Texas Tech's Offense Rises, Defense Falls in Win Over Oregon State
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
LUBBOCK – It was not all sunshine, literally, for Texas Tech in its road stint against Oregon State, but the No. 13 Red Raiders found a way to escape Corvallis with a gritty 35-24 victory over the Beavers.
Following serious doubts about the skills on offense, Texas Tech rattled off seven touchdowns and settled for no field goals with big performances from several standouts.
READ MORE: No. 13 Texas Tech Escapes Late Scare at Oregon State with 35-24 Win
Quarterback Will Hammond got the start again for the Red Raiders and made the most of his opportunities.
He finished with a respectable 189 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-27 passes through the air, and most importantly did not turn the ball over.
Meanwhile, Thomas Castellanos had meaningful reps at the position, but was usually relegated to be a designed runner instead of primary passer like Hammond.
He ranked as Texas Tech's fourth-highest rusher, narrowly behind Quinten Joyner and Cameron Dickey, and scored the first of the team's touchdowns.
However, Castellanos still notched a passing touchdown late in the game to tight end Matt Ludwig, which sealed the win for Texas Tech.
Whatever roles they were serving, the dual-QB system proved to be extremely beneficial for the Red Raiders and could become the standard moving forward this season.
Although the offense seemed to work out its kinks from a mediocre debut against Abilene Christian, the defense took a step or two in the wrong direction.
The Beavers went toe-to-toe with the Red Raiders for majority of the matchup, including holding a 24-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Oregon State receiver Jesse Legree was the biggest thorn in the side of Texas Tech, as he tallied 240 yards and two touchdowns on only eight catches and always seemed to deliver the counter when the Red Raiders tried to pull away.
To give the Beavers credit, this is the second week in a row that they hung close with a ranked Big 12 foe after No. 22 Houston pulled away late at home to avoid the upset.
It is quite possible that Oregon State is much better than it profiled heading into the year and the Beavers are a legitimate threat in the newly reformed Pac-12 Conference.
For a top 15 team to get pushed around by an unranked foe is never a great sign, but Oregon State could very well end up being a quality opponent as the season rolls along.
MORE: 5 Thoughts from Texas Tech Win: Red Raiders 2-0, But Not in a Clean Way
Regardless, foes like Houston and potentially BYU still loom large for Texas Tech and it will need a more bruising display akin to last season to emerge as the champion of the Big 12 once again this year.
Head coach Joey McGuire was able to get the offense back up to speed in one week and he will need to get the defense on the same page just as fast, with Houston paying a visit to Lubbock later this week.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos