Texas Tech football: Red Raider fans need to know about these Mountaineers
Texas Tech must stop running back CJ Donaldson
It will be the West Virginia game plan to control the clock and keep their suspect secondary off the field by feeding the ball to their big running back, CJ Donaldson. The 6-foot-1, 238-pound true sophomore is one of the better running backs in the Big 12 despite the fact that he’s likely unknown by the casual fan.
Last year, the Miami, Florida native ran for 526 yards and 8 TDs in just seven games. Now, he’s ready to blow past those numbers with 239 yards and two TDs thus far.
Averaging 4.9 yards per carry, he’s a bruising runner who can be tough to bring down at the point of contact. However, he is also a big-play threat if he gets into the open field. Last year, he had runs of 82 and 44 yards despite the fact that he’s not the type of running back who is going to make a ton of defenders miss in the open field.
While much of the task in stopping Donaldson will obviously fall on Tech’s defensive line, Tech will also need the linebackers to be in position and ready to meet him before he can pick up a head of steam.
In ten career games, Donaldson has already collected five 100-yard games. That includes last weekend’s 102-yard performance on just 18 carries against arch-rival Pitt.
Tech should feel confident in its run defense though. Against Oregon, the Red Raiders gave up only 113 yards on 31 rushes. Also, keep in mind that 46 of those yards came via Oregon QB Bo Nix meaning that the Ducks’ running backs were relative non-factors despite having better pedigrees than even Donaldson.
The matchup between Donaldson and Tech’s front seven could determine how this game plays out. He is a talented RB who can take over a game and who will be asked to set the tone for his team.
However, keep in mind that he was injured in the 4th quarter of last week’s win causing him to miss the rest of the game. His official status for this game has not been announced but it is possible that he could be slowed a bit which wouldn’t upset anyone in Lubbock.