Texas football vs. Texas Tech: 4 reasons the Horns can dominate Week 4
Texas Tech doesn’t have much of a ground game to speak of
The most questionable part of the Texas Tech offense is definitely the ground game. Texas Tech’s rushing attack has averaged just over 100 yards per game on the ground, around three yards per carry, and two rushing scores. The rushing touchdowns are the only positive to the team rushing stats for Texas Tech through three games this fall.
One of the biggest issues that the Red Raiders have faced so far this season in getting the ground game going is the lack of an ability to move bodies on the interior of the offensive line. Texas Tech has rarely found success running the ball between the a-gap or the b-gap so far this season.
The one area where Texas Tech has found success running the ball is on the edge. Texas will need to be keen on the jet sweeps and outside run plays for the Red Raiders this weekend. That could be the one area where Tech could get a real push.
This will present a huge opportunity for Texas to utilize some of the size they have on the inside between sophomore nose tackle Byron Murphy and senior T’Vondre Sweat to win the battle in the trenches. Texas stood tall defending the run for the most part in the first three games of the season.
After allowing more than 200 rushing yards per game and over five yards per carry last season, co-DC/LB coach Pete Kwiatkowski’s defensive unit is massively improved through three games this year. PK and the Longhorns are allowing just 131 rushing yards per game, 3.6 yards per carry, and one rushing score.
It’s worth noting that Texas will have a much better shot to be very effective against this Texas Tech ground game if senior linebacker DeMarvion Overshown can get the targeting call overturned after the Horns appealed it this week. Overshown and junior linebacker Jaylan Ford were spectacular stopping the run in the last few weeks.
These two have combined for a whopping 15 run stops at an average depth of tackle of just under three yards so far this season.