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Texas Tech football: Why WVU game is the most important of the season

By Matthew Conner

Sep 2, 2017; Lubbock, TX, USA; A Texas Tech Red Raiders flag outside Jones AT&T Stadium before the game with the Eastern Washington Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 2, 2017; Lubbock, TX, USA; A Texas Tech Red Raiders flag outside Jones AT&T Stadium before the game with the Eastern Washington Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 10, 2020; Ames, Iowa, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Henry Colombi (3) recovers his own fumble against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Powers-USA TODAY Sports.
Oct 10, 2020; Ames, Iowa, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Henry Colombi (3) recovers his own fumble against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Powers-USA TODAY Sports. /

If Colombi falters, then what?

By benching starter Alan Bowman and elevating backup Henry Colombi to first-string quarterback, it feels like Wells is firing his only real bullet this weekend in hopes of igniting a spark.  But if the junior’s debut as QB1 doesn’t go well, what will the plan be moving forward?  Rest assured, there won’t be any great options.

It would seem a bit strange for Wells to simply turn back to Bowman given what we saw from the sophomore in Ames when he led Tech to 97 yards through the air through the first three quarters of the game.  If Bowman isn’t good enough to get it done now, why return to him even if Colombi doesn’t play well against the Mountaineers?  Plus, such a move would anger the vast majority of the fan base and would potentially divide the locker room.

The problem is that there is only one other option for Tech to try and it doesn’t appear to be a great one.  Wells could theoretically turn to redshirt freshman Maverick McIvor for answers but given the fact that he lost the backup job to Colombi and that he’s yet to take a single snap as a collegiate, it’s hard to imagine the San Angelo native giving Tech any more life than either Bowman or Colombi.

What’s going to make life tough on Colombi is the West Virginia defense.  So far, the Mountaineers are No. 1 in the nation in total defense by giving up just 240.3 yards per game and they are No. 11 in scoring defense by surrendering a mere 18.8 points per game.

However, the offenses the Mountaineers have faced are not of the highest caliber.  In playing Eastern Kentucky, Baylor, and Kansas, WVU has already played the three worst offensive teams on their schedule (unless Tech proves to be in that same category), and when the Mountaineers gave up 27 points to a dangerous Oklahoma State attack, the Cowboys were without starting QB Spencer Sanders.

So perhaps Colombi can spark the Red Raider offense.  And perhaps the Mountaineer defense will regress to the mean.  But if that doesn’t happen and Tech leaves this game with more questions at the QB spot, it’s tough to conceive of where the answers will come from.

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