Texas Tech 65, KU 19: Key moments, players and grades

Keys to the game

Kansas: Defensive end Dorance Armstrong easily had his best game of 2017, tying for the team lead with nine tackles while also forcing a fumble and recovering it. He also registered his first sack of the year after posting 10 last season.

Texas Tech: Defensive back Justus Parker had two of the game’s biggest plays, forcing a Chase Harrell fumble and returning it for a touchdown before later adding an interception on a tipped pass.

KU was down 16 in the third quarter with possession when Harrell caught a short pass but failed to secure it, dropping the ball that was returned by Parker for a Texas Tech touchdown. That started a 30-0 Red Raiders run.

The grades

F

It was the worst effort of the season for a KU offense that had previously shown significant improvement. Four turnovers only made matters worse, and the coaches appear to now have a quarterback controversy after pulling Peyton Bender after the second quarter following two inaccurate red-zone throws.

F

Texas Tech’s offense is good, and KU’s offense didn’t do the defense any favors ... but still, 65 points is the fourth-most points given up by an FBS team this season. The Jayhawks defense had too many communication breakdowns on the back end, and it once again played worst when things mattered most, allowing three straight touchdown drives to start the game. The Red Raiders finished with 7.6 yards per play and 10.7 yards per pass attempt — numbers that could have been worse if their backups hadn’t played in the fourth quarter.

C

The goods and bads seemed to even out here. Cole Moos had a nice punt that was downed at the Texas Tech 1 by Tyler Patrick, but he also dropped the snap on a point-after attempt. Gabriel Rui made a 41-yard field goal, but the kickoff coverage allowed two long returns in the second half. Yes, it could have been better, but it also could have been much worse for KU’s special teams.

F

This one’s simple: KU was a 15-point underdog and lost by 46. On Homecoming. After a bye week. In other games, KU’s coaches could point to fluky turnovers or unfortunate breaks that changed the momentum. There shouldn’t be any talk of that after this one, as KU was dominated in nearly every facet.

This story was originally published October 7, 2017 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Texas Tech 65, KU 19: Key moments, players and grades."