Coming into a game with two top ten offenses nationally it was critical to get off to a great start. Both teams were expected to score around 80 points combined which gave everyone the feeling that they need to having a scoring drive on nearly every possession. This is why the start to the game on Saturday could not have been much worse for the Red Raiders. With three minutes left in the first quarter the Red Raiders were down 21-0.
Digging yourself this deep a hole against a very good team and one of the top offenses in the nation gives you absolutely no margin for error.