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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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Running back Ean Beeks #2 of the Houston Baptist Huskies runs the ball during the first half of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on September 12, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Running back Ean Beeks #2 of the Houston Baptist Huskies runs the ball during the first half of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on September 12, 2020 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

The numbers reveal just how criminally bad the secondary was

There was no indication on Saturday that the remodeled secondary is any better off than it was a year ago.  In fact, it now appears that the reshuffling of the pieces back there was akin to rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

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We talked prior to the game about the need for this team to stop surrendering so many chunk plays.  Tech was second-to-last in the NCAA in 2019 by giving up 59 passes of 20 or more yards, an average of 4.9 per game.  Saturday, that number was even higher.

In addition to a 75-yard and two 65-yard TD passes, the Red Raiders also allowed completions of 45, 30, and 27 yards.  In all, there were eight HBU passes of 20 or more yards.

What’s more, Tech allowed three 100-yard receivers, including one, Josh Sterns, that went for 209.  Oh, and he is a true freshman.

But perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that seven Husky receivers averaged over 10 yards per catch.  That group was led by Sterns’ 41.8-yard average.

If there is any hope for improvement, it’s that a disproportionate amount of these huge plays came as a result of alignment miscues on the part of the Tech secondary.  At times, it looked as if the Red Raider defensive backs had never scouted the Huskies and were left simply bewildered by the slightest changes in offensive formations.

Related Story. Statistical goals for the 2020 defense. light

Theoretically, mental mistakes are more correctable than are physical limitations and that could give Red Raider fans a modicum of hope moving forward.  But in the end, not much of what we saw from the secondary, or the defense as a whole, left us thinking that 2020 is going to be any better than 2019.  In fact, we are now having to face the very real possibility that it will be even worse.

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