Right now, ahead of the Orange Bowl, there’s not a single college football team that is better at stopping the run than the Texas Tech Red Raiders. And that feels like such a weird thing to say about Texas Tech given the modern history of this program (and the fact that the Red Raiders have been allergic to playing defense for much of the past quarter century).
But it’s the truth. Ahead of the Orange Bowl, Texas Tech is boasting the best run defense in the country. The Red Raiders are really good at stopping their opponents when folks try to run the ball. It’s remarkable stuff.
And interestingly enough, the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 is also a solid gap. The Red Raiders are really good at this and it’ll be interesting to see what happens when they meet up with the Ducks, who are really good at running the ball.
No team is better at stopping the run than Texas Tech as the Red Raiders prepare to meet up with the Oregon Ducks
Here’s where Texas Tech sits (spoiler alert: it’s at the top of the list) ahead of the Orange Bowl matchup with the Ducks:
- Texas Tech Red Raiders - 68.5 rushing yards per game
- Oklahoma Sooners - 77.3 rushing yards per game
- Indiana Hoosiers - 77.6 rushing yards per game
- Georgia Bulldogs - 79.2 rushing yards per game
- Ohio State Buckeyes - 84.5 rushing yards per game
- James Madison Dukes - 85.1 rushing yards per game
- Miami Hurricanes - 87 rushing yards per game
- Pittsburgh Panthers - 95.1 rushing yards per game
- Toledo Rockets - 96.3 rushing yards per game
- Texas Longhorns - 98.1 rushing yards per game
It’s interesting, there’s quite a few teams that made the College Football Playoff to make this list. The top seven teams on the list all made it into the CFP this season. Which feels significant! And it feels even more impressive that the Red Raiders are leading the pack here.
Now, given the offenses that Texas Tech has faced, it’s fair to say that the Ducks will provide a different level of challenge in this regard. So, I’m intrigued by what the Orange Bowl will bring as Texas Tech tries to stop the Ducks’ rushing attack.