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Texas Tech football: Box score of HBU game shows serious defensive flaws

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: Jones AT&T Stadium is pictured before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: Jones AT&T Stadium is pictured before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Supporters of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrate after a failed fourth down attempt by the Houston Baptist Huskies during the first half of the college football game on September 12, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Supporters of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrate after a failed fourth down attempt by the Houston Baptist Huskies during the first half of the college football game on September 12, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

3rd down defense was again a problem

Last year, Tech allowed opponents to convert on 41.6% of their 3rd down opportunities.  That was 91st in the nation.   Saturday night, the numbers were even worse.

For the game, HBU picked up seven conversions on fifteen 3rd down opportunities.  That’s 46.6%.  To get some perspective, consider that that number would have been just 122nd in the country a season ago.

While that is better than Tech fared in some games a season ago when the defense allowed four teams to convert at least  59% of the time, it was totally unacceptable when facing an FCS opponent.  Moving forward, it is frightening to think what Big 12 offenses will be able to do on 3rd down against such an inept defense.

Overall, Zappe was 7-13 for 67 yards on third down.  That’s an average of 9.5 yards per completion on the game’s most critical down, which isn’t going to work for any defense, against any opponent.

But as we look at these 3rd down numbers, another disturbing trend develops.  As the game wore on, Tech couldn’t even seem to force HBU into a 3rd down.

In the fourth quarter, HBU had three drives.  Only once did they face a 3rd down.   That included no 3rd downs on HBU’s final two possessions.  But perhaps that was all for the best because the way this game unfolded, it wasn’t as if the Red Raiders were going to make the plays to get off the field anyway.

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