{"id":77465,"date":"2025-12-05T16:34:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T16:34:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/77465\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T16:34:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T16:34:06","slug":"jacob-rodriguez-texas-tech-in-the-spotlight-versus-byu-in-arlington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/77465\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech in the spotlight versus BYU in Arlington"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas Tech<\/a> will be in one of the biggest spotlights a college football team can have on Saturday. That spotlight being in Arlington versus the #11-ranked BYU Cougars<\/a> for the Big 12 Championship crown. Jacob Rodriguez<\/a> amidst all the Heisman talk, and individual awards has stressed his focus on the team instead of himself.<\/p>\n

Keeping The Team Mindset<\/p>\n

Even through all of the Heisman mentions, receiving Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors; Rodriguez has made sure to keep his focus on the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I think football is the best team game in the world. And I think it takes so many different people, so many different skill sets to be good at it. So I\u2019m just a piece of the puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever I can do to help this team win is a bigger deal than any individual award. Don\u2019t get me wrong, they\u2019re great, I\u2019d love to have them rather than not, but it\u2019s a team game, and I would do anything to have this team set up with a chance to win rather than any individual board.\u201d<\/p>\n

BYU Offensively<\/p>\n

The Heisman candidate was asked where he thinks their defense has improved since the last time they saw BYU a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think they do a really good job with running the football. They don\u2019t see a lot of pressure, they don\u2019t get sacked a lot either. It\u2019s a lot of credit to their game plan, their offensive line and their quarterback. I think they\u2019re all extremely, extremely talented players.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think it all starts with stopping the run. Any good defense you need to set edges, and so then when you can do that, you get to rush the passer. You earn that right with stopping the run. Just excited for the matchup, I think they played really good football.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stopping L.J. Martin<\/p>\n

BYU\u2019s L.J. Martin<\/a> is one of the nation\u2019s best offensive players. Martin was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and his talent will be key for the Cougars on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think they do a really good job with trying to out-populate you at the point of attack. Everything that we do, we need to have knock back tackles and not give up any extra yardage. Something they\u2019re really good at is driving the pile and that is something that we need to be ready for.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Trophy Case<\/p>\n

One spot sits empty in the trophy case within the newly-built Dustin R. Womble Football Center. The Red Raiders and Jacob Rodriguez will have a chance to bring home the Big 12 Championship trophy to its rightful place in Lubbock on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really good representation about what you know can be done here and what needs to be done here. I think everybody in West Texas, everybody in Lubbock has earned this, and I\u2019m hoping that this team can be the team that will bring that to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just part of this team. Everybody comes in every day ready to work. It\u2019s something that we see every single day we walk in and walk out, and that\u2019s something constantly on our minds. We try to go 1-0 every week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019re actually playing for hardware. But it\u2019s the same thing every week, and you just got to prepare the same and keep the same routine and do what you\u2019ve been doing and do what works.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Venue In Arlington<\/p>\n

The host of the high school football state championship within the great state of Texas, AT&T Stadium has a special place in a lot of player\u2019s hearts. <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it\u2019s unreal. I actually got to play there in high school, and it\u2019s world class. I mean, seriously, the stadium the way it\u2019s set up. The screens are massive, like you find yourself sitting on the sideline, like looking up just watching the game that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unreal. It seriously is. It\u2019s a great place to play, great place to be. We got beat terribly when I played there. So don\u2019t go look that up, but it\u2019s a great place to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Coaching Staff<\/p>\n

This staff has changed the life of Jacob Rodriguez, he has repeatedly said he can\u2019t say enough for the opportunities this coaching staff has provided to him during his time in Lubbock.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo doubt. Starting with Coach (Joey) McGuire<\/a> and his belief in me, and Coach (Shiel) Wood<\/a>, and what he\u2019s done for this team and his defense. Coach Matt (Leftwich)<\/a> letting me come over and play some offense again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seriously has been life changing event after life changing event. I\u2019ll remember these things for the rest of my life, and I\u2019m just so fortunate to be a part of everything that we have going here, and that means so much to me, the way that they believe in me and trust in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026I know when Coach (Shiel) Wood first got here, and he would kind of make jokes and our linebackers, we would kind of look around like wondering if we should laugh or not because we just didn\u2019t like his humor because it\u2019s so dry at times.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I mean, he\u2019s the funniest guy I think I\u2019ve ever met. Early on you\u2019ve got to get to know people, and then now I feel like I\u2019ve known them for years, I wish I could learn under Coach (Shiel) Wood for the next five years. I tell our freshman linebacker Brock (Golwas)<\/a> all the time, \u201cI envy you so much, because you get to be here with Coach (Joey) McGuire and be with Coach (Shiel) Wood and learn this system and his defense, and be around great people.\u201d I think all of our coaches are the best, but especially Coach (Shiel) Wood and a couple Guys it took us a little while to kind of learn their humor, but it\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026There\u2019s so many times on the field or off the field where you show your appreciation, and whether that\u2019s a look or a head nod or whatever it is, but on the field, it\u2019s a little bit more outgoing and so just appreciation, and giving a hug here and there after the game, I appreciate every single one of those guys in the locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese coaches too, they mean so much to me. I hope that they can see that, but I hope that they more so feel that energy and all that inspiration that comes off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026It\u2019s just kind of how everybody interacts, and we still have to be strict in areas where we need to get better and we need to perform, and there\u2019s things that come up in practice that we really have to, you know, work and stress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s so much fun to go out and practice. But it\u2019s week 13, it\u2019s not fun to go out on a Tuesday and sprint around when your body doesn\u2019t feel good, but it makes it so much more enjoyable when you have guys who want to be out there with you, and then you have coaches who understand that it\u2019s this late into the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to strain when we need to, but then we can also have a little fun and and realize that we get to play football this late in the season, and that it\u2019s such a blessing to be able to just be a part of the team who is relevant this late in the season, where, as in years past, we haven\u2019t been.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just nice that they all can kind of understand that and see that too. And it\u2019s just kind of the means that we have interactions, we have they understand. And it\u2019s all kind of understood, kind of everybody\u2019s mindset of we need to win, but we still understand that it\u2019s a game, and it\u2019s a blessing that we even get to do this.\u201d <\/p>\n

Throwing The INT In Morgantown<\/p>\n

During Saturday\u2019s game in Morgantown, Rodriguez was picked off looking for his second touchdown on the day. He gave some insight into what he saw when he unfortunately threw the pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I threw it, I was like, \u201cI should have just threw out the back of the end zone.\u201d, but, yeah guy had a good spot on him, played good defense. I just had a bad ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recognizing The Future At Tech<\/p>\n

Jacob was asked if there are any unsung heroes on this team that is now heading to Arlington on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Sheridan Wilson<\/a>, Davion Carter<\/a>, Lee Hunter<\/a>, Brenden Jordan<\/a>, Trent Low, Gage Elder, Oliver Miles<\/a>. I mean, I could just keep naming like there\u2019s so many people that come in every single day,\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, one is how hard they work, and two, how much they care about this team. Everything for them, and everybody who I didn\u2019t name, I think it truly is all about this team. Being present and just doing their job, whatever their job looks like, just being all in for this, for this team, and knowing that, you know, we just have to go 1-0 today, 1-0 this rep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I mean, there\u2019s so many unsung heroes on this team. And I wish I could name them all, but I think just the collective appreciation for everybody in the locker room, and the appreciation for how hard each of those guys work, it just kind of sets everybody apart. When you got guys around, you want to work that hard who excel at what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trent Low + Gage Elder Relationship<\/p>\n

Trent Low and Gage Elder are fellow linebackers at Texas Tech, Rodriguez gave some insight into their relationship and the playing time between the three.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known them ever since I got here, we\u2019ve been in the same room, and we\u2019ve been in the same position a lot of the time, and those guys never complain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re in every meeting, they\u2019re not taking reps off, they\u2019re contributing a lot on special teams. They\u2019re doing their job at the highest level. And that\u2019s what you need to have to have a great team is unique guys who are willing to do whatever it takes to win in whatever that role looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know those two would rather be on the field, on the defensive side of the ball, making plays. They can, but we need them to do what they\u2019re doing on special teams, and be kind of the anchors of this unit. And so that\u2019s kind of why I talked about those guys, because I\u2019m just so proud of them and so appreciative of their attitude every single day when they come in to work, and you know how much they care about this team, and the only thing that matters to them is this team winning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watching Arizona Take Down ASU To Clinch A Spot<\/p>\n

When Arizona took down Arizona State in Tempe on Saturday it clinched the Red Raiders spot in Arlington. The battle for the \u201cTerritorial Cup\u201d lasted until nearly midnight in the central timezone, which didn\u2019t allow for Jacob to watch the Red Raiders clinch their spot in Arlington.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Ben (Roberts) and I are roommates, and we got into our hotel room and I go take a shower, and I come out, he has the Texas A&M and Texas game on. So I\u2019m watching the last bit where they throw two interceptions, and it kind of gets locked up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we switched the game, and we\u2019re kind of both laying in bed, and we have an early kick. So I look at him and say \u201cAll right, we\u2019re gonna watch this drive, and then we\u2019re gonna go to sleep.\u201d then we kind of watch, and then kind of looking at each other like because we both want to keep watching, and kind of want to know what happens. But it is such a late game that we ended up turning it off and going to sleep, and we found out in the morning that we had clinched. But, yeah, it was kind of a funny moment. You know, trying to we both knew that we wanted to watch the game, but we had to go to sleep as we had a early one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shiel Wood <\/p>\n

Shiel Wood was recently named as a Broyles Award Semi-Finalist, given to the nation\u2019s top assistant coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m obviously biased, but I think that he deserves every award that there is. What he\u2019s done for this team, and his defense on the field and off the field. I think just the leader of men that he is. But then as a football coach, X\u2019s and O\u2019s wise, he\u2019s unbelievable, and he always, you know, puts us in a great spot to have a chance to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s very few times in games where we came up to the sideline and had much to tweak or change. That goes into Coach Wood, and the coaching staff, their game plan going into the week, and the way that they prepare us every single week, throughout the Tuesday, Wednesday, practice, Thursday, walk through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting us ready to see the picture that we are going to see in the game, and then being able to motivate us the way that they have, I think he\u2019s the perfect man for the job. And I give a lot of credit to him, because he deserves it. He\u2019s earned it. And I\u2019m just so thankful for him and his family, and they come up here all the time. His wife and his two beautiful little girls come up here and hang out, it\u2019s great to see them. I\u2019m just so thankful for him, and I think he deserves everything that he gets, he\u2019s earned.\u201d<\/p>\n

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