Texas Tech Football: Defense must show up against Longhorns

Texas Tech Football ranks No. 2 nationally in offense, and No. 126 nationally in defense — second to last in the country. That defense will have to step up in the rivalry game with Texas.

Fresh off a much needed bye week, Texas Tech defensive coordinator David Gibbs has one more regular season game to show improvements.

Whenever you look on individual or personal offensive statistic boards for college football, you see Texas Tech football players fly off the pages. Including Texas Tech sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who ranks No. 3 nationally in passing with 314 completions of 478 attempts for 3,911 yards, 31 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and 17 sacks, for a total quarterback rating of 150.4.

As I was browsing through college football statistics, no other team in the nation struck me as being more lopsided in terms of offensive and defensive production, than the Red Raiders. This was obviously something first-year defensive coordinator David Gibbs knew was Tech’s biggest issue when he accepted the job last winter. But as a former Houston guy, it has to be frustrating to see so few bursts this season, especially from the front seven and defensive backs.

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But in Tech’s 59-45 victory against the Kansas State Wildcats to close out the home schedule two weeks ago, the defense set the stage in the team’s preparation for Texas. We know what the Red Raiders can do offensively, but just as the Texas Longhorns hoped to have the defense’s cards read, the Red Raiders held Kansas State to just 141 rushing yards.

This means that Texas Tech’s run defense is making improvements. And against the Longhorns’ No. 25 ranked rushing offense — which averages 4.87 yards-per-attempt, and 20 rushing touchdowns on the season — the Red Raiders’ improvements will have to go full throttle for all four quarters–if not longer (it is the Big 12, after all).

Tech defensive backs are a young group, with J.J. Gaines as its only senior, so Gibbs was given a healthy crop to work with, and mold into players that can finish games out; something that’s been lacking from Texas Tech as a whole, for many years.

While Nigel Bethel didn’t have the start he wanted this season due to a hand injury, the sophomore was able to break up three passes against the Wildcats. On an even better note, Tech finished the game with a total of nine broken up passes.

In addition to Bethel’s production, redshirt freshmen Jah’Shawn Johnson picked up his fourth fumble recovery of the season. As a unit, the defense only allowed two receiving touchdowns, and came through when Kansas State looked like it had a chance to get back in the game.

All in all, the defense hasn’t shown consistent improvements throughout the season, but to be fair, most of the guys on the team have all taken direction from multiple (if not at least four) defensive coordinators in their lifetime with the program. I see no reason why David Gibbs would depart after one season, so Texas Tech fans and players at least know head coach Kliff Kingsbury is being consistent in finding and retaining the best coaches to finally turn the program around. But with all good things, the transformation process takes time.

With the season drawing near and National Signing Day fast approaching, it’s time to start paying attention to the players who are about the enter the Big 12 as a whole, and have confidence that Texas Tech’s recruiting moxie will continue to draw in talent, and continue to develop as a disruptive threat.

Next: 50 Greatest CFB Rivalries of All Time

Texas Tech is bowl eligible, but a win in Austin will likely improve the quality of its bowl opponent. And should the Red Raiders win in the post-season, it will just be another bargaining chip for recruits.

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