Wreck'Em Red
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Texas Tech football: Red Raiders will beat Kansas tonight if…

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - OCTOBER 20: Ta'Zhawn Henry #26 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders gets by Keith Loneker Jr. #47 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the game on October 20, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas 48-16. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - OCTOBER 20: Ta'Zhawn Henry #26 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders gets by Keith Loneker Jr. #47 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the game on October 20, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Kansas 48-16. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

…KU has no more than one 40-yard plays

Big plays have been a huge problem for the Red Raider defense this fall.  If that continues, Kansas can pull the upset tonight.

Tech has surrendered more 40-yard plays (15) than all but three teams in the nation and more than any Power 5 school.  Last week alone, Iowa State had four plays that went for at least that many yards and what’s more, two of their five touchdowns were at least 30 yards in length while another went for 24.

The Jayhawks are just 68th in the nation in plays of 40-plus yards with 7 but they have players capable of taking it the distance.  Most notably is sophomore RB Pooka Williams.

One of the most electrifying players in the nation, the Louisiana native is a concern.  Now that he’s playing in the spread offense for the second week following KU’s change in offensive coordinators, there’s going to be even more room for Pooka to operate in space, which is where he’s at his best.

Fans might be encouraged by thinking back to Tech’s lone Big 12 win when the Red Raider defense kept two of the nation’s most prolific big-play threats in check.  Oklahoma State RB Chuba Hubbard, who currently tops in the nation with 14 runs of over 20 yards, had just one such run against the Red Raiders.  Meanwhile, wide receiver Tylan Wallace, who is 7th in the nation with 14 catches of 20-plus yards was held to just 7.7 yards per catch with his longest being just 14.

That’s what we need to see from the Red Raiders tonight.  Though DC Keith Patterson’s scheme is going to put is players at risk of being burned from time to time, there’s no reason for KU to have the type of success when it comes to big plays as most teams have had against the Red Raiders this fall.  Outside of Pooka, the Jayhawks don’t have the type of weapons that should chew up yards in chunks but breakdowns by the defense can always lead to huge plays by any offense.

Tech needs to allow no more than one 40-yard play.  Doing so will force the home team to sustain drives and earn every point the hard way, which is something that they’ve not proven capable of doing with any consistency in 2019.

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