I'm sure most of you are familiar with The Solid Verbal podcast, if you aren't it is a high quality CFB podcast with multiple episodes per week.
they posted a week five reactions pod earlier today and were identifying some under the radar/hidden gem type teams and players, and at the 56:50/57 minute mark one of the hosts brings up Texas Tech...
I'm paraphrasing the conversation here, but feel free to skip to the 56:50/57 minute mark and hear them out...
4-1 record
3-of-4 wins – one score games
Defense: “dreadful”
99th in defensive success rate against the run
110th in defensive success rate against the pass
82nd in defensive points per drive allowed – does not include Abilene Christian (only includes FBS opponents)
Top 20 pass defense, in terms of ‘air yards per target’ – giving up 17 yards per successful drop back, which means teams are throwing short passes and the Tech defense is missing tackles (?)
This stat can be inflated by plays like the second half screen pass that went 70+ yards for a score, but the point remains in the sample size we have for this season through five games
133rd in tackle rate*
Offense:
Tech ‘super power’ is that they are all-time great ‘pain in the ass’ offense…
One of the best 3rd down offenses in the nation
112th in the percentage of times they get a 1st down on 1st or 2nd down
10th in 3rd down success rate – nearly half of these conversions are from 3rd & 7 or longer
Getting behind the chains and figuring out ways to extend drives…will not last forever, numbers will even out, but these numbers lend to more shootouts and close games for the remainder of the season
They suggest ‘taking a drink of something strong’ or ‘taking a puff of something’ to take off the edge before watching a Texas Tech game...
they posted a week five reactions pod earlier today and were identifying some under the radar/hidden gem type teams and players, and at the 56:50/57 minute mark one of the hosts brings up Texas Tech...
I'm paraphrasing the conversation here, but feel free to skip to the 56:50/57 minute mark and hear them out...
4-1 record
3-of-4 wins – one score games
Defense: “dreadful”
99th in defensive success rate against the run
110th in defensive success rate against the pass
82nd in defensive points per drive allowed – does not include Abilene Christian (only includes FBS opponents)
Top 20 pass defense, in terms of ‘air yards per target’ – giving up 17 yards per successful drop back, which means teams are throwing short passes and the Tech defense is missing tackles (?)
This stat can be inflated by plays like the second half screen pass that went 70+ yards for a score, but the point remains in the sample size we have for this season through five games
133rd in tackle rate*
Offense:
Tech ‘super power’ is that they are all-time great ‘pain in the ass’ offense…
One of the best 3rd down offenses in the nation
112th in the percentage of times they get a 1st down on 1st or 2nd down
10th in 3rd down success rate – nearly half of these conversions are from 3rd & 7 or longer
Getting behind the chains and figuring out ways to extend drives…will not last forever, numbers will even out, but these numbers lend to more shootouts and close games for the remainder of the season
They suggest ‘taking a drink of something strong’ or ‘taking a puff of something’ to take off the edge before watching a Texas Tech game...
