Texas Tech football: What can we expect from Year 1 of Matt Wells?
By John Scimeca
Could turnover margin be on the rise in Lubbock?
Former Utah State defensive coordinator Keith Patterson followed Wells to Lubbock and hopes to bring some of his success with him.
The Aggies had 22 interceptions and 32 takeaways overall last year (tied for the best mark in the country), so the hope is that Texas Tech’s talented, though inexperienced, secondary can take advantage of these new opportunities in an aggressive defensive scheme.
The Red Raiders allowed more than 288 passing yards per game in 2018, which was the second-worst mark in the NCAA (behind only Oklahoma, interestingly enough). It’s tough to keep with some of the Big 12’s potent passing attacks, and the difficulty is compounded by the number of possessions that Tech’s defense is forced to face in each game.
Returning inside linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Riko Jeffers, who combined for 144 tackles last year, will likely provide the building block for the Red Raiders’ defense. The unit overall returns only four starters and will likely look different under Patterson’s watch.
Kicker Clayton Hatfield, who made every extra point and was 7-for-7 on field goals longer than 40 yards, must be replaced this season.