The Texas Tech football team is currently in the midst of its bye week. But when the team returns to action next week, the schedule offers an opportunity for the defense to get right.
Entering the 2018 Texas Tech football season, most expected the Red Raider defense to take a huge step forward under 4th year defensive coordinator. However, that has not come to fruition for a number of reasons.
Injuries to defensive backs Jah’Shawn Johnson and Octavius Morgan and a a schedule front loaded with high-powered offenses has made life tough for defensive coordinator David Gibbs. Fortunately, the upcoming schedule offers an opportunity for the defense to take a step forward.
The first four FBS teams Texas Tech has faced this season are averaging 43.9 points per game. Ole Miss is ranked No. 38 in the nation, Houston is ranked 2nd, Oklahoma State is ranked 13th and West Virginia is ranked 21st overall in that category.
Meanwhile, the remaining seven opponents on the schedule are averaging just 30 points per game. Of those teams, only Oklahoma (No. 2 overall) is ranked in the top 40 nationally in scoring.
That bodes well for a Texas Tech defense ranked 91st in the country in points allowed. Tech’s 31 points per game surrendered is second-to-last in the Big 12 and if you take away the shutout of FCS weakling Lamar, Tech’s points per game allowed jumped to 38.7.
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When the Red Raiders return to the field on Thursday, October 11th, they will be seeing a TCU team that is scoring just 31.6 points per game. What’s more, the Frogs could be without their starting QB Shawn Robinson who suffered a shoulder injury Saturday in a 17-14 win over Iowa State.
Tech then returns home on October 20th to take on a Kansas squad that is tied for 7th in the Big 12 in scoring at just 28.8 points per game. The Jayhawks are throwing for only 175 yards per contest meaning they are ill-equipped to threaten the suspect Texas Tech secondary.
The next week brings a road trip to Iowa State. The Cyclones are last in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.5 points per game. They rank last in the league in total offense and rank in the bottom three in the league in nearly every significant offensive category.
This three-week stretch of the schedule comes at a perfect time for the Texas Tech football team. With starting quarterback Alan Bowman recovering from a collapsed lung, the Red Raider quarterback situation is uncertain at best.
Regardless of whether Jett Duffey or McLane Carter fill in for Bowman, it seems highly unlikely that Tech’s offense can continue to put up the type of numbers it has thus far. Therefore, the defense may have to carry the load until Bowman returns or the next man up finds his footing.
October will be a critical month for the Red Raiders. If the defense can figure out how to finally start putting complete games together, rather than waiting until the second half to meet expectations, and the offense returns to form with a healthy Alan Bowman, the Red Raiders could finish the season strong in November.