The Guest
Guest
It's become somewhat fashionable to attribute EWU's successful air-attack, last week, to Texas Tech's lackluster defense. However, I'm not convinced the evidence supports that assertion.
1. Texas Tech led the Big XII in pass defense last season (according to Phil Steele).
--Now, TT didn't have to play itself (obvious), which probably helped its overall stats.
--A few patsies could be found on their out of conference schedule.
Nonetheless, several BigXII North teams that didn't play TT, either, while additionally playing a weak nonconference schedule and still didn't fare as well as Texas Tech in pass D.
2. Texas Tech returns eight starter's from last season's defense. Granted, they've replaced a CB and a SS, but the unit remains mostly intact.
3. Texas Tech returns its entire defensive line. Last year's line accumulated six more sacks than CU's and and only gave up .1 yard per rushing attempt more than CU's defense (which tends to be our strength). As we all know, the D-Line is integral to a successful pass defense.
4. Texas Tech held ACC SUPERCONFERENCE power UVA (okay, joking about that) to 96 yards passing. I believe TT held common opponents (to CU) to fewer passing yards in all cases, with the exception of OU (compare Baylor's 400 plus yards permitted by CU versus less than 200 by the TT defense).
The point is not to support Texas Tech by any means (pre-emptive strike against any such accusations launched by LB), but rather to suggest the EWU passing threat can't be so simplistically dismissed.
I hope our defense has a far more successful outing against Eastern Washington than TT, but that is by no means a forgone consclusion!
GO BUFFS!
1. Texas Tech led the Big XII in pass defense last season (according to Phil Steele).
--Now, TT didn't have to play itself (obvious), which probably helped its overall stats.
--A few patsies could be found on their out of conference schedule.
Nonetheless, several BigXII North teams that didn't play TT, either, while additionally playing a weak nonconference schedule and still didn't fare as well as Texas Tech in pass D.
2. Texas Tech returns eight starter's from last season's defense. Granted, they've replaced a CB and a SS, but the unit remains mostly intact.
3. Texas Tech returns its entire defensive line. Last year's line accumulated six more sacks than CU's and and only gave up .1 yard per rushing attempt more than CU's defense (which tends to be our strength). As we all know, the D-Line is integral to a successful pass defense.
4. Texas Tech held ACC SUPERCONFERENCE power UVA (okay, joking about that) to 96 yards passing. I believe TT held common opponents (to CU) to fewer passing yards in all cases, with the exception of OU (compare Baylor's 400 plus yards permitted by CU versus less than 200 by the TT defense).
The point is not to support Texas Tech by any means (pre-emptive strike against any such accusations launched by LB), but rather to suggest the EWU passing threat can't be so simplistically dismissed.
I hope our defense has a far more successful outing against Eastern Washington than TT, but that is by no means a forgone consclusion!
GO BUFFS!