Texas Tech football: How Red Raiders can attack the ISU defense

Go north and south

While I’m not against the use of the wide receiver screens, I don’t want to see as many this year as we saw in 2019.  Rather, this is a game where Tech needs to try to stretch the field vertically.  In fact, most of what the Red Raiders do needs to be aimed in a north and south direction.

The 3-3-5 is designed to cover the entire field horizontally and it swallows up plays like sweeps and crossing routes.  But there are yards to be had along the seams and up the sidelines by pushing the ball downfield.

For instance, three of the teams that beat the Cyclones last year, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, each averaged at least 8.8 yards per completion.  Those three teams scored 36.3 points per game in those wins.

This is where teams need to occupy the safeties with slot receivers and tight ends because when they do, it will leave the ISU corners on islands.  That could work in Tech’s favor given the size advantage Ezukanma and Vahser will have given that no ISU DB is over 6-feet tall.

Now, if Henry Colombi is the starter, there’s going to be some question about his ability to throw the ball deep.  He only attempted one truly vertical pass against Kansas State last week and it was picked off (though on the play, it appeared that his arm was hit).

But Tech simply has to try to stretch the ISU defense vertically.  Yost can’t let the Cyclone safeties stay comfortable in crowding the line and supporting the run or clogging the intermediate passing lanes.  So even if the plays don’t always work, the Red Raiders need to push the ball downfield.