Each week of the college football season brings new revelations about a team. That's especially true early in the schedule as different components of a roster are tested for the first time.
This week, when the Texas Tech football team takes on Oregon State in the Pacific Northwest, it will be the Red Raider secondary that we learn about. That's because the Beavers appear to be a team that wants to throw the ball all over the yard.
In week one, the Beavers put the ball in the air 48 times against No. 23 Houston in a 33-20 defeat. Quarterback Braden Atkinson amassed 376 yards and one TD through the air as he tried to rally his team from a 26-7 third-quarter deficit.
OSU had no choice but to rely on Atkinson's arm to get them back in the game. That's because the Beavers ran for only 25 yards on 26 carries in the game. If they can't find better success against the Red Raiders, then the air might be their only means of moving the ball in week two as well.
That might be fine with the OSU coaching staff anyway. First-year head coach JaMarcus Shephard was a co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Alabama in 2025, and prior to that, he served as Associate Head Coach and Passing Game Coordinator at Washington so it is easy to see that he likes the aerial assault.
His key offseason addition was to bring in Atkinson to beef up a passing game that was paltry last season. A transfer from Mercer, the sophomore won the Jerry Rice Award in 2025, an honor given to the top FCS player in the country, after he threw for 34 touchdowns and 3,611 yards.
While a one-dimensional offense is easier to prepare for, Texas Tech is still answering questions in the secondary. That's especially true at the safety position. So this week's test will be a new one for the Red Raider defense.
Texas Tech has questions at safety
If there is one position group on the Texas Tech defense that is unproven, it would be safety. That's because Tech will be relying on two new starters there in week two.
With returning starter Brenden Jordan serving the second game of his two-game suspension, junior Malik Esquerra will be stepping into the starting lineup. Last week, he was third on the team with four tackles while also being credited with a pass defense.
The other safety spot is manned by Peyton Morgan. A former 4-star signee, he made three tackles against ACU in his first career start.
Certainly, the Beavers will want to test Esquerra and Morgan this weekend, and they will be more equipped to do so than Abilene Christian was. However, their passing game wasn't going deep too often against Houston when Atkinson averaged just 7.8 yards per attempt.
Of course, the Red Raider corners are proven. Bryce Pollock and Amier Boyd both manned starting roles for most of 2025 and bring a ton of experience into 2026.
What's more, Tech's pass rush could make life tough for the Beavers when they try to pass. Last week, Oregon State gave up four sacks to Houston while the Red Raiders recorded three against ACU.
Still, this week's contest will be a challenge for the Red Raiders' new starters at safety. How Esquerra and Morgan perform will go a long way in determining how well the secondary holds up against a pass-happy offense.
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