Kingsbury Praises Washington, Tech DBs Worried About Vertical Attack

Texas Tech gives up 7.7 yards per pass which is inside the top 100 in the country. This stat actually looks elite compared to some of their other ones. They give up 5.8 yards per carry on the ground which is No. 125 in the country and 3.33 points per drive. It’s not pretty.

And now they face an Oklahoma State offense that seems to be getting better by the week and currently gains 9.0 yards per attempt through the air. Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury is rightfully concerned and spoke glowingly about The President.

“It’s a team that continues to find a way to win at the end,” said Kingsbury. “They’ve had some really good comebacks. Offensively, tremendous skill players. Their young running back is doing a great job. Washington is as good as anyone in the country. And their quarterback is throwing it really well. They tend to make plays when they have to. Throughout this league at the end they’ve found a way to win and that’s a credit to them.

“You have to dedicate a scheme to [Washington] .. each snap. Make sure you stay over the top. He’s going to get his catches. Don’t give up an easy one deep. It’s easier said than done because he does such a good job playing the ball in the air and they take shots. We’ll have to have an answer for him on every snap.”

“They definitely can throw and run the ball for sure,” added defensive back Justis Nelson. “They have big backs. They have experienced quarterback, they have a lot of deep threats.

“I know they definitely like to go vertical. They like to toss the ball up. So I think the key is just keeping everything in front of us, making tackles. Making them move the ball consistently just down after down. They’re a well-coached team, and they have all the talent that you need.”

OSU certainly has seemed more talented than Texas Tech in recent years. The Red Raiders haven’t beaten Oklahoma State since 2008 (pre-PFB!)

“We haven’t beat them in a long time,” said Kingsbury. “They always have a great environment. The fans are right on top of you. I think our players understand what it means and how long it has been.”

Hopefully the streak continues.