Texas Tech football: Hidden moments from 2OT win over Cougars

Tech breaks up a pass on 3rd and goal in 2nd OT

After both teams scored touchdowns in overtime No. 1, Houston had the ball at the Tech 3 on third-and-goal in the second overtime.  And the Red Raiders were fortunate to break serve and hold the Cougars to just three points.

To the left of Clayton Tune, Houston ran two slants, one from the slot and one from the outside.  The inside receiver, Dell, was wide open on the play but Tune didn’t see him.  Why you don’t first look towards your best playmaker is beyond me but Tune didn’t.

Instead, he tried to hit Matthew Golden, his outside receiver.  However, the lanky Malik Dunlap got his hand in the way of the pass and prevented a touchdown forcing Tune and the Cougars to settle for three points.

For the afternoon, Tune was merely average.  Completing only 20 of 39 passes, he threw for a modest 266 yards.

Remember that last year the Tech defense was No. 119 in the nation against the pass.  So Tune had to be confident that he and his receivers could have a big day on Saturday.

Instead, his 51.3% completion percentage was the third-lowest of his career in games in which he’s attempted at least 30 passes.  By contrast, last year he completed 71.1% of the 38 passes he threw versus the Red Raiders.

This Tech secondary still has work to do though.  They gave up another 50-yard-plus pass play to bring the season’s total to three in just two games.

However, this secondary is in a position to make more plays than it has felt like other Red Raider secondaries of years past have been in position to make.  And when the game was on the line, Dunlap made a huge play to keep Houston out of the endzone.