Why the Line of Scrimmage Is Where Texas Tech-BYU Will Be Won
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The No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-1, 5-1 in Big 12 play) are a lot of things in 2025. They have the No. 5 scoring offense and No. 4 scoring defense, proving they produce on both sides of the ball. However, the identity is clear regarding where they want to win. They compete in the trenches and build everything else outside of it.
Tech's most complete games have come when it establishes the run and tires out defenses while stopping the run on defense and forcing obvious passing situations where their edge rushers can dominate.
Defensively, the challenge has been met more consistently. The Red Raiders have the best rushing defense in the country (74.6 yards per game) and lead the Big 12 in sacks (28). Only two players have rushed for more than 60 yards against Texas Tech: Arizona State running back Raleek Brown and Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson.
Up the middle, A.J. Holmes Jr. has been one of the best interior run defenders in the country, and with the "Mustache Crew" behind him — linebackers Jacob Rodriguez, John Curry, and Ben Roberts — the Red Raiders win on film study and teamwork.
Texas Tech linebackers Jacob Rodriguez, Ben Roberts and John Curry said they wouldn’t talk to postgame media unless they were able to do it together. pic.twitter.com/qNCpHWLSnQ
— KeithInglisDT (@KeithInglisDT) November 2, 2025
However, they have a challenge ahead as the Red Raiders prepare for their toughest test of the season, a Week 11 matchup with the No. 7 BYU Cougars (8-0, 5-0).
"This is a big football team, like they're they're not only just at the running back and the quarterback position, but this is a big offensive line," said Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire at the team's press conference on Monday, Nov. 3.
"This is a big defensive line. I think two or three of their linebackers are all [over 240 pounds]. So, this is a really big football team and they're a physical football team."
The physicality of the game was a point McGuire hammered home. He said he believes it will be the "most physical game in the country" this week, and one way McGuire plans to establish that physicality is against their quarterback, Bear Bachmeier.
THERE'S A BEAR ON THE LOOSE IN PROVO 🐻🔥@BYUFootball pic.twitter.com/MnjRfYa2Tr
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2025
Bachmeier wears the number "42" because he grew up playing running back, and it shows in his play style. McGuire said that Bachmeier could run the ball 20 or more times and stay unfazed, which may be necessary with an injury to the conference's leading rusher, LJ Martin, though he is listed as probable for Week 11.
"We got to make sure that he [Bachmeier] knows he's in a football game," McGuire said. "We say that every week, though, to every quarterback. I mean, you've got to make quarterbacks uncomfortable by the physicality of the game."
"We're gonna have to go do a good job of tackling him, and not only just tackling him, but tackling him high and gang tackling."
On offense, though, the trench play has been less consistent. The Red Raiders want to be a run-first offense, tearing teams apart with their two-back system. Cameron Dickey and J'Koby Williams have both excelled this season, leading the Big 12 in rushing scores and all-purpose yards, respectively.
However, their game-by-game production has been a bit sporadic. Both players got going against Kansas State — a combined 203 rushing yards and two scores on 38 carries — and that is something the team hopes to replicate going forward.
"That [two-back formations] was just kind of a game plan thing that we saw, we could potentially get an advantage against Kansas State, just trying to find ways to run the football. I think both those guys are really good players," Texas Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich said on Nov. 3 about how the team found success on the ground in Week 10.
"The more times that we can get our guys who are really good players on the field together and get those guys the ball, the better for our offense. … As an offense, when we can run the ball and we can establish that style of play, that opens everything up for the passing game."
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-43389ae7766a84cbb8a6c33939d17968.jpeg "Jordan Epp")
Jordan Epp is a journalist who graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 and is passionate about telling stories, sharing news, and finding ways to entertain people through the medium of sports. He has formerly worked as a writer and editor at The Battalion and The Eagle, covering football in College Station, Texas, and served as the managing editor for PFSN.
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