2nd half collapse dooms Gophers

With a 28-0 lead the Gophers were looking for a big upset over Texas Tech but the second half proved to be a reality check, as the Red Raiders tied the game at 38 with no time left. Tech won the game 44-41 in overtime.

Everything went the Gophers’ way in the first half. It began with the first possession of the game when Texas Tech turned the ball over on downs near midfield. Minnesota took advantage of the field position and promptly scored a touchdown. The Minnesota defense forced turnovers on each of the Red Raiders’ next three possessions which led to three more Minnesota touchdowns. Even the one turnover by Minnesota turned out OK, as the Tech interceptor fumbled the ball into the end zone and the Gophers recovered for a touchback. It was 35-7 at halftime.

However, all that excitement was only a buildup for a monumental collapse in the second half. The Red Raiders are well known for their passing attack and they used it to the fullest extent the rest of the way. Graham Harrell threw 55 times and completed 36 of them for 445 yards. In the end, Texas Tech had 90 more yards in total offense than the Gophers.

To add to the shock and misery for the Gophers, it took a 52-yard field goal by the Raiders to send the game into overtime.

Yes, Bryan Cupito had some very good passing stats, completing 61% of his passes for 263 yards. Jack Simmons made the most of his starting opportunity with seven receptions for 134 yards. And Amir Pinnix had 179 yards rushing. However, nearly all of those great numbers were tallied in the first half. The offense folded when the game was on the line.

Defensively, it was the same story. Minnesota had an interception and two fumble recoveries in the first half. The defense came up empty in forcing turnovers or much else in the second half.

Unfortunately, this kind of collapse has been an all-too-common occurrence over the years when the Gophers face a high-powered offense like this one. Still, it doesn’t make it any easier to watch.

The Gopher defense feeds off the turnover. When they didn’t come it got ugly. The offense still could have bailed them out. Instead, they went into their own funk.

As it turned out, the Red Raiders deserved this win. They showed the determination in every aspect of the game to overcome those early mistakes. The Gophers merely proved again that they don’t know how to finish off dangerous teams like Tech.