Matador Mailbag: What will become of Shough?

Well, Saturday night was fun! A huge romp in the Jones was a blast, but with Shough going down with another shoulder injury the Red Raiders are once again facing quarterback uncertainty.

Without further ado, you had pressing questions and we had answers! Here we go.

If Shough does returnm but the backups (Smith and Morten) are dealing, will this be Shough’s job?

The sad answer for this is no, it will not be. Tyler Shough is facing one of those situations that are the peak of unfair. Here is the situation, I believe Shough is the most talented quarterback. I saw Donovan Smith make great throws, but pre-injury Shough’s passes were crisper and he looked like the guy we all thought he would be.

But if Smith (I believe Morten is just too unproven at this time to assume the role) goes out and beats Houston and NC State, or at the very least looks competitive, he will be heading in to Texas with a chance to win the job outright. You just don’t pull the hot hand, if Tech is winning or at the very least the offense is performing as expected he will be your starter.

If Smith and Morten are both struggling, which I do not believe will happen, then Shough will take back over even if he is rusty.

How many sacks will Tech have against the Cougars?

Houston’s offensive line got punked by UTSA. UTSA is a tough, physical squad that plays hard and has some dudes on the front seven. However, Tech is a much better defensive line and will absoultely bully the Cougars.

I expect Houston to be better in week 2, as most teams will be, but they are just not a good offensive line. Tech finally has talent across the board, and the pass rush looks to be on par with every top line in the country outside the freaks over at Georgia and Alabama.

Call me overly optimistic, but I expect 3 sacks and a whole mess of QB hurries. The real battle will be containing Tune in the pocket.

How many total yards allowed?
I am again going to get aggressive here and say 350 yards allowed. Clayton Tune is going to find lanes to run and he will hit a few big throws, but the Houston rush attack is putrid. I expect the Cougars to fall behind early and become totally one dimensional. The secondary for Tech is a liability, but the pass rush should limit the bleeding.

As you can maybe tell, I am feeling a lot more confident about this game than the preseason. Time to Wreck Houston!