Has Tech discovered some defense?
STILLWATER — The final score on Texas Tech’s win at Houston produced an eye-opening number. Not on offense. On defense.
The Red Raiders exited with a 27-24 victory, for a change putting points allowed — not points scored — positively in the spotlight.
“That’s what we’ve been searching for,” said Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Searching seemingly forever, too, dating back to Mike Leach, who mostly disdained defense during his decade at the school. During Kingsbury’s four full seasons as head coach, the Red Raiders haven’t better than No. 88 nationally in scoring defense. A year ago, they were last, No. 128, allowing 43.5 points per game. The two seasons before Tech finished 125th and 126th.
That’s why the Houston score stuck out, defensively.
These Red Raiders, who host Oklahoma State on Saturday night in Lubbock, are getting some stops. And they’re doing so in a fashion familiar to the Cowboys, securing takeaways, five in all at Houston and nine total in a 3-0 start.
“They’re a muchimproved defense,” said OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. “They’re flying around. They’re making plays. They are playing with a passion.
“Whatever they did to spark that, they did it.”
Tech has done it through third-year defensive coordinator David Gibbs, who is finally offering stability to that side of the ball. Before Gibbs arrived, the Red Raiders spun through six coordinators in six years.
The Red Raiders have also simplified things, streamlining what had been a wide variety of looks and alignments.
“That’s why I’m so excited to have Coach Gibbs for the third straight year,” Kingsbury said. “Develop a culture, develop some consistency. They understand what he’s about. Hopefully that continues to pay off.”
Now, will it? While the Houston performance was impressive, the Red Raiders were more recognizable in outlasting Arizona State 52-45 the previous week. Now Tech braces for OSU’s explosive offense, looking to add to a longrunning trend of ownership in the series.
The Cowboys have won eight straight against Tech, scoring at least 45 points in each of the past seven meetings, including 70, 52 and 66 in their last three trips to west Texas.
Still, OSU’s players notice a difference in this Red Raiders defense.
“I feel like their secondary is really good this year,” said Cowboys receiver Jalen McCleskey. “They play hard, physical. They do well running to the ball. They always have 10 or 11 players around the ball at all times, so I feel like they’re a real physical
team.”
Many of the Cowboys who played in the wild 70-53 win in Lubbock two years ago return. Mason Rudolph completed 21-of-35 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. James Washington totaled 200 receiving yards and two scores, both on bombs covering 75 and 73 yards. McCleskey struck for a 67-yard punt return touchdown.
“For us, it’s about playing to our strengths, obviously,” Yurcich said. “We want to do that. We want to play with great speed. We’ll get a good game plan together.”
For Tech, which ranks No. 86 in total defense, but No. 2 in turnover margin, the takeaways are a wild card. And the Red Raiders catch a Cowboys team coming off their worst performance of the seasons, punctuated by four turnovers.
“I couldn’t be more pleased in the way the defense is taking the ball away,” Kingsbury said. “That’s a key in our conference. That’s where we’re trying to get, to give ourselves a chance every game in the Big 12.”