The RRS staff gathers weekly for the Roundtable, where we debate and discuss the question of the week about Texas Tech athletics. This week's question:
275 rushing yards. Can Texas Tech hold Arkansas under that number or not?
Level: I think you'll see Texas Tech put bigger personnel on the field at once, maybe even using Pete Robertson as more of a linebacker and getting another defensive lineman on the field to try and slow the Arkansas run game. Will they do that? If so, is that enough? Most everyone thinks Arkansas will be able to do whatever they want on the ground and while they might be right I tend to think they'll be able to hold the Hogs under 275, but just barely. Rawleigh Williams is a name to remember too ... believe he went over 2,800 yards on the ground last year at Bishop Lynch and he'll be involved Saturday night at some level along with Alex Collins.
Dickens: I think Texas Tech can absolutely hold Arkansas under that number. It won't be easy, and I'm certainly not going to be surprised if the Red Raiders give up more than 275, but the Razorbacks haven't exactly been a monstrous force on the ground recently. Arkansas hasn't rushed for 275 or more yards since posting 285 against Texas A&M last September. In other words, it's been 10 games since the Hogs last reached 275 and seven games since they reached 200. This is doable for Texas Tech, folks.
McKay: Yep, I think the Red Raiders will keep the Hogs under 275. In fact, I think they can keep them under 225. Some of that has to do with the incremental improvements I saw from week one to week two under David Gibbs, as UTEP's rushing attack numbers would've looked very pedestrian last week without Aaron Jones' 91 yarder. The defensive line did a much better job of being disruptive, and the linebackers stuck to their responsibilities more often.
If Tech can make the same improvement from week two to week three that they made from week one to two, they'll hold Arkansas under 275. I also wonder how much Arkansas OC Dan Enos will actually run the ball, as there seems to be an early season pattern developing with much more balance instead of just running downhill, be that the right thing to do or not.
Clare: Yes. 275 is a lot of yards to give up, and I'm not expecting another 90-plus yard run given up this week. The key to keeping this number down is how much the offense can help the defense, it's the key part of this matchup. If Mahomes and the Tech offense can protect the football and put points on the board this weekend, then it forces the Razorbacks to play from behind and alters their attack on offense - more passing, less rushing.
Wright: If Arkansas wants that many rushing yards, they will get it. If the game stays close and the Hogs stick to the run, then I don't believe they will be held under that number. However, I do believe Texas Tech will win this game. If the Red Raider offense scores early and often, which they like to do, I can see the Razorbacks shifting to more of a passing attack, running less and not reaching that yardage milestone. To give a definite answer: yes, but not because the Red Raiders run defense dominated.
Kohnle: Arkansas has rushed 65 times for 285 yards and three touchdowns and has passed the ball 71 times for 720 yards through two games this season. Last year the Razorbacks rushed 68 times for 439 yards and seven touchdowns against the Red Raiders. In fact, the Razorbacks were so effective on the ground that they only had to throw it 12 times a year ago. This year’s Razorback offense looks much different than last year and operates in a much different way; they are also without star running back Johnathan Williams who carried the ball 22 times for 145 yards in last year’s contest. It would be ignorant to expect the Razorbacks to not get back to their ground-and-pound offense from last year, but I just don’t see that game plan being as effective this week against a much-improved, much more experienced defensive group, and a defensive coordinator who can put together an effective game plan.
The Razorbacks will not reach 275 yards rushing, and I think the tight ends running off of play-action fakes will be the ones giving the Red Raiders fits this week.
Martin: It would probably be safe to say that Arkansas will not eclipse 275 yards rushing this Saturday in Fayetteville. If you take a look at last season’s tape, though, you’d probably think my position on this is ludicrous. However, Arkansas’ ground attack has appeared to be stagnant the last two weeks, averaging a surprising 142 yards through two games. The Razorbacks’ passing attack may actually be of more concern to David Gibbs’ defense come Saturday.
275 rushing yards. Can Texas Tech hold Arkansas under that number or not?
Level: I think you'll see Texas Tech put bigger personnel on the field at once, maybe even using Pete Robertson as more of a linebacker and getting another defensive lineman on the field to try and slow the Arkansas run game. Will they do that? If so, is that enough? Most everyone thinks Arkansas will be able to do whatever they want on the ground and while they might be right I tend to think they'll be able to hold the Hogs under 275, but just barely. Rawleigh Williams is a name to remember too ... believe he went over 2,800 yards on the ground last year at Bishop Lynch and he'll be involved Saturday night at some level along with Alex Collins.
Dickens: I think Texas Tech can absolutely hold Arkansas under that number. It won't be easy, and I'm certainly not going to be surprised if the Red Raiders give up more than 275, but the Razorbacks haven't exactly been a monstrous force on the ground recently. Arkansas hasn't rushed for 275 or more yards since posting 285 against Texas A&M last September. In other words, it's been 10 games since the Hogs last reached 275 and seven games since they reached 200. This is doable for Texas Tech, folks.
McKay: Yep, I think the Red Raiders will keep the Hogs under 275. In fact, I think they can keep them under 225. Some of that has to do with the incremental improvements I saw from week one to week two under David Gibbs, as UTEP's rushing attack numbers would've looked very pedestrian last week without Aaron Jones' 91 yarder. The defensive line did a much better job of being disruptive, and the linebackers stuck to their responsibilities more often.
If Tech can make the same improvement from week two to week three that they made from week one to two, they'll hold Arkansas under 275. I also wonder how much Arkansas OC Dan Enos will actually run the ball, as there seems to be an early season pattern developing with much more balance instead of just running downhill, be that the right thing to do or not.
Clare: Yes. 275 is a lot of yards to give up, and I'm not expecting another 90-plus yard run given up this week. The key to keeping this number down is how much the offense can help the defense, it's the key part of this matchup. If Mahomes and the Tech offense can protect the football and put points on the board this weekend, then it forces the Razorbacks to play from behind and alters their attack on offense - more passing, less rushing.
Wright: If Arkansas wants that many rushing yards, they will get it. If the game stays close and the Hogs stick to the run, then I don't believe they will be held under that number. However, I do believe Texas Tech will win this game. If the Red Raider offense scores early and often, which they like to do, I can see the Razorbacks shifting to more of a passing attack, running less and not reaching that yardage milestone. To give a definite answer: yes, but not because the Red Raiders run defense dominated.
Kohnle: Arkansas has rushed 65 times for 285 yards and three touchdowns and has passed the ball 71 times for 720 yards through two games this season. Last year the Razorbacks rushed 68 times for 439 yards and seven touchdowns against the Red Raiders. In fact, the Razorbacks were so effective on the ground that they only had to throw it 12 times a year ago. This year’s Razorback offense looks much different than last year and operates in a much different way; they are also without star running back Johnathan Williams who carried the ball 22 times for 145 yards in last year’s contest. It would be ignorant to expect the Razorbacks to not get back to their ground-and-pound offense from last year, but I just don’t see that game plan being as effective this week against a much-improved, much more experienced defensive group, and a defensive coordinator who can put together an effective game plan.
The Razorbacks will not reach 275 yards rushing, and I think the tight ends running off of play-action fakes will be the ones giving the Red Raiders fits this week.
Martin: It would probably be safe to say that Arkansas will not eclipse 275 yards rushing this Saturday in Fayetteville. If you take a look at last season’s tape, though, you’d probably think my position on this is ludicrous. However, Arkansas’ ground attack has appeared to be stagnant the last two weeks, averaging a surprising 142 yards through two games. The Razorbacks’ passing attack may actually be of more concern to David Gibbs’ defense come Saturday.
