Jake Strong looked just like Texas Tech fans should expect a true freshman to look
There is no way to sugarcoat the fact that Jake Strong’s three consecutive second-half interceptions were why the Red Raiders lost this game. However, it is hard to be too upset with the true freshman because he played just like one should expect a true freshman to play, especially when he’s making his NCAA debut against a good Big 12 team.
Strong showed some nice signs, especially on the 99-yard third-quarter TD drive that gave Tech its only lead of the game, 21-17. He ended the game 16-28 for 163 yards and a TD throught he air and 54 yards on the ground (all on one carry) and that’s all you can ask of a true freshman who had to throw his first career passes in a relief role against the defending Big 12 champions.
The best moment from Strong was when he stood in the pocket and delivered the TD pass to Jerand Bradley despite taking a huge hit from a blitzing linebacker. He also had some nice completions to Myles Price over the middle of the field and Coy Eakin down the sideline.
The problem is that Tech put too much on his shoulders. Asking him to throw 28 passes in his first half of college football is just too much.
Strong was fearless in his debut and he showed that he is capable of playing at this level. However, he also made three critical mistakes and that’s what you expect of a true freshman who had never set foot on the field as a Red Raider before.
Meanwhile, KSU’s true freshman QB, Avery Johnson (who was not making his college debut) had a career day with 5 rushing TDs and 91 yards on 12 carries. He was also 8/9 passing but it was sure convenient for him to be able to use his legs as his primary weapon, something that Strong didn’t have the luxury of.