They always say football is a game of inches.
But if that simple statement was ever in doubt, Texas Tech and its sophomore quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, can attest that it is indeed true after Saturday’s loss to TCU.
It was fourth-and-goal at the four yard line, and TCU needed a touchdown to avoid losing for the first time this year. Here is the play that won them the game:
Had Trevone Boykin’s last-second pass been an inch or two higher, Josh Doctson would not have been able to get a hand on it. Had the ball caromed off of Doctson’s hand a tad harder and bounced a few inches farther, Aaron Green would have either not been able to get to the ball or not get his foot in bounds.
And then, who knows, maybe a few more inches would have benefitted the Red Raiders in some way on their tremendous last-ditch effort as time expired. Here’s how that play went down:
But just as Texas Tech’s upset aspirations were eradicated with the Horned Frogs’ late-game fortunate, so was Mahomes’ hope of becoming a dark horse Heisman candidate.
Had the Red Raiders finished off TCU, he would have been in a perfect position. He and his teammates would have been riding high after a monumental upset, and another win against Baylor next week might have cemented them as a Big 12 contender.
The upset would have been in large part to Mahomes, and it would have been done when he was nowhere close to full strength. After a first-quarter collision, he played the remainder of the game with a noticeable limp. It hampered him in several ways, but most notably his mobility. He was not able to move around in the pocket, extend plays and scramble like he has done so adroitly in his career.
But even playing at half strength – and that’s generous – he was terrific. At times it was downright painful just to watch Mahomes move around, but he still managed to complete 25-of-45 pass attempts, throw for two touchdowns, run for another and convert several third and fourth-down tries.
So he would have had a signature victory – maybe two if he could have beaten TCU and Baylor – outstanding passing and rushing statistics, and the legend of beating TCU on a day that it took sheer will and fortitude to run and he didn’t have his legs to contribute to his throwing delivery.
In a year where running backs are stealing all of the Heisman discussion and big-time quarterbacks are not as prevalent as they have been in the past, a victory over the Horned Frogs might have catapulted Mahomes into the conversation.
Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who has played with and coaches numerous high-caliber quarterbacks, spoke highly of Mahomes after the game.
“Just gutsy,” Kingsbury said, via Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News. “He wasn’t feeling great. He wasn’t moving around like he normally does. He wasn’t stepping into throws like he normally does, but he hung in there, made some throws and gave us a chance to win.”
Running back DeAndre Washington, who rushed for a career-high 188 yards and four touchdowns himself, was very complimentary of his teammate.
“Pat is a soldier,” Washington, the Big 12’s leading rusher, said, per Carlton. “The energy he plays with – the spirit – not only does he get the offense going, he gets the whole team going. Just to see him going out there, sacrificing his body the way he does and making those special plays, man, it’s an energy you can’t really explain. Like I say, he’s a soldier. I’m glad we got him as our quarterback.”
Red Raider nation is glad that Mahomes is on their side, too.
Before he leaves, he is going to elevate Texas Tech football to a pedestal that it hasn’t been since the dynamic combination of Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree teamed with offensive guru Mike Leach to bring a level of prominence to West Texas that it had arguably never seen.
Fast forward to 2015, and it’s the same storyline but different characters. Patrick Mahomes is firing passes around the yard to a host of speedy receivers and utilizing talented running backs Washington and Justin Stockton, while Kingsbury plays the part of college football’s most handsome and popular head coach.
The Red Raiders travel to Arlington’s AT&T Stadium next weekend to play Baylor. And you can bet that after Tech came oh so close to knocking off third-ranked TCU, the Bears are going to come into the game knowing they need to fire on all cylinders to win.
After the game, Kingsbury said he did not know the severity of Mahomes’ injury, but hopefully he can get back to full strength this week. If he does, expect the Red Raiders to put on an offensive clinic against the Bears defense, which is possibly even more vanilla than the Horned Frogs’ depleted unit.
Baylor struggled with SMU in the first half of the season opener – a game in which the Bears led only 28-21 at half time – and then gave up 31 points to Lamar.
You can bet that the Red Raiders will come into that game with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
So even though Texas Tech was not able to finish off Mahomes’ potential Heisman moment, Kingsbury still has a phenomenal quarterback on his hands. Mahomes has blossomed in Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense and Lubbock will continue to reap the rewards of Mahomes’ greatness.
He probably won’t win the Heisman this year, but he’s a warrior, a soldier and overall just a special player.
Which is all the Red Raiders need to take the next step to compete with the Big 12’s elite teams and, eventually, contend for conference championships.