Texas Tech football: Surprises from the Red Raiders’ week one loss
Wyoming’s Andrew Peasley outplayed Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough
Sometimes, statistics lie. That was the case on Saturday night when it came to the play of the opposing quarterbacks. In the end, Wyoming’s Andrew Peasley outplayed Tech’s Tyler Shough largely because of factors that were unable to be quantified.
Statistically, Shough had the better night. He was 31-47 passing for 338 yards with three TDs and an unacceptable pick. He also ran for 36 yards on 15 carries.
Meanwhile, Peasley was only 18-34 passing for 149 yards and two scores with no picks. However, he did tear up the Red Raiders with his legs as he picked up 68 yards on 15 carries with one more TD. Of course, he had the play of the game, standing in the pocket and taking a big hit while delivering Wyoming’s TD in the second OT, a fourth-down play.
What made Peasley’s night more effective than Shough’s was that he was the more composed and clutch player, as evidenced by his final pass of the game. In a game in which Shough could have easily thrown three or four interceptions, Peasley put only one ball in harm’s way, a pass that was initially intercepted by Tech’s Bralyn Lux only to have the turnover negated by a penalty.
What’s more, as Shough appeared confused and flustered by the Wyoming defense, Peasley was unaffected by what the Red Raiders did defensively. While his shortcomings as a passer were evident, he repeatedly made off-script plays to keep drives alive or pick up critical yardage.
On the other hand, when Shough was under duress, he was unable to do the same. Having a handful of passes deflected at the line and failing to step up in the pocket when the pass rush closed in, Shough was not able to lead his team to the type of momentum-grabbing plays that Peasley did.
Ultimately, Peasley is not a good quarterback. Rather, he’s a good football player who’s moonlighting as a QB, and his grit and toughness made up for his deficiencies as a passer.
Meanwhile, we all thought Shough was a good quarterback. However, he did not look the part in his 2023 debut, despite putting up acceptable statistical numbers. Hopefully, this was a one-game glitch and not a sign of what’s to come for the remainder of the season.