Red Raiders Coach Tim DeRuyter Transforming Texas Tech's Defense Game by Game
For several years the Texas Tech Red Raiders have been known for their electric offense, capable of putting up points in bunches, which has been paired with less than stellar defenses.
Last season was definitely no exception to this trend, as the Red Raiders put up 30 points and 416.5 yards of total offense per game. However, they would counter that by allowing points to score 30.2 points per game on 405 yards of total offense.
No matter how good you are on offense, if you give up more points than you can score, you likely won't win many games. That's just how it goes.
Now, though, with a new defensive coordinator in Lubbock for the Red Raiders, the defense appears to be on an upward trajectory compared to years past. Tim DeRuyter, in his first year at Texas Tech alongside coach Joey McGuire, has the Red Raider defense flying to the ball at a high level.
Through five games they are allowing opponents to score 27.6 points per game on 354 yards of total offense. Yes, it is a small sample size, but the Red Raiders appear to be a revamped group on defense. If they can keep it up over the rest of the season, it will be a huge momentum boost heading into the offseason and next season.
As the Red Raider offense finds their legs with quarterback Donovan Smith at the helm, the defense will likely be called upon to keep them in games, which they have done so far. It may lead to some painful losses throughout the season, but building the defensive foundation to turn things around in Lubbock would be a big win for DeRuyter.
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.