Texas Tech football: 3 Kansas offensive players Red Raiders have to stop

Andrew Parchment is a big-bodied receiver, which is something Tech has struggled with

Texas Tech football fans likely have nightmares of big, tall wide receivers making contested catches over Red Raider defensive backs.  That’s because for at least the last three seasons Tech’s DBs have been repeatedly victimized by physically superior pass catchers.

Last weekend, it was 6-foot-6 Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar that had his way with the Red Raider secondary.  The sophomore caught three passes for 79 yards and two first-half touchdowns to help his team to an early 20-0 advantage.

Now, the focus will shift to Kansas’ leading receiver, Andrew Parchment.  The good news is that he’s a little guy compared to Kolar, just 6-foot-2.

Still, the lanky Jayhawk is capable of going up to get the ball.  The JUCO transfer is averaging 14.4 yards per reception this year and had five touchdowns.  And with 35 catches for 505 yards, he’s got more receiving yards than any Red Raider thus far in 2019.

In seven games, he’s surpassed 100 yards three times (against Indiana State, Boston College, and West Virginia).  Last week in Austin, he caught only three passes but averaged 27.7 yards per grab and had a touchdown.

Les Miles was a bit hyperbolic earlier this year when he compared Parchment to a couple of NFL players he coached while at LSU, Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry but clearly he sees some innate talent in the Florida native.

Parchment is capable of being a game-breaker after the catch as well.  He’s got plenty of speed to pick up huge chunks of yards following the grab and that could make him especially dangerous in KU’s new spread offense.

Currently, the Red Raiders are allowing over 266 yards per game through the air.  While that’s a tick better than last year’s defense gave up (283 yards per game) it is still the 108th’s worst per-game total in the country.

The design of the defensive game plan this week will be centered around slowing Pooka.  It has to be.  But that may leave Parchment in some one-on-one situations and that should give Red Raider fans nightmares after what happened last week when the Red Raider defensive backs went man-to-man with the Cyclone receivers.