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Texas Tech football: Hidden moments in Saturday’s win over the Mountaineers

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Receiver Erik Ezukanma #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders signals after picking up a first down during the first half of the college football game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 24, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Receiver Erik Ezukanma #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders signals after picking up a first down during the first half of the college football game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 24, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Henry Colombi #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the first half of the college football game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 24, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 24: Quarterback Henry Colombi #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the first half of the college football game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 24, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Colombi converts first 3rd down opportunity

With QB Henry Colombi making his first career start at the college level, and that start coming against the nation’s top defense statistically, it was important for the junior to develop some early confidence.  He did that by converting his team’s first third-down opportunity with a nice pass to Erik Ezukanma.

Making that play impressive was the fact that it was not a short 3rd-down attempt.  Rather, Colombi had to find a way to pick up at least eight yards to keep the drive going.

On the play, we immediately saw the difference between Colombi and Alan Bowman.  Whereas Bowman has become a QB who is unwilling to let plays develop, Colombi stayed in the pocket long enough to let Ezukanman come across the field and catch the ball on the run.

As Colombi delivered the ball, he took a shot from a defender, something that Bowman had begun trying to avoid at all costs, even to the detriment of the offense.  That extra moment that he hung in the pocket gave Ezukanma time to get to full speed and cross in front of a linebacker who had no shot of bringing him down.

That Ezukanma caught the ball on the dead run was important given that he actually caught it behind the line of scrimmage.  And being as he caught the ball while on the move and that he was clear of the linebackers, he easily picked up the yards necessary to convert.

This is a play that I don’t think Tech would have made with Bowman running the show.  He simply would not have stood in there long enough to allow it to develop.

This also ended a streak of 13-straight 3rd-down opportunities without conversion for Tech.  In fact, on that opening drive, Colombi would convert twice on 3rd down with key passes, including a 44-yard strike to Myles Price.  While that play was more memorable, it was the first 3rd-down conversion of the game that got this drive, and this contest, off to a great start for Colombi and that’s why it was such an important play.

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