LUBBOCK, Tex. -- A couple of readers have written to me in the last couple of weeks about the "supposed improvement" in Texas Tech's defense. One even went as far as to state that the talk about an improved defense under Ruffin McNeill was a sham, perpetrated on a media unwilling to go back and check the facts and compare them with the first four games coached by former coordinator Lyle Setencich.
That's why I'm here. So I decided to go back and check the Tech defense before and after the switch.
| | FD | Rush Yds.
| Rush Avg.
| Pass Yds. | Comp Pct.
| Yds/Att. | Total Yds. | Yds./Play | TO/Game | Pts./Game
|
First four games
| 22.5 | 198.8
| 4.4
| 206.8
| 50.4
| 6.2
| 405.4 | 5.2 | 2.0 | 28.3 |
| Final nine games | 20.0 | 167.3 | 3.8 | 180.2 | 60.8 | 5.9 | 347.6 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 24.9 |
I think the chart is notable for several trends. First, all of Tech's defensive stats except for completion percentage and turnovers per game improved after McNeill took over.
There's an explanation for both. When the Red Raiders started facing the meat of their Big 12 schedule, they started facing better quarterbacks who tended to make fewer mistakes. Hence, the completion percentage rises and the turnovers drop.
But in every other major statistic surveyed here, the Red Raiders improved.
Looking back, Tech did face some productive quarterbacks during Setencich's first four games last season. Phil Steele has Chase Clement of Rice, Trevor Vittatoe of UTEP and Justin Willis of SMU ranked as his three best quarterbacks in Conference USA. And Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State might be one of the nation's most underrated players.
And Setencich's group faced four offenses ranked 37th, 36th, 51st and seventh in total offense in the final NCAA statistics. McNeill's opponents were 64th (in Division I-AA), 102nd, 58th, fifth, 72nd, 85th, 13th, 19th and 101st. So I guess it's fair to say that Tech's defense might have faced tougher tests earlier in the season than later.
The most galling statistic, and the one that led to Setencich's dismissal, was Tech's inability to stop the run. The 4.4 yard-per-carry average was unacceptable to Mike Leach, and it was hammered home when Oklahoma State gashed the Red Raiders for a season-worst 366 yards in Tech's 49-45 conference-opening loss last year.
That performance ultimately led to the change in coordinators. It will be interesting to see what McNeill's defense can do after a full spring and fall camp learning his defense's intricacies.
Tim Griffin joined ESPN.com in February 2008. He has covered the Big 12 since its inception, among a variety of beats during a 24-year career at the San Antonio Express-News. Griffin, a Memphis State University graduate, lives in San Antonio with his wife and son.
