Texas Tech’s defense continues to be the worst in its conference by a country mile.
The Red Raiders couldn’t have entered Saturday’s game against TCU playing much worse, as they were 128th in the nation in total defense and had been torched all season long, including in a 59-35 home loss to Baylor last week when it gave up 529 yards of total offense.
After a 35-34 loss to the Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium, Tech’s defense remains in the basement of the Big 12. The Red Raiders gave up 461 total yards, including 344 passing yards, keeping them winless in their last three trips to Fort Worth.
Tech did get three sacks, after averaging 0.86 sacks per game heading into Saturday, and won the turnover battle, but it was the big plays that were surrendered in critical moments that really came back to haunt the Red Raiders.
On the opening drive of the game, TCU established its running game with a 35-yard touchdown dash by Savion Williams. Missed tackles were the issue for the Red Raiders.
“The first big play with [Williams], we had an unblocked safety and an unblocked boundary linebacker that both missed the tackle,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said. “You just want to get the ball down so you can play another snap.”
With just under six minutes to play in the fourth quarter and Tech trying to fend off a furious Horned Frogs comeback, it was a miscommunication on the back end that doomed the Red Raiders. TCU wide receiver Eric McAlister ran completely free in the middle of the field, and quarterback Josh Hoover found him for an 84-yard touchdown. It was McAlister’s only catch of the game and it proved to be the difference.
“It’s just frustrating because you want to have a post safety in the middle of the field, and we didn’t, and we completely lost him,” McGuire said.
Inconsistency has plagued Texas Tech’s defense all season, but especially in these last two losses that have dropped them to 3-2 in the Big 12. While the Red Raiders are still alive in the conference title hunt, if they aren’t playing in the championship game in Arlington on Dec. 7, they can point to this stretch of defensive play as the reason why.
“It’s not one play, it’s multiple plays that you can put together to get us to this point,” McGuire said. “It’s the big plays these last two weeks that are going to come back and kick us in the tail.”
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