The five defining defensive plays of the 2024 Texas Tech football season

There is no way to sugarcoat the fact that the Texas Tech defense was awful in 2024. In fact, what we saw on that side of the ball this season was as bad as any defensive performance from this program since the Kliff Kingsbury era as head coach.

This season, eight of the 13 opponents Tech faced scored 35 or more points. That's simply not going to cut it and that's why the Red Raiders fired defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter.

With just a few games remaining around the nation for this season, Tech sits at No. 120 out of 134 teams in the FBS in opponent yards per game by giving up an unacceptable 449.8. What's worse, the Red Raiders are second-to-last in the country in passing yards allowed at 292.4.

On the ground, the Red Raiders were more respectable but not elite. Giving up an average of 157.3 rushing yards per game, Tech ranks 73rd in the NCAA in that category.

However, there were some moments when the Red Raider defense did come through in the clutch. Though the defense struggled more often than not, from time to time, that side of the ball did just enough to help the team pull out a critical win. Therefore, let's look at the five definitive defensive plays from the 2024 season.

Texas Tech's 2-point conversion stop vs. Abilene Christian

It didn't take long in 2024 for fans to realize that this team had some defensive flaws. After all, in game one of the season, Tech gave up 51 points to Abilene Christian from the FCS ranks. But thankfully, the Red Raiders didn't give up 53 points thanks to a late defensive play in their 52-51 overtime victory.

In the overtime period, Tech scored first to take a 52-45 lead. Abilene Christian then answered with a TD of their own to draw to within one point. That's when Wildcats head coach Keith Patterson decided to try to win the game with a two-point conversion.

After ACU came to the line and Tech took a timeout, the Wildcats returned to the field in a five-wide set. They then tried to run a QB draw that was snuffed out by redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jayden Cofield who tackled ACU QB Maverick McIvor for a loss to end the game. It was Cofield's only tackle of the night.

Certainly, beating an FCS opponent in overtime is nothing to celebrate but it certaily beats losing to an FCS opponent at home. Just imagine how different the 2024 season would have felt if Tech would have gone just 7-6 overall including a loss to an FCS team.

That type of season would have had people questioning head coach Joey McGuire's job status all season and likely throughout the offseason as well. But because of the excellent play by Cofield, the Red Raiders avoided disaster in week one.

Brayln Lux's pick six vs. North Texas

Coming into week three, the Red Raiders were reeling. After the close call vs. ACU, Tech was taken apart by Washington State in week two as the defense was again shredded.

Thus, when Tech returned to Lubbock to face an undefeated North Texas team that featured a dangerous offense, many around Raiderland were fearful of another potential upset. That didn't happen, though, as Tech played its best first half of the season to jump out to a 52-7 lead at the break on the way to a 66-21 win.

Part of that first-half onslaught was a pick-six by senior corner Bralyn Lux. With Tech already up 24-7, Lux cut in front of a receiver and picked off a pass along the sidelines. He then returned it 44 yards to the end zone and the Red Raider tail kicking was in full force.

Though this play didn't seal the win or turn the tide of the game, it was the moment when the Red Raiders put this game away. It was also a critical play because it proved just how good Lux is and how important he was to the 2024 secondary. When Lux was on the field, the secondary was passable. When he wasn't, it was a disaster.

That win was important because it restored some hope for Texas Tech fans as Big 12 play arrived. It was the first time in 2024 that Tech played well and that was important being as the sky had started to fall in Lubbock after the Red Raiders' shaky start to the season. And Lux's pick-six was the moment when that game turned into a laugher.

AJ McCarty's pick-six vs. Cincinnati

When Tech hosted Cincinnati in the second Big 12 game of the year, the Red Raiders found themselves in a shootout with the pesky Bearcats. Eventually, Tech would win 44-41 thanks to a missed FG by Cincinnati on the game's final play.

However, earlier in that game, the Tech defense made one of its few big plays of the night when safety AJ McCarty had a pick-six to put the Red Raiders up 41-27 early in the fourth quarter. On the play, Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby was under pressure from a blitzing Tech linebacker who forced Sorsby to try to get rid of the ball in a hurry.

The result was that Sorsby's pass went right to McCarty who took it back 51 yards for Tech's final touchdown of the game. It was the first INT of the season for Sorsby who otherwise was phenomenal that night with 426 yards and four touchdowns through the air.

This was the perfect play to summarize the Red Raider defense in 2024. Though the Red Raiders gave up yards in chunks, they often managed to make timely defensive plays as McCarty did when he helped lift the Red Raiders to a 2-0 start to conference play.

Jacob Rodriguez forced fumble against Arizona

It is hard to believe that we've come this far without talking about any plays that junior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez made this year. After all, the first-team All-Big 12 selection was easily the program's best defender this season.

Rodriguez had a penchant for making critical plays and the most opportune of times this season and one such instance came against Arizona in game six. In fact, his forced fumble in the fourth quarter helped seal one of his team's best wins of the year.

In the 28-22 Red Raider win, Tech held a tenuous 21-19 lead with just over two minutes to play and Arizona had the football. But on the Wildcats first play, Rodriguez chased down All-American wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan after an 18-yard catch and run and he punched the ball out of McMillan's hands from behind.

Safety Brenden Jordan recovered the fumble at the Arizona 43. Then, three plays later, Tahj Brooks would rumble 32 yards for a TD to essentially put the game to bed.

Though Arizona did not live up to expectations in 2024, the Wildcats were still considered to be Big 12 contenders at the time that Tech went to Tucson. Thus, coming out of the desert with a win was a huge boost for the Red Raiders and Rodriguez's heroics were a huge part of the victory.

Jacob Rodriguez fumble recovery TD vs. OK State

Finally, we wrap up by looking at another standout play Rodriguez made in 2024 to help seal another shootout win. This time, it was his fumble recovery for a touchdown late in the 56-48 win at Oklahoma State.

There is no way to deny that a critical error by the Cowboys led to this play. With Tech leading 49-42 with just over four minutes left in the game, OSU had possession at their own 28 when they snapped the ball well over QB Maealiuaki Smith's head.

In the ensuing scramble, the ball was knocked into the end zone where Rodriguez, who came into the play like a heat-seeking missile, pounced on it for a touchdown. That put Tech ahead 56-42 and gave the Red Raiders some much-needed breathing room.

Of course, beating Oklahoma State in 2024 was nothing to write home about. After all, the Cowboys went winless in conference play.

However, Tech has always struggled to come out of Stillwater with a win. What's more, losing to the worst team in the Big 12 would have been a disaster. That's why Rodriguez's TD to give Tech a two-score game in what had been a back-and-forth affair was one of the season's defining defensive plays.