Texas Tech football: Tight win over UCF sends Red Raiders bowling

Gus Malzahn’s brain cramp saves Texas Tech

One huge moment in this game came on the final drive of the first half.  With the game tied at 14, UCF head coach Gus Malzahn had a huge brain cramp that cost his team an almost certain three points, and that was critical in a one-point Red Raider win.

Throughout the first half, Malzahn was forced to burn all of his timeouts when his team was disorganized or running out of time on the play clock.  Thus, when the Knights got to the Tech five-yard line with a first-and-goal, they were pressed to make the most of the 34 seconds on the clock.

However, Malzahn made a strange call on second down with just 12 seconds remaining.  He called for a shovel pass into the teeth of the Tech defense.

The Red Raiders were able to sniff it out and make the stop.  Thus, when the defense took its sweet time to get up off of the pile, UCF had no time left to spike the ball and stop the clock in order to set up for a field goal.

For much of the season, McGuire has been openly questioned for his game management but last week, he won the Kansas game with the way he orchestrated the final two possessions. On Saturday, it was Malzahn’s bungling of the end of the first half that led to a Red Raider win.

By wasting all of his timeouts early in the half and then trying to get too cute on second-and-goal of the final drive, he set his team up to fail.  That’s certainly going to be something he will have to answer for this week.