has registered only six plays that went for 20+ yards<\/a>. That’s good for only 111th nationally. <\/p>\nMeanwhile, Houston’s defense has given up only seven plays of 20 yards or more through two games. Now, it must be noted that Oregon State racked up five 20+-yard plays against Houston in week one, so the Cougar defense isn’t infallible. <\/p>\n
Still, Tech will need to be more aggressive and explosive on offense this week, especially in the passing game. That’s been a talking point for Joey McGuire this week, so the hope is that the offense will take some shots. <\/p>\n
If the Red Raiders can have five or more 20-yard plays, with a couple going to the house, it will bode well for the home team. But if the same old stale offense that we saw in Corvallis returns, Tech could struggle to put up points on the Cougars. <\/p>\n
Tech must get to its goal of three turnovers<\/p>\n
It doesn’t take a football savant to understand the importance of taking the ball away in a key game. However, that aspect of this game might be even more important than usual given how evenly matched these two teams appear to be. <\/p>\n
Texas Tech has yet to come close to its weekly goal of three takeaways. In fact, this season, the defense has generated just two in total. That needs to change tonight. <\/p>\n
The difference in last year’s 35-11 Texas Tech victory over Houston was turnovers. Tech took the ball away three times, leading to ten critical Red Raider points. <\/p>\n
Playing at home should help the Red Raiders in their quest to take the ball away. A deafening Lubbock crowd could hamper Houston’s communication efforts, especially considering that this is the Cougars’ first road game of the year. <\/p>\n
This year, Tech is still trying to find its defensive playmakers, especially with 2025 turnover leader Jacob Rodriguez now in the NFL. Tonight, someone has to step up and have a Rodriguez-like performance for the home team to tilt this critical component of the game in Tech’s favor. <\/p>\n
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