Opponent Defensive Breakdown: Texas Tech Red Raiders

On Saturday, the Mountaineers will host their one of its final two home game of the year when West Virginia hosts the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

This will be a battle of first year coaches as Head Coach Neal Brown will attempt to out-coach Head Coach Matt Wells. Despite a 3-5 record, the Red Raiders have played well this season defensively and have kept their games close. Injuries have plagued them this season, but veteran leadership has kept them from completely falling apart. Led by Wells and Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson, who was the DC at West Virginia in 2012 and 2013, Texas Tech has always been a tough out for West Virginia.

It has been a rough season so far for this defense statistically, as the Red Raiders rank 116 in the country in total defense, allowing 460.5 yards per game. Their pass defense ranks 122th, giving up 284.9 yards per game. Moreover, the Red Raiders have been a dismal second half team this season. In games against other Power Five opponents, Texas Tech has given up 194 points and 3,264 yards in the second half alone. This could be due to fatigue of being on the field more often since their offense has stalled, or due to injuries. Look for the Mountaineers to make their adjustments at halftime and be prepared for points in the second half.

Injuries:

DL Lonzell Gilmore will miss the remainder of the season due to a ruptured biceps

DB Douglas Coleman III has a left foot injury, and it is unclear if he will play against West Virginia on Nov. 9

DB Desmon Smith has missed the previous three games with a knee injury, and it is unknown if he will be available Nov. 9 against West Virginia

DL Gilbert Ibeneme sustained a substantial shoulder injury, ending his season

DL John Scott III is recovering from an off-field incident and is likely to miss the entire 2019 season

Players to keep an eye on:

Jordyn Brooks (Linebacker) – Brooks leads the team with 87 tackles. He also has three sacks on the year and one forced fumble. Brooks is the leader of this defense and is involved in every play. You will hear his name a lot on Saturday.

Eli Howard (Defensive Line) – Howard leads the team with three and a half sacks on the season. Look for him to use his speed to get passed the offensive tackles and force Austin Kendall to stay in the pocket.

Douglas Coleman III (Defensive Back) – Coleman III may end up not playing on Saturday which would be great for West Virginia. Coleman III leads the team with seven interceptions and has two pass break ups. The senior has been forcing turnovers his entire four years with the Red Raiders.

For West Virginia, they must come into this game with a winning mindset. Despite the result of their games so far, they need to view this game as very winnable, especially being at home. This is the game that the Mountaineers needed, as they are facing one of the worst defenses in the Big 12. This could be the game that Austin Kendall and his young receivers and lineman can build some confidence and use that towards finishing the season strong. This is a game that the running backs need to play like many expected them to going into the season.

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