For the second year in a row, Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire had some strong words coming out of the season opener.
Last year, McGuire challenged the Red Raider fans to either be all in or all out after the double-overtime loss to Wyoming. On Monday, McGuire had to answer more questions about the team's defensive efforts in the 52-51 overtime win over Abilene Christian last Saturday.
Throughout camp, McGuire and the other Texas Tech coaches spoke highly of the team's depth and performance on the defensive end. During the team's scrimmages, it wasn't the high-powered offense that came away as the talking point. It was the defense's ability to shut those skill players down.
So how did the Red Raiders give up 615 yards of offense to the Wildcats in Jones AT&T Stadium? McGuire isn't quite sure.
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"There's no person more frustrated than me," McGuire said. "... I would say I was shocked of how we played."
Most of ACU's offensive success came through the air. Maverick McIvor, one of several former Red Raiders leading the Wildcat offense, threw for 506 yards and three touchdowns, completing 71% of his pass attempts.
"They had a really good game plan," McGuire said, "and we played like dog crap."
McGuire attributed some of the Red Raiders' defensive issues to the absence of No. 1 cornerback Bralyn Lux, who missed the game with a thigh injury. He loosely compared Lux's impact on the defense to that of Deion Sanders with the Dallas Cowboys .
Texas Tech's defense also has some other injury issues with the loss of two outside linebackers with Joseph Adedire and Dylan Spencer being out for the season with knee injuries.
McGuire said the players entered the team facility on Sunday with good attitudes. Despite the performance, they are trying to look at the bright side of it.
"They were frustrated," McGuire said, "but you never can apologize for winning. ... As bad as I feel right now, trust me, I'd feel ten times worse losing that game."
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: McGuire not mincing words on Texas Tech football's defensive performance
