No. 5 Texas Tech (10-1) is just one win away from reaching its first-ever Big 12 Championship game after trouncing UCF 48-9 on Saturday. The Red Raiders now have their first 10-win season since 2008, when Mike Leach led the program to an 11-2 season.
Star linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, also a team captain, rushed for a 2-yard touchdown and struck the Heisman pose. He also had an interception in the win and now stands as the nation’s leader in takeaways. In the win, Texas Tech scored six touchdowns, with five of them coming on the ground.
Reggie Virgil had two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, and Cameron Dickey added two more scores on the ground. Quarterback Behren Morton finished the game 14-of-19 for 149 yards and one touchdown to help the Red Raiders claim their seventh conference win of the season.
Texas Tech historically has been known for its Air Raid offense and ability to spread the field, but this Texas Tech team has flipped the script. The Red Raiders' defense ranks 7th in the nation in yards allowed per game and fourth in the nation in points allowed per game at 12.27. This team has been much more physical than in years past, and its identity is built on grit and determination. A large part of this is because of their senior captain, Jacob Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has been dominating this season, and he finished the game with nine tackles. The star linebacker now has 100 tackles on the season, which puts him 20th in the nation. Monday, it was announced he is a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which is awarded to the student-athlete who exhibits the characteristics of Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott by making an IMPACT on and off the field.
It is his third honor, as he has also been recognized for the Nagurski Trophy, which is presented to the nation’s top defensive player. He was also named to the Lombardi Award with teammate and outside linebacker David Bailey, which honors the nation’s top college linemen and linebackers. By season’s end, he could also be a finalist for the Bednarik and Butkus Awards and put his name alongside other Tech greats like Zach Thomas, Jordyn Brooks, and Brad Hastings.
While Rodriguez has drawn national attention, the offense has been playing its part, but not in the traditional sense for the Red Raiders. Texas Tech has been known for its Air Raid offense that the late, great Leach installed and which became the identity of the offensive side of the ball.
In 2016, Patrick Mahomes led the FBS in passing yards and would go on to become one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL. While the Red Raiders still like to spread the field and use the Air Raid system, there has been more of an emphasis on the run game under head coach Joey McGuire. Tahj Brooks left Texas Tech as the all-time leading rusher with 4,557 yards.
While Brooks might be gone, the run game is not for the Red Raiders, who have relied on a two-headed monster in Cameron Dickey and J’koby Williams. Dickey leads the team with 944 yards and 13 touchdowns, and Williams has added 647 yards and five touchdowns.
The Red Raiders have become a much more balanced team this season, with quarterback Behren Morton having a modest year for a Red Raider quarterback with 17 touchdowns and 2,118 yards in the air. But even with the Red Raiders being balanced, they are just as good at putting up points, averaging 42.6, which is third best in the nation.
Texas Tech is often overshadowed by other schools in the state of Texas, but with a win against West Virginia on Saturday, they will be one win closer to becoming Big 12 Conference champions.
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