Texas Tech football: Statistical reasons Tech lost to UT

The defense couldn’t stop the run

We entered Saturday wondering just what the Texas Tech run defense would look like when finally challenged in 2020.  What we found out was not encouraging.

The Red Raiders surrendered 214 yards and a pair of TDs on the ground.  What’s more, Texas averaged an unacceptable 4.5 yards per carry.

Leading the way for UT was RB Keontay Ingram, who averaged 7.4 yards per rush on his way to 89 total.  Given those numbers, it’s a wonder why Texas didn’t give him more than the 12 carries that he got.

Also finding too much room to run was QB Sam Ehlinger.  Racking up most of his yards on QB draws that took advantage of 3-man Red Raider defensive line sets, he ran for 69 yards on 16 carries, an average of 4.3 per rush.

For most of us, this game played out the opposite of how we anticipated.  While the UT passing attack was largely kept in check for most of the afternoon, the Horns and their offensive line simply trampled Tech in the running game.

It is fair to wonder if the pounding Tech absorbed on the ground wore down the Red Raider front seven as the 93-degree afternoon progressed.  Perhaps that was one reason why Tech was unable to offer any resistance on the last three UT scoring drives.

Tech will certainly need to get the rush defense corrected this week ahead of this Saturday’s meeting with Kansas State.   That’s because what we saw from the Red Raider rush defense in this year’s first real test was not good enough to win many games against Big 12 teams.