One Thought On Texas Tech 69, SFA 17

Normally, we run an article titled “Ten Thoughts On Whatever Game Texas Tech Just Played”, but tonight I want to talk about one thing and one thing only: Texas Tech’s defense.

Texas Tech’s ones played solid, fundamental defense throughout the entire first half.

Yes, Patrick Mahomes accounted for 483 yards through the air and 57 yards through the ground. Yes, Texas Tech scored a metric crapton of points.

Texas Tech’s starters held SFA to three total points. Three total points. when’s the last time you heard that statistic? They picked off Conque twice and forced a fumble.

Defying everyone’s expectations, Texas Tech’s starters actually played well on defense. This does not mean that Texas Tech is now an elite defense. It just means that they’re functional. Tonight, I saw solid reads from young linebackers. I saw great play from the defensive linemen. I saw fantastic coverage from the defensive backs.

We knew what Patrick Mahomes can do. He performed up to expectations, throwing for 483 yards and four touchdowns, and rushing for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Tonight was all about the defense, and it showed in more ways than one.

I’m not here to tell you that the Texas Tech defense will be able to hold every team to under 20 points. I’m not here to tell you that they’ll hold every team to under 35 points. I’m here to tell you that this Texas Tech defense will be functional in 2016. As long as the defense remains functional, Texas Tech will have a chance to win every single game that they’re in.

Last year, I wrote an article titled “The Pain of Patience”. It discussed a simple fact: nothing that’s broken is easy to fix. Tonight, the Texas Tech defense showed signs of being truly fixed.

Texas Tech still has a long way to go. Many people look good against mediocre teams. However, this is the first signs of life that we’ve seen from a Texas Tech defense in a long time. The David Gibbs system is working. We just need to remain patient. Texas Tech could be primed for a breakout year, we really don’t know.

There’s only one things that we can hang our hats on: Texas Tech’s defense is now competitive. Any other observations pale in comparison to that one. As of right now, the Red Raiders have hope on the defensive side of the ball. That’s all that really matters.

Let’s hope that this trend continues. Wreck ‘Em Tech.