Texas Tech football: Three areas where TCU could be problematic for Red Raiders

TCU has a dominant running back of its own, just like Texas Tech

While Red Raider fans are loving the season that running back Tahj Brooks has produced, TCU’s star RB, Emani Bailey has been just as productive.  In fact, it is crazy how similar the stats of the two running backs are.

Brooks has run for 887 yards and an average of 5.5 yards per carry in eight games.  Meanwhile, Bailey has managed to go for 857 yards and 5.3 yards per carry.

The difference between the two is that Brooks has scored six touchdowns while Bailey has only two on the ground.  However, Bailey is a bit more explosive given that he’s got a 74-yard rush this year while Brooks’ long in just 38 yards.

Five times this year, Bailey has topped the 100-yard mark.  That includes his 100 yards on only 12 carries against Kansas State, which was the only bright spot in that game for the TCU offense.

Last year against Tech, Bailey was not a huge part of the offense.  Carrying the ball four times, he had a modest 31 yards.

Still, the TCU ground game was able to dominate the Red Raiders in 2022.  Putting up 234 yards and a TD, the Horned Frog rushing attack paved the way for a 34-24 TCU win.

This year, Tech’s rushing defense is 6th-best in the Big 12.  However, much of where Tech has been hurt has been by mobile quarterbacks such as Kansas State’s Avery Johnson and Houston’s Donovan Smith.

TCU will be starting its backup, Josh Hoover, who is a pocket passer with no more than 26 rushing yards in any game this year.  So Tech must key on stopping Bailey because he will be a huge focus of the Frog’s attack this week.