Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Texas Tech football: Handing out game balls for UT game

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: General view of footballs before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas Jayhawks on September 29, 2016 at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 55-19. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 29: General view of footballs before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas Jayhawks on September 29, 2016 at AT&T Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 55-19. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Safety Thomas Leggett #16 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders exits the team bus before the college football game against the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Safety Thomas Leggett #16 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders exits the team bus before the college football game against the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Thomas Leggett rebounded well

Credit is due to senior safety Thomas Leggett for his work on Saturday.  After looking completely out of sorts against Houston Baptist and being burned several times by the speedy Husky receivers, he played perhaps his best game as a Red Raider against Texas.

He matched a career-high with nine tackles, seven of which were solo.  What’s more, he also had two pass defenses, which was a new career-best.

The Red Raiders desperately needed better play from their safeties against Texas than they got in week one.  Fortunately, that’s what they received, though the play at the back of the secondary was far from flawless, especially in the fourth quarter.

After allowing just shy of 600 yards through the air to HBU, Tech held UT to a relatively modest 262 yards passing.  That was certainly a step in the right direction.

Leggett appears to be entrenched as the starter at the boundary safety position, where he patrols the short side of the field while also coming up to support the run.  And he appears to be improving as a cover man as he was not beaten nearly as often by the Longhorn receivers as he has been by other teams in the past, including Tech’s week-on FCS foe.

The other starting safety, Eric Monroe, also had a better showing on Saturday than in week one with five tackles and a pass defense.  Hopefully, that is a sign that the duo at the back of the Red Raider defense is growing more comfortable in the scheme and is improving with each passing week.

Home/Texas Tech Football