No. 17 Texas Tech Defense Flexes on No. 16 Utah in 34–10 Statement Road Win
Texas Tech walked into Rice-Eccles Stadium bright and early Saturday morning facing the No. 16 team in the country and one of the nation’s most punishing rushing attacks. They walked out with a 34–10 conference opener win and a defense that looked every bit like one of the nation’s best.
The Red Raider defense allowed their first points of the season in the first half…a field goal as time expired in the second quarter. One that never would have happened if not for a personal foul penalty on the originally missed field goal one play prior. Even so Tech is now outscoring opponents 133-3 in the first half of games and 208-45 overall this season.
The Utes entered the game fourth overall in rushing at 298.5 a game. Senior defensive tackle Lee Hunter said Texas Tech took that personally.
“We take pride in somebody just trying to run over us,” he said. “We work hard to stop the run, so if you want to beat us, I feel you should change your game plan because we’re going to stop it.”
Hunter and the trench mob around him held Utah to just 101 yards on the ground and contained their leading rusher, quarterback Devon Dampier, to just 27. This forced the Utes out of their game plan, just like Hunter said, and in turn the Tech secondary intercepted Dampier twice through the air. The defense, of which also forced two fumbles, was as dominant as it has been all season regardless of opponent – or respect.
“I won’t say we proved anything because it’s something we work and go hard at every single day,” Hunter said. “But we showed the world what we were capable of and able to do”
Junior safety Brenden Jordan echoed this mentality, pointing to times the offense may have sputtered, the defense never wavered. They did their job.
“No matter what the offense does, it’s defense,” Jordan said. “We play defense for a reason, so we’re going to keep going out there and getting stops.”
With two weeks before their next game to fine tune things in practice, Jordan made sure to tip his hat to the other side of the ball that challenges them every day in those practices to get better. Facing quarterbacks Behren Morton and Will Hammond and the rest of the QB room every day in practice sharpened the defense for moments like Saturday. It’s why he was not at all surprised when Hammond stepped in for the injured Morton and did his job.
“He faces a good defense every day too, like our secondary,” Jordan said. “So I feel like the moment wasn’t too bad at all for him. That’s what he does.”
Not A Time To Get Comfortable As Texas Tech Heads Into Bye Week
Texas Tech moves to 4-0 on the season, 1-0 in Big 12 play, and heads into a bye week before another road test. This one at Houston on October 4. The Cougars are also 1-0 in Big 12 play after notching their first conference win last weekend over Colorado to move to 3-0 overall, they take on Oregon State next week.
“Just hard work, just keep working. Don’t get comfortable, don’t get satisfied. Push each other, keep loving each other, just play football.” – Lee Hunter
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