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Texas Tech football: 5 questions to be answered on Saturday night vs. Houston

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during a timeout huddle during the second half of the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders looks on during a timeout huddle during the second half of the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Oct 12, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen reacts to the call after tape review during the second quarter of the game between Houston Cougars and Cincinnati Bearcats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen reacts to the call after tape review during the second quarter of the game between Houston Cougars and Cincinnati Bearcats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /

Will Wells be out-coached by Holgorsen?

There’s no way around it.  For many Texas Tech football fans, this game will be a huge referendum on Matt Wells.  That’s because he will be going headset-to-headset with the man that many Red Raider fans wanted Tech to hire back in 2018 instead of Wells.

Dana Holgorsen is a polarizing figure.  He’s got far more skins on the wall than Wells but he’s also far more of a controversial figure.  Thus, it makes it worth wondering if he would have been the right fit for Tech in the wake of the unorganized and somewhat directionless Kliff Kingsbury era.

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But there will always be a significant portion of the Red Raider fans base that will measure Wells against Holgorsen.  And this is the first time the two will meet as opposing head coaches.

Therefore, Wells would do himself a serious favor by calling and coaching a clean game.  No risky fake punts.  No unnecessary onside kicks.  No needless 4th-down gambles.  No kicking field goals on second down.  And please, no “sky kicks”.

Let Holgorsen be the riverboat gambler.  That’s what coaches with a talent deficit have to do and on paper that should be Holgorsen.

But imagine for a moment that Tech drops this game.  It won’t be pretty for Wells and AD Kirby Hocutt.

The calls for Wells’ head will begin again just one game into the new season and they will come from some pretty high places of influence given that some big-money boosters were squarely behind Holgorsen back in 2018.  What’s more, Tech will have to spend the next three weeks on the calendar doing damage control as there won’t be another opportunity to sway public opinion until week four at Texas.

Thus, this is a massive game for Matt Wells.  And that’s only magnified by the guy who is on the other sideline.  Whether or not Holgorsen would have been better for the Red Raiders, we will never know.  He’s not been great thus far at Houston but beating the school he used to coach for would be the largest of feathers in his hat…or should I say visor.

Meanwhile, dropping this game would be a near-disaster for Wells, especially if he is clearly outcoached by Holgorsen or he makes yet another in-game blunder.  This entire season is all about Wells trying to save his job and a huge step in that process could come his way Saturday night.  If he doesn’t take advantage and silence the pro-Holgorsen crowd, it could be a very long and unpleasant 2021 for the embattled Red Raider head coach.

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