With all eyes on Lubbock, Texas, this week, there might have been a concern that the moment was too big for this Red Raider team. BYU has demonstrated that no moment would be too big for them. Nor would any deficit deter Kalani Sitake’s team from fighting to the bitter end. But with the crowd providing an extra shot of energy, the Texas Tech defense turned in its best performance of the entire season. Despite a lackluster offensive performance, the game never felt in doubt as the Red Raiders took down BYU by a score of 29-7.
Missed Opportunities by Red Raider Offense
It was a frustrating day for the Texas Tech offense. BYU’s defense deserves plenty of praise. Their physicality was on display all game. Even with BYU’s defense challenging Mack Leftwich’s offense, it was a story of failures in the red zone for Texas Tech. Coming into the game, it was no secret that quarterback Behren Morton is playing at less than 100%. A healthy rushing attack would allow them to control the game and limit BYU’s possessions. While there was only one big gain from J’Koby Williams on the ground, the commitment to the rushing attack paid off. Cameron Dickey led the way with 23 carries for 121 rushing yards and one touchdown. Removing the sack yards from Morton, this team ran the ball for 198 yards and 36 carries. While the rushing attack did its job, this offense left a ton of points on the field.
The Red Raiders had seven drives inside of BYU’s 20-yard line. Texas Tech also had one stall out on BYU’s 21-yard line. The Red Raiders only scored two touchdowns out of the seven trips. Drops from the wide receivers killed a few of those drives. Some of Morton’s best passes hit his receivers in the best possible spot, but they couldn’t secure them. Hopefully, the coaching staff has plenty of ice for kicker Stone Harrington. He went a perfect five-for-five on his field goal attempts, in addition to being two-for-two on PATs.
Cougar Offense Caged
Freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has demonstrated incredible poise and playmaking ability this year. But this Texas Tech defense put Bachmeier in a pressure cooker he hadn’t experienced in his debut season. It’s no secret the Cougars want to establish their offense through the run. Having LJ Martin was supposed to give the ground game a boost. But it did not matter who tried to run the ball at this Texas Tech defense. BYU finished the game with 27 carries for only 67 yards. Bachmeier had a season high in pass attempts with 38, completing only 23 for 188 yards and one touchdown. The lack of a rushing threat allowed this elite pass rush from the Red Raiders to pin their ears back.
David Bailey’s presence from the very first drive of the game set the tone for this defense. The official Heisman campaign for linebacker Jacob Rodriguez got a major boost with his performance today. He would finish the game with 14 tackles, one TFL, an interception, and a fumble recovery. This Texas Tech defense pitched a shutout for three-and-a-half quarters. BYU just had 137 yards of total offense before their only touchdown drive of the game in the fourth quarter. The Cougars would finish with 255 yards of offense.
Texas Tech Defense Carried the Day; What’s Next
The Red Raiders controlled this game for all four quarters. If the Red Raiders secure one of two touchdown passes before halftime and just one of Harrington’s field goals is a touchdown drive, this is a final score of 40-7. Joey McGuire’s team is now 9-1 for the first time since 2008. Texas Tech now has a very firm grip on a ticket to Arlington to play for a Big 12 championship. The only thing left is for this team to finish the job. It is now a matter of the coaches preventing any complacency from setting in before the job is done. Texas Tech welcomes UCF to Lubbock next week for Senior Day before going into their second bye week.
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