The BYU Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders met on Saturday in Lubbock in a battle between two Top 10 teams in the Big 12 Conference. It was possibly a sign of things to come in the Big 12 Championship Game later this year in Arlington, but for now, it was a chance to prove to the league, sport and nation that the winner was for real and could compete for a national championship. It was also the site of College GameDay on Saturday morning, featuring guest picker and Texas Tech’s own Patrick Mahomes. But unlike the Mahomes era, the defense was the story in Lubbock on Saturday. Here are the top three takeaways from the Red Raiders’ 29-7 win over the Cougars in Week 11 of the college football season.
BYU Special Teams Were Not Special
If you’re a double-digit underdog and you’re going to go on the road and beat this Texas Tech team, you can’t screw up in the facet of the game where you have the biggest advantage. And that’s what happened to BYU on Saturday early in the first quarter. The Cougars, who have had one of the best Special Teams units in the country, started off the game with a shanked punt that gave Texas Tech a shorter field. And then, Parker Kingston fumbled a punt return that led to a Texas Tech field goal. Now, these two mistakes only led to three total points. But it’s indisputable that this set the tone for the game, and gave the momentum to Texas Tech, which they carried through the entire afternoon. Also, early in the second quarter down 10-0, BYU missed a field goal, which once again, would have shifted momentum and at least put the Cougars on the board. The only time BYU felt like it had some momentum on its side was when the Cougars stopped Tech on a 4th and goal from inside the five-yard line as time expired, maintaining a 13-0 deficit going into halftime. Unfortunately, BYU could not take advantage to start the second half.
That Texas Tech Defense
Where do you want to start? BYU entered the game averaging 216 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry. On Saturday, Texas Tech held BYU to 67 rushing yards in 27 carries, good for only 2.5 yards per carry. Meantime, against the pass, Bear Bachmeier could not get it going there for BYU, as the true freshman finally looked like a true freshman against this elite Texas Tech defense. He went 23/38 for 188 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
This unit has been the strength of this team all season. For college football fans flipping on Texas Tech football, it’s probably a shocker to look at this team as a defense-first team, but that’s exactly what it is. This is not your older brother’s Texas Tech football, where Patrick Mahomes, and every other Texas Tech quarterback in recent history, would throw for 500 yards while they lose a game 52-49. Those days are over, for now, in Lubbock. And that defense was on display.
Jacob Rodriguez continues his incredible run at linebacker, leading the team in tackles, while also having an interception on the biggest stage of the season for the Red Raiders.
College Football Playoff Implications
The Big 12 implications are obvious, as Texas Tech is now alone atop the Big 12 standings at 6-1 in league play, while BYU is now 5-1 and Cincinnati is 5-1 as well. But, for Big 12 fans hoping to get two teams into the College Football Playoff, this was actually not a good afternoon.
While Tech looks like a Top 5 team in the country, my fear is that the anti-Big 12 bias will rear its ugly head and this game will be used as an excuse by some, not to pump up and fluff Texas Tech, but rather use it as an excuse to bring down BYU and the rest of the conference. The margin of victory by Tech will be the main driver of this. I hope I’m wrong, but fearful I might be right.
