10 Thoughts: Texas Tech

In a game that had 125 total points and an NCAA-record 1,708 total yards - 854 on the nose for each - there can only be 10 takeaways.

So let's get right to it.

On Oklahoma’s first kick-off of the game, Curtis Bolton and Dahu Green were penalized for both wearing No. 18 on the field at the same time.

It would be nowhere near the most egregious thing to happen in this game.

Patrick Mahomes' 819 yards of total offense put Oklahoma on the wrong side of an NCAA record. Any time something of that magnitude happens, it must force a team to seriously evaluate the make-up of their defense and how it's being implemented.

Mahomes had 375 passing yards at halftime.

Before 1999, OU never had a quarterback throw for more than 341 yards in an entire game.

College football has changed drastically over that time, though. Sooner signal callers have accomplished the feat 54 times since 1999. Long gone are the days of defenses allowing fewer than 2,400 yards on an entire season.

Just how much has football changed?

Texas Tech defensive coaches screamed in excitement after Oklahoma kicked a field goal to get to 23 points with six minutes left in the first half.

Part of the "evolution" of the game has seen college football match-ups like this one last well over four hours.

If you tuned in to watch a full nine innings of the Cubs series-clinching win over the Dodgers in game six of the NLCS, which started at nearly the exact same time as Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech, you could still flip over to Fox to catch the entire fourth quarter.

And some people say baseball is too slow.

Also, I'm shocked that lifelong Cubs fan Eddie Radosevich didn't involuntarily streak across the field in Lubbock following the final out.

Oklahoma’s 66 points would have beaten Texas Tech’s basketball team 10 times a year ago.

OU's defense has struggled on third downs all season. Coming into Saturday night's game, the unit was 74th in the nation allowing a 40% conversion rate.

They were frighteningly worse tonight.

Texas Tech converted 20 of 25 third down attempts (80%).

Their average third down distance was 7.4 yards.

Tech was a perfect 7 for 7 on third and longs.

Mahomes on third down: 16/19, 263 yards (13.8 yards per attempt).

The Red Raiders averaged 10.0 yards per carry on third downs.

When Mahomes hit a 41-yard touchdown to Jonathan Giles on 3rd & 16, this was essentially Sooner nation's reaction.

Can you imagine Mike Stoops’ face when he saw SMU held Houston to 16 points?

2017 South Grand Prairie (Texas) five-star safety Jeffrey Okudah tweeting about a No. 16 Oklahoma game at Texas Tech while No. 2 Ohio State was in the middle of a contentious road struggle against Penn State at the same time may mean nothing, but it’s also not the worst sign ever for a guy seen as such a strong Ohio State lean.

And it is not hard to imagine OU’s pitch to Okudah after allowing 734 passing yards to Patrick Mahomes. I believe the words “we," "need," and "you” will likely be heard.

Outside of one taunting penalty and nearly throwing an interception back across his body on the subsequent play, Baker Mayfield was un-phased by a Lubbock crowd that came especially equipped with nasty intentions.

Four-letter words were used in chants, "Traitor" shirts were worn, but none of it seemed to bother the one-time Texas Tech quarterback and Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in his return to Jones AT&T Stadium.

In fact, it was a masterful performance, as Mayfield threw for a school-record seven touchdowns on 545 yards and no interceptions. Oklahoma would ultimately need each and every one of those scores.

You know that record is made all the more sweet for a guy like Mayfield by happening against that team and in front of that crowd.

It was a moment when the former Red Raider and Sooner walk-on's career had come full circle.

There was a play that was emblematic of it all - Mayfield rolled to his right and hit Nick Basquine for a 23-yard touchdown pass just before halftime and that football touched the hands of nothing but players that came to FBS football as walk-ons.

Erick Wren to Baker Mayfield to Nick Basquine.

Mayfield's job is made easier by an electric supporting cast.

Dede Westbrook and Joe Mixon combined for 579 yards from scrimmage against Texas Tech.

In Westbrook's last four games, he has 776 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

That yardage alone would be the 19th best season in Oklahoma history. The junior college transfer also becomes just the 10th Sooner to have 10 receiving touchdowns in a single season.

Mixon became just the third player in the last 20 years to run for 200 yards in a game and add over 100 through the air -- cumulating in five touchdowns.

Both guys made themselves some money tonight.

This was all done with Samaje Perine on the sideline and tight end Mark Andrews only adding 24 receiving yards. It's a reminder of the stress this personnel can put on defenses and makes you wonder just how on earth defensive coordinators stop them all when healthy.