Saturday night at Jones AT&T Stadium had a throwback feel to it. Regretfully, no vintage uniforms or helmets were purchased for the occasion. But it could have been confused for 1988.

Was this not the biggest beatdown of West Texans against a Massachusetts adversary since Bush-Dukakis? Even better, there weren’t months and months of bad eyebrows to watch.

Williams

All in all, it was a pleasant night, just the sort that Texas Tech needed to restore a little confidence going into Big 12 Conference play. I’m not talking about the Red Raiders’ confidence necessarily, but the confidence of all those fans who packed Jones Stadium again for the second straight sellout to see Tech vs. a weak team. Thanks to its lofty rankings – Nos. 10 and 11 and about to get higher – this team had been nitpicked so much, you’d have thought they were 0-3 before Saturday.

There’s a danger in making too much of the Red Raiders’ 56-14 romp over UMass. From playoff teams the last two years, the Minutemen lost some key pieces, particularly at the skill positions. There’s no denying that.

Yet, Tech didn’t do like most of the Division I teams UMass has challenged the last three years. This was no battle to the bloody end like the Minutemen had against Boston College and service academies.

Nevertheless, after four non-conference games, some things seem safe to say.

The Tech defense might not hold Big 12 teams to single-digit games. Nor is it going to fold, however. And it looks quite capable of being a touchdown a game better than last season. That would mean giving up 17 to 20 points per, which should be good enough to win with if you are who you say are – the high-flying aerial circus.

The two most important qualities this defense has shown from game one are a penchant for game-changing plays and a determination to strictly adhere to their rest schedule. After every third down, it’s siesta time. Remember, Tech was second in the nation in third-down defense before Saturday, and by the time UMass finally converted a third down, it was a 49-7 game in the third quarter. Tech was up to the task on the first six occasions.

Playmaking? Darcel McBath’s 44-yard interception return for a touchdown was Tech’s 10th pick, which tied the Raiders’ season total from last year.

With none of his guys getting hurt, defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill has been able to work a lot of packages. We’ve seen the 30 front, the Jet front, the Joker rush and the dime package, especially in the last two games. The starting front four has gotten plenty of rest with the use of a second front four, and linebackers Brian Duncan and Bront Bird haven’t had to play too many snaps – probably fewer than half against SMU – because of all the time the Raiders have spent in the dime package.

You know what’s good about spending a lot of time in the dime?

It means the Raiders are actually forcing teams into second-and-long and third-and-long. Think about it: There’s been a lot more third-and-5 than third-and-1.

Of course, the defense’s improvement has rivaled the rebirth of the running game for most significant storyline of Tech’s September. Again, there’s a danger in drawing too big a conclusion from that. First, be assured Mike Leach hasn’t changed his stripes. Behind closed doors, he’s not tinkering with a veer or a wishbone. Did I miss it, or has he not even broken the seal on the run-oriented “Elf” package that we saw so much in August practices?

Just like SMU the week before, UMass wasn’t stacking the box. Sometimes five, sometimes six defenders close to the line of scrimmage. When the Minutemen played soft in the middle and the second level, which was often, the Raiders gladly opted for handoffs, shovels and screens and made hay. Between them, Shannon Woods and Baron Batch were pushing 300 yards in tandem offense for the second week in a row.

If Woods and Batch are going to run with that much authority, maybe Leach could force the issue a little more often and make teams think seriously about committing a safety to the run. Wouldn’t Mike Crabtree just love that?

Speaking of, the Raiders didn’t drop as many passes Saturday as they did last week, and Graham Harrell got back in sync. Hey, Donnie Carona even had a perfect night and Tech had a perfect August and September.

All welcome developments to ponder with a week before the important stuff starts.