Shiel Wood Making Return to Houston in Week 6

Facing another run-first offense, Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood prepares for a familiar foe.

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On Dec. 4, 2024, Texas Tech signed Shiel Wood as its newest defensive coordinator, replacing Tim DeRuyter and interim DC C.J. Ah You. Wood had gained a reputation for turning around defenses, doing so at Tulane in 2023 and Houston in 2024.

While the Red Raiders were a successful program in 2024, the defense held them back tremendously. The offense averaged 37.6 points per game (fourth-best) and the defense conceded 34.8 points per game (13th-worst).

Things have been different in 2025, though. Through four games, the Red Raiders have allowed 11.2 points per game, the eighth-fewest in the country. The season is far from over, but a ranked win over Utah to open Big 12 play showed that the Red Raiders' defense is real and not an early-season mirage.

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"I think they've got a really great bond together in terms of how they play and the camaraderie that they have," Wood said.

"I think as you go through adversity and you get deeper into games and you get a chance to play together more often as the season builds, you just get a sense of their confidence in one another, their willingness to play hard, and play together and weather the storm, so to speak. I was really proud of how they responded in that ball game."

The defense's performance against the Utes was everything the team had been building up to be. Utah averaged 290 yards on the ground in its first three games, but it was held to 101 yards by Texas Tech. Immediately afterward, the Utes rebounded with a 242-yard game against West Virginia.

By design, the Houston Cougars would like to be a run-first team as well. The Cougars run the ball on 60% of their plays, but they have not been as dominant in the ground game as the Utes. Utah has a rushing success rate of 51.4%, the eighth-best mark in the country. Houston, though, is at 32.0%, which is the third-worst.

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On the Red Raiders' side, they have the second-best run defense in the country in terms of success rate allowed (24.0%) and third-best in rushing yards per game (57.3). The team has swarmed to the ball, and the fearsome defensive front has stifled running backs all season.

Lee Hunter and A.J. Holmes Jr. have been among the best interior run defenders in the country, and Skyler Gill-Howard has been dominant as well. And even if the opposing runner breaks to the second level, Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jacob Rodriguez has been more than capable of cleaning things up. He leads the country in PFF run-defense grade among qualified players.

"They're a team again that they would like to run the football, so we'll have to do a good job of trying to stop the run, and then again off of those run actions, just the different ways that they'll try to push the ball down the field off of play actions, bootlegs, things of that nature," Wood said.

The Cougars are led by a pair of transfers, Dean Connors and Conner Weigman. Connors, a Rice transfer, leads the team on the ground with 67 carries for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Weigman, who transferred from Texas A&M, already has career-high rushing numbers: 141 yards and four scores.

DC Shiel Wood talked about how the depth on the team has led to their success. pic.twitter.com/IcVBYWq5N5

— Double T 97-3 🌵 (@DoubleT973) September 29, 2025

While Wood is familiar with the program they're about to face, he is not letting the moment get ahead of him. He is maintaining his steady approach, preparing for Houston as if it were any other team.

"We're a process-driven ball club, and I think when you focus on that, it doesn't matter who the opponent is or the situation," Wood said.

"We're just trying to do a great job with our game plan today to prepare for the practices … and give our guys the best chance that they can have to have the numbers at the point of attack, win their 1-on-1 matchup, do a great job gameplanning the situations that are going to arise in the ball game."

The Red Raiders kick off their game against the Cougars on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium in Houston.