On the Pitch
Texas Tech soccer rebounded a bit by beating California State University Northridge, 4-0 (notable alum of CSUN is Paula Abdul). Alana Harry scored her first goal, Taylor Zdorjewski notched 2 goals and Peyton Parsons scored the final goal for the Red Raiders.
On the Gridiron
Just a few items from Saturday night’s 2nd scrimmage.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on how the Texas Tech defense will utilize more stunts up front to produce a pass rush:
One of the solutions: Run more twists, stunts and loops with the defensive line. The Red Raiders used those tactics more in 2022, the first year for both McGuire and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter on the Texas Tech staff, than they did last season.
Upon further review, when they did it last season, it yielded some results.
“When we started running more games with our (front) four,” McGuire said, “we were either hitting the quarterback or getting more pressure on him — minus a couple of games where we were playing bad (offensive) tackles. And so we really worked in the spring on the way we’re going to affect the pocket. I think we really came out ahead.”
I didn’t enjoy episode 2 of The Brand, but episode 3 was a banger and we were able to see content that you wouldn’t see otherwise. You are able to see the staff that works behind the scenes on the success of hte program, from Antonio Huffman, the nutrition staff, James Blanchard, Brian Nance, and a big portion is Micah Hudson and why he chose Texas Tech. Excellent in my opinion.
CBS Sport’s Will Backus: 2024 College Football Conference Power Rankings: SEC starts season on top, but Big Ten isn’t far behind
3. Big 12
The Big 12 may not be stuffed to the gills with national championship contenders, but it will be the most entertaining conference to watch on a week-to-week basis. That counts for a lot. No. 12 Utah, the only Big 12 team to land in the top-15 of the AP poll, was picked to win the conference in its first year as a member, though it’s far from a slam dunk. Kansas State (No. 19) and Oklahoma State (No. 14) each received double-digit first-place votes in the preseason media poll, while Kansas and Arizona also got some recognition for the top spot. Iowa State and West Virginia are both sleeper teams. Knowing the Big 12, one of the perceived bottom-half teams is bound to sneak up on some folks and wreak havoc this year. Every game day in this conference will bring the chaos. Pure college football bliss.
Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger: The new College Football Playoff is here. Are more changes coming in the near future?
24/7 Sport’s Brett Ciancia: Whether each Big 12 offense will trend up or down in 2024, according to Pick Six Previews — This is a good look at all of the offenses and a good read.
Trending Up: TEXAS TECH
Five-year high school recruiting rank: 37
Two-year transfer rank: 48
2023 Offense Rank (Pick Six Previews): 58
Trending up or down? UP
No one has had worse injury luck at quarterback. Texas Tech hasn’t had a starting quarterback start and finish a full regular season injury-free since Patrick Mahomes in 2016. The hope is that Behren Morton’s shoulder is 100% healed and combined with one of the nation’s best running backs Tahj Brooks, this unit will surely move up from No. 58 in Power 4
On3’s Jesse Simonton: Ranking the Top 10 most impactful Big 12 players ahead of the college football season
7. RB Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
If not for Gordon, Brooks would be considered the top tailback in the Big 12 this fall. Texas Tech’s bowling ball (5-9, 230) was impossible to tackle during his senior season, forcing 96 missed tackles (fourth-most nationally), and rushing for 1,000 yards after contact. Brooks opted to return to Lubbock for a fifth season and he stands a great chance at setting the school’s all-time rushing record.
ProFootballFocus: PFF College 50: The 50 best players in college football ahead of the 2024 season
34. RB Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
You won’t find a more physical running back in college football than Brooks. The senior led the nation this past season with 96 forced missed tackles and ranked fourth in both yards after contact (998) and rushing yards (1,547). He also moved the chains more than anyone else in 2023, with 96 of his carries going for a first down or a touchdown.