The moment happened so fast, so unexpectedly that Nic Shimonek didn’t get time to think.
He saw Patrick Mahomes II go down on the second play of Texas Tech’s second drive of the third quarter Thursday night. The Red Raiders, uncharacteristically sluggish on offense, lost their star quarterback in a flash, and Shimonek -- with one collegiate completion to his credit in three seasons before he threw for 150 yards in garbage time last month against Stephen F. Austin -- misfired on his first throw before settling in like an old pro.
"One of our sayings here," Shimonek said, "is to stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready.