When the two teams were warming up before Saturday night’s 47th annual Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, a Texas Tech staff member walked throughout the skill position groups saying only one thing.
“Ball security!”
“Ball security!”
“Ball security!”
And then the Raiders went out and fumbled the opening kickoff.
So much for that mantra.
But after that little hiccup, it didn’t take long for something else to become secure – the win.
And with that came the next-most important thing – post-game trophy security. That’s always been a concern since 2011 when the Missouri mascot knocked over the crystal trophy and broke it.
Once again, mission accomplished for Texas Tech. Which makes sense, but because the Red Raiders did just about everything right.
As the Red Raiders began to show dominance through the second quarter (a 9-1 advantage in first downs) things got to be so routine that the Tech fans didn’t even bother to throw tortillas on the field, as is their tradition. Either their arms were getting tired or they were hungry.
Meanwhile, the Texas Tech horse, which is part of the school’s Masked Rider program, turned in early. There was no racing across the field as is the Red Raider custom.
Maybe this is the reason why: It was a substitute horse. A deep-dive Journal investigation has learned that Buzz, who is officially known as Centennial Champion, was back in Lubbock doing whatever it is that nine-year-old quarterhorse geldings do on a Saturday night. (Let’s don’t find out and say we did.)
If the Independence Bowl had been a 16-second game instead of a 60-minute game, you’d have loved Cal’s chances. The Golden Bears came out on fire with a lot of pep in their collective steps. When the kicker, of all people, came out of the pile with a recovered kickoff to start the game, it looked good fortune was going to smile on Cal.
The Bears scored on the next play, and then two teams started trading touchdowns.
But the Golden Bears’ boat began taking on water in the second quarter when they had a three-and-out and all of the momentum they had up until that point seemed to have run out.
From there almost nothing went right, including the mascot race during a second-quarter time out. Each team’s grotesquely large-headed mascot plus a bunch of menu items from a fast-foot restaurant lined up at the 40-yard line and raced to the end zone to prove that we truly will watch anything that is put in front of our eyes.
Of course the Red Raider won. You try running dressed like a giant soft-serve ice cream cone.
If they really wanted some quality competition, they should have put the Masked Rider and Buzz out there. Gitcha summa dat!
It’s dealer’s choice as to whether this game was good Texas Tech or bad Cal in this game. One looked like it couldn’t do anything wrong and the other couldn’t do anything right.
Cal scored on two of its first three possessions and got to the Texas Tech 5 on the other. From there, the Bears ran all of six plays in Texas Tech territory.
About all Texas Tech did wrong was miss an after-the-fact field goal and an end zone interception, which Cal gave right back four plays later with an interception.
“The margins in winning and losing are so very slim,” said Cal head coach Justin Wilcox. “The margins between average football and good football are slim. And (between) good football and great football are even slimmer. You don’t get second chances. When the play is done, it’s done. We’ve got to do a better job of winning in those margins.”
Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com