Texas Tech football: Houston Cougars that could be problems for Tech
![Sep 23, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith (1) runs with the ball on a play during the second quarter against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Sep 23, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith (1) runs with the ball on a play during the second quarter against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2f3c1124440cf6fc14e07b28f506a330318c5978e527f791760ec47b01a5bc6a.jpg)
Texas Tech fans know what QB Donovan Smith can do
The one player on the Houston roster that almost every Red Raider fan knows well is former Texas Tech QB Donovan Smith. In fact, last year, he was the one who authored Tech’s comeback win over Houston in Lubbock.
That day, he was 36-58 passing for 350 yards and two TDs through the air. Meanwhile, he ran for 31 more yards and another score.
Now, he’s leading the Cougs into Lubbock hoping for a revenge victory. But is he good enough to pull that off?
While I respect Smith as a person for the way he handled the ups and downs of his time in Lubbock, I never considered him a quality QB. Rather, he has always seemed to be more of an athlete than a true QB.
We all know about his ability to run. In fact, that is what makes him the most dangerous. This year, he’s got over 20 more carries than anyone else on his team. However, his 2.3 yards per carry average is far from impressive. Some of that is due to the fact that, for some unknown reason, QB sacks count against a QB’s rushing total.
Still, Smith is a weapon on the ground, especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations. We saw that last year when he ran for 7 TDs and this year, he’s already found the endzone three times with his feet.
However, he is also an interception machine. Last year against Houston, he was picked off three times and on just 148 pass attempts for the season, he threw eight INTs. That’s one for every 18.5 passes thrown. This year, he’s thrown three in just 94 attempts.
Houston tries to make life simple for Smith. He isn’t asked to do much more than throw swing passes and screens to set up short-yardage rushing opportunities.
He’s yet to throw for 300 yards this year so Tech would be wise to try to make him win the game with his arm. If he has to put the ball in the air in critical situations, then it is likely that he will throw it to the other team, which, this year, would be a welcome development for the Red Raiders.