. Katz created a coach, Gus Duggerton or “Duggs,” who has rapidly climbed up the coaching tree ranks.

Duggs started his career as the offensive coordinator at Toledo. Then he took a job with Florida State as an offensive coordinator where he earned a Fiesta Bowl victory. Most recently Duggs tenured at USC capped off with a Rose Bowl victory. Coach Duggs’ journey has now led him to Texas Tech, where he’s been brought on as the new head coach. The irony behind all of this video-game magic is that the actual programs featured throughout have engaged with Dan Katz in big ways. Now our beloved Texas Tech has dove headfirst into the Duggs mania with engagement from football alumni, current coaches, the media team, you name it.

Last night Katz and his created Duggs’ took the field against UCLA; a team that has brought untold disappointment to the new TTU head coach. In the first half, Duggs embodied the Air Raid spirit by absolutely bombarding UCLA in quick fashion - they don’t call him “Air Duggs” for nothing. Quarterback Gunnar Wesson was nothing but perfect for much of the first, going 11-for-11 with 212 yards passing and 2 touchdowns through the air as the Red Raiders pushed out into a 22-7 lead. Running back Ricky Squeaks also found the end zone in the first half - Coach Duggs wisely tried to get the run game involved as the game went on. Defense also showed their strength throughout the first half, yielding only one touchdown in the first quarter. Duggs showcased a heroic like calmness on the sideline. As the lead stretched, it seemed as if the Red Raiders would pull off the upset. Unfortunately, and all too familiar to Red Raider fans, the defense sputtered allowing UCLA to sneak a 23-22 lead going into the half.

After a stern “I won the damn rose bowl, this is how we’re gonna win here” speech, Texas Tech came out guns firing. Down but not out, right? Back and forth Tech traded punches with UCLA until the final seconds. Coach Duggs battled with the big-play playbook on both sides of the ball; banking on deep passes and turnovers - but it wasn’t enough. UCLA ultimately brought Duggs and the Red Raiders to a 47-42 demise. While this was a tough one to swallow, Duggs’ showed a lot of promise for redemption from the recent 2-10 season.

Next up, they’ll travel to Tallahassee, Florida to face off against a strong Seminole team on Friday night. The duo of Wesson and Squeaks has proven to be lethal. If Duggs can cement the ground game early it will open some more of those big plays when they need it. The defense needs some work, but I wouldn’t tell coach to bail on the turnover efforts. Big risk equals big reward! The season is just getting started, folks.

Tune into https://www.twitch.tv/pardonmytake/ on Friday night at 8pm to see Coach Duggs and the Red Raiders look to pull off another upset against Florida State.

You can also watch the full stream here: