Third-year Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire has been effective in promoting his program, but he can’t gloss over the performance of his team in the first two games of the season.
Texas Tech (1-1) is coming off a disappointing 37-16 defeat at Washington State, where McGuire noted his team struggled with turnovers, penalties, and inconsistent defense. This follows a narrow 52-51 overtime victory against Abilene Christian University.
Now, North Texas (2-0) is set to visit Lubbock for an 11 a.m. kickoff on Saturday. What once seemed like an easy win on paper could turn into a tough matchup if the Red Raiders don’t improve quickly. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
“We need to play better defense,” McGuire emphasized. “We have to set edges and get off the field. In the first game, we allowed a quarterback to throw for 600 yards, and last week, we surrendered 197 rushing yards to a quarterback. Currently, we’re ranked 128th in total defense and around 120th in third-down defense, giving up seven of ten touchdowns in the red zone. Improvement on defense has to start with us.”
Fans are accustomed to seeing underwhelming defenses, but they were promised a better effort from McGuire. In the first two seasons under his leadership, the defense wasn’t outstanding but managed to keep the team competitive, even when the offense faltered.
It’s surprising for this defense to struggle, given the athletic talent and speed on the roster.
“I’m a defensive coach, and I’m embarrassed by our defensive play,” McGuire admitted. “I’m confident that (defensive coordinator) Tim Deruyter feels the same. Winning the Big 12 isn’t possible by scoring 60 points and allowing 59. That just doesn’t happen.”
If the defense finds it challenging to defend a shorter field due to the offense’s failure to convert on fourth downs—going just 1 for 5 against Washington State and 2 of 8 overall while opponents have converted 3 of 5—McGuire may need to reassess his team’s approach to fourth-down attempts.
However, he reiterated that improving defense is essential, regardless of their success on fourth downs. The Red Raiders must reduce pre-snap penalties and the four turnovers they had last week, as those mistakes can be particularly damaging.
Quarterback Behren Morton also faced challenges last week, struggling to connect with receivers and throwing two interceptions. The absence of standout running back Tahj Brooks (due to an arm injury) may have added to the pressure Morton felt, leading him to overcompensate for the team’s struggles.
“If I could redo the moments before the game, I would have reassured him not to feel like he had to win it alone without Tahj,” McGuire said. “At times, he pressed, but he handled the pressure and hits well, especially since it was his first time taking hits this season.”
“Taking care of the football is crucial. Aside from the interceptions, I believe he’s playing well, but he can play better. We need him to step up, and we definitely need to improve our running game.”
The entire team must elevate its performance on Saturday. If not, North Texas, led by former Texas Tech standout Eric Morris, could pull off an upset in Lubbock.
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