Texas Tech football: Handing out game balls after dramatic win over ISU

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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 13: Quarterback Donovan Smith #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball during the second half of the college football game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 13, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

QB – Donovan Smith

Starting your first-ever college game is usually tough. Doing so against the vaunted Iowa State 3-3-5 double cloud defense should be next to impossible.

Donovan Smith made that task look easy on Saturday night. In fact, he outplayed ISU’s Brock purdy, and in the process, he looked every bit the part of Texas Tech’s future star QB.

Completing 25 of 32 passes for 322 yards and three TDs with only one bogus interception, Smith was poised in the pocket and looked like a seasoned QB. What’s more, his 50 rushing yards on 14 carries helped keep the ISU defense off balance for much of the afternoon.

Again, this performance came against Iowa State, not an FCS opponent or Kansas. And to understand just what that means, think about what ISU has done to Tech QBs during the Matt Campbell era.

In 2016, Pat Mahomes was held to 219 yards and one TD with two picks on just 18-36 passing as Iowa State blew out Tech 66-10. A year later, Nic Shimonek had a mere 207 yards with no TDs and a pick in a 31-13 loss in Lubbock.

2018’s game vs. Iowa State saw Alan Bowman picked off three times while passing for just one TD and posting a paltry QB rating of 48.4 as the Cyclones won by eleven points at home. Jett Duffey completed 40 of 52 passes against Iowa State in 2019 but for only 239 yards and 1 TD in a 10-point ISU win in Lubbock. Meanwhile, last season, Bowman was benched in Ames after completing just 13 of 22 passes for 97 yards and no TDs in three quarters of play as the Cyclones rolled to a 31-15 win.

Saturday, Donovan Smith helped Texas Tech exorcise its Iowa State demons and in the process, he gave us a glimpse of what the future of the program may hold in store. For that, he deserves a game ball.

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