Most of the night, it appeared as though Texas Tech had the upper hand. Their crime was prematurely in-rhythm, their defense harmed Arizona State's error. Their special teams were in the background with good field position. However, at the worst time, the Red Raiders disintegrated - they lost 2622, which will hurt them even several weeks.
This breakdown started towards the end of the fourth quarter. With a slim margin, Texas Tech changed to an overly conservative style. The coaching staff overused foreseeable inside running as opposed to pushing toward first downs and balanced plays when the defense of Arizona State read them very easily. The result? Two halted drives that granted ASU its time and hope in the offense.
Implementation mistakes were an addition. The quarterback was exposed to pressure due to missed blocking assignments on crucial third downs. Thus, he had to make rushed throws and incompletions.
There was a false start penalty that changed a manageable 3rd-and-4 to 3rd-and-9 on one vital possession, which resulted in a punt. These little errors culminated, and ASU got the impetus to make a comeback.
The management of time was also significant. Texas Tech did not run the clock effectively and gave Arizona State ample time to make a final drive. Having less than two minutes remaining. ASU received the ball and confidently rushed into the field to score the finishing point of the game by a touchdown.
The loss casts actual doubts on the ability of Texas Tech to manage pressure in a game. Their defense, which had been doing a great job at the major part of the night, seemed to be tired and missed the beat at a time when they were needed the most.
In a team that is ranked within the top 10, this kind of lapse may prove expensive. The Red Raiders failed to close the deal and turned what would have been an easy win into a sour loss.
To be playoff contenders, Texas Tech should not repeat this failure. But it needs to learn not to panic, but to stay calm when its time becomes a reality in the coming weeks.