PULLMAN, Wash. — In his first two seasons as Texas Tech football coach, Joey McGuire wore as a badge of pride his aggressive way of going for it on fourth down. The Red Raiders risked fourth downs, even in their own end, about as much as any team in the FBS.

Tech's points scored on series with a fourth-down conversion compared to the Red Raiders' points allowed following a turnover on downs generally justified McGuire's confidence.

The Tech coach was second-guessing himself about the strategy Saturday night, though, after Washington State took advantage of one short field after another to beat the Red Raiders 37-16 at Gesa Field.

The game turned in the second quarter when Washington State scored two touchdowns 16 seconds part to go up 21-3. The Cougars cashed in on the first play after a Red Raiders failed fourth down from their own 43-yard line and again after a Josh Kelly strip-fumble that was returned to the Tech 2.

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Tech was 1 of 5 on fourth down for the game, 1 of 3 in a first half that ended 27-10.

"One of those three we come up short, and it turns into a 14-point swing," McGuire said.

Washington State started six first-half possessions in Tech territory. To be clear, a lot more went into it than turnovers on downs. Johncarlos Miller muffed the opening kickoff, Jack Burgess shanked a punt and Morton threw an interception.

Morton also threw incomplete on a fourth down from the Tech 49, and the Red Raiders' defense responded by forcing a punt. But the next failed fourth down opened the floodgate.

"If we're not going to be better on fourth down ... ," McGuire said. "If you punt that ball, now they have a longer field to drive. We're not playing very well on defense right now either, so they have a longer field to drive.

"The first two years, we have done a really good job defensively off of missed (fourth-down) conversions, and right now, through two games, we are not doing a good job after missed conversions. It's frustrating because our philosophy is to be aggressive. We're an analytics team, and right now the numbers are coming up short for us."

The Red Raiders are breaking in new starters at seven spots on defense, eight if you count inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, who sandwiched five starts last season around an injury.

The past two years, it was a seasoned defense led by tackles Tony Bradford and Jaylon Hutchings, safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and cornerbacks Rayshad Williams and Malik Dunlap, all multi-year starters who used Covid-bonus years after their regular senior seasons.

"Last year, a lot of us had a lot of experience," senior safety C.J. Baskerville said. "We had been there before. We kind of knew how to handle it. I think with newer guys playing this year, we have to get through our heads that no matter what happens, we always have an opportunity to make something out of nothing."

Tech (1-1) piled up 491 yards compared to 416 by Washington State (2-0). With Tech's two interceptions, two fumbles lost and four turnovers on downs, however, the Cougars continually had short fields. At the point they led 34-10 in the fourth quarter, all their points had come on drives of 51 yards or shorter.

Tech quarterback Behren Morton was 34 of 58 for 323 yards passing. He was picked off twice and threw a fourth-quarter touchdown to running back Cameron Dickey.

He said he never thinks of going for fourth down as taking a big risk.

"I have full confidence in this staff," Morton said, "and especially the 11 guys out there with me. I don't go out there and think, 'This play's going to be negative.'

"I could care less if it's first down or fourth down. I'm going to execute the play the way it's supposed to be executed. Whether that's first, second, third or fourth down, that's the mentality we've got to take every time out there."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's McGuire second-guesses his 4th-down strategy