West Virginia (5-4, Big 12 2-4) and No. 12 Texas Tech (8-1, Big 12 5-1) battled until the end in Lubbock, Texas, this past Saturday, but the Red Raiders ultimately came out on top.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley met with the media Tuesday, saying the team must be better at finishing the game. Read more: Coach Rodriguez and Alley overview loss to Texas Tech, set sights on Kansas.
Offensively, the Mountaineers performed well through the first three quarters, putting together leads over the Red Raiders at the end of the first and third quarters. A scoreless fourth quarter for WVU paved the way for Texas Tech to finish on top.
With Kansas (3-6, Big 12 1-5) up next, WVU will now set its focus on the Jayhawks in its efforts to become bowl eligible. Both coaches set the scene for what it needs to do better, with Rodriguez even praising the defensive ability of the next opponent.
Offensive battle
Michael Hawkins Jr. and Texas Tech quarterback Michael Castellanos were both effective passers this past Saturday. Both passed for over 300 yards, with Castellanos having his best game so far with 363 yards and 5 passing touchdowns.
Related: Hawkins’ heroics fall short as WVU drops 53-48 shootout to No. 15 Texas Tech
Coach Rodriguez gave credit to Castellanos for his performance and stated the need for WVU to stop the opposing team’s passing game.
“Castellanos, like I said the last game, was a good player,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve had, unfortunately, a tendency to make the other quarterback look really, really good, and we got to get better at that.”
Rodriguez also gave praise to his offense, stating that Hawkins is an “athletic quarterback,” and Cam Cook is a “really good running back that can run.”
Overall, WVU had many moments where it saw the offense thrive. Coach Rodriguez acknowledged the fourth quarter was where it ultimately fell short.
“I thought our guys were pretty focused, dialed in offensively, especially in the first three quarters,” Rodriguez said. “Played really well and didn’t play well in the fourth quarter.”
WVU outscored Texas Tech 21-0 in the third quarter, holding the lead headed into the final 15 minutes of play. However, the Red Raiders responded by shutting out the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter 12-0 and winning the game 53-48.
While the end wasn’t the desired outcome, Rodriguez had positive remarks about how WVU matched up with one of the nation’s top-ranked teams.
“Kind of went toe-to-toe with one of the better teams in the league at their place in a tough environment and had opportunities to win a game, but we didn’t finish it,” Rodriguez said. “So we’ve got to learn what we can do to get better for it.”
Defense still not meeting expectations
Coach Rodriguez was not afraid to admit it. He said defensively in the game, “Unfortunately, it’s the same story as a lot of other games.”
Overall, Rodriguez can see that the defense is frustrated. His message was that it still needs to find a way to fight and win.
“Our defensive guys just looked kind of dejected, which you can almost understand. You know, you’re playing awful, but you’ve got to fight through that,” said Rodriguez.
In the fourth quarter, WVU saw two crucial pass interference penalties called against it, which helped Texas Tech start to dig out of its deficit. Alley brought up the effect of those calls.
“We get the two PIs, we’re in position. He throws a terrible ball on both of them, they’re underthrown 10 yards. And, you know, good coverage plus a bad ball equals PI,” said Alley. “So we gotta do a better job of finishing when we have the opportunity to do it.”
Following the field goal scored on the drive with two pass interferences, the Red Raiders found its go ahead touchdown shortly after. Coach Alley talked about the need to get to the play and stop it.
“We tried to rush it, but we weren’t good enough, you know. As far as the soundness in how we were rushing them, you know,” Alley said. “I wish I had brought everybody; we dropped one guy off in that one to try and play the under that was coming across on the fourth and three.
In the loss, Coach Rodriguez took accountability for needing to help the defensive coaches more while also holding the defensive coaches accountable to what they need to do for players.
“I got to do a better job of trying to do whatever I can to help our defensive coaches out. And our defensive coaches got to do a better job of helping our players out,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez thoughts on Kansas
WVU’s next opponent, Kansas, has had similar issues WVU has faced. Both teams theoretically could have a better record, but have struggled to close the game.
Related: Tale of the Tape 2.0 – Kansas
Coach Rodriguez did not downplay Kansas despite its 1-5 conference record. He sees the team as one that can present a strong defensive performance against the Mountaineers.
“Their record should be flipped without question. I mean, you talk about – I mean, close, close,” Rodriguez said. “And I remember telling myself, man, they’re really athletic. And defense, I was watching more defense than offense. Their defense has athletes everywhere.”
Kansas has a strong defensive end in Leroy Harris III. Currently, he is third in the Big 12 in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (6.5).
Rodriguez showed praise for the kind of player Harris is.
“I mean, this guy’s an NFL guy. I mean, he’s big, got long arms, really aggressive. He’s got a great get-off,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a problem. I mean, he’s a guy that’s made a lot of plays for them.”
WVU serves as host to Kansas Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium for the first game of its last home stretch. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
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