I’m glad Ruffin feels bad. He’s been better for the defense than his predacessor. That said, I still don’t know why our db’s play soft 10 yard cusion, we don’t load the box against obvious running formations and we don’t mix or disguise blitzes. Saturday was base 4-3 all night and it obviously wasn’t working. When we got them into 3rd down they burned us w/ the screen several times and we didn’t change things to stop it.

Report this comment

It seems that Coach McNeill doesn’t know how to make “in game” adjustments. Just like the Nebraska game last year, we just kept doing the same thing, expecting different results. Insanity or stupidity?

Report this comment

I’m glad to hear that the coach understands/understood what went wrong. Apparently the kids know also. Hopefully they come back down from cloud 9 and play much better against Reesing and Meir. I may be skeptical but I feel as if Ruffin is sincere about is words and feelings about letting coach Leach down. I have noticed on the TV games he is very emotional towards his defensive players.

Let’s Go Tech!

Report this comment

Ruffin is the same as Lyle Setencich was…he has no idea what a blitz is. It’s the same base 4-3 defense all game. I like his intensity and fire, but that only lasts and goes so far. You have to know how to scheme and come up with gameplans, and Ruffin clearly does not. Leach knows how to get the most out of what talent he does have on the offensive side of the ball…if only we could say the same for the defense over the years.

Report this comment

just a few comments so far, but several accurate ones. I don’t understand the lack of creativity or lack of adjustments either. I also agree that not much, except intensity, changed when Ruffin took over. Do you guys remember back in the mid 90′s when we actually were more of a defensive team for a period of time? Not that I want that again, but during the Zack Thomas days, we really didn’t have the talent on defense that we even have now, but we pressured and stuffed the run, and made our d-backs play tight or get burned. Essentially, I think we played a 46. We have the one team in this nation that can take chances on defense and yet we don’t. I have said it several times, but the worst that can happen to our offense is to sit and get stale while the other team slowly bleads the life out of us. Why o why can’t we simply pressure and if they score and score quick, fine. Our offense will be back in rythm and back on the field!! As in Leach’s offensive philosophy goes, the odds are on our side if we take chances. Why are we sooooo conservative on defense?

Report this comment

How do you spell “Sucked”?

Report this comment

I thought we had a great defense after the Nebraska game, until I saw that little old Iowa St. held Nebraska to only one touchdown too.

Tech is too inconsistent on both defense & offense. The psychological word for this team is manic.

Report this comment

Put it to rest and learn from last weeks game. But come prepared to show up to play this weekend against Kansas. Guns Up Red Raiders Believe.

Report this comment

Any word on Sheffield ? I know they said out for close to 3 weeks, but after a week and a half I’d like to hear something about QB 1 . something positive .

Report this comment

Unexcuseable for that type of defensive effort! That was a complete National embarrasment!

Report this comment

I don’t get to watch every game, but in the games I have seen, we were able to get preasure with the front four. With A&M’s inexperience on the line, we should have been able to againse them, but we didn’t. There is no reason to blitz when you can preasure with four, expecially with a qb who can run. When you bring 6 or 7 guys, you comit them to a certian area with the secondary in man coverage. If the mobile qb breaks contain or there is a well timed screen pass, there is no one there to tackle him because the secondary is running with receivers and the blitz has ran defenders out of the play. Listening to the game on the radio, it seemed when we did blitz we got burned with screen passes and the quarterback running, so I don’t know that’s the answer. The simple fact is the defense played bad. It doesn’t matter what scheme you employ, if you don’t execute it with solid fundamentals, you end up giving up 50. Play with leverage, beat the blocker, run to the football, make the tackle. Oversimplified, maybe, but those four fundamentals will never change. Hopefully, the defense learned their lesson, because they are better than that and I expect a solid performance against Kansas.

Report this comment

If I was the RUFF, I would starting looking for another job. The PieRat’s ship is sinking and fast.!!!

BTW- Colt is this weeks Big 12 Offensive Player of the week, there is a nice article about Colt’s and Shipley’s younger brothers in the AAS, one already committed to UT, the other is on the way. Anyone want to bet Okie State’s QB is carted off the field after an absolutely LEGAL but bonecrushing sack???

Report this comment

is anyone here really impressed with the Tech defense in the last few years? aside from a game here and there, i’m sure not. really bad teams seem to have “games of the season” against this defense. i know Leach is big on the status quo and after last year, i don’t blame him. but maybe the chnage we need isn’t at QB, its at defensive coordinator.

Report this comment

I was at the game and frustrated like all other Tech fans.

Not sure if I am right, but I kept wanting Tech to get penetration. It never seemed to happen. It appeared we were trying to tackle as they ran by, rather than go get them…………

Report this comment

It is so funny to read the comments posted about how Coach Ruff is not a good Defensive coordinator. You guys have no clue what it takes to be a coach. Just keep sitting on the couch and going to your 8 to 5 job and keep your mouth shut. Until you actually become a FOOTBALL COACH keep your comments to yourself when it comes to blitzes and schemes and anything else that goes with coaching a football game.

Report this comment

Well said ROJO I could not agree more, maybe some of you would like to come to our JV football game this Thursday and yell these ridiculous comments from the bleachers, you would fit in nicely. Let the coaches coach and everyone else support.

Wreck Em

Report this comment

If I can’t complain, then I’ll just keep my money in my pocket. Leach can find his millions elsewhere…Geez who a tenderfoot, can’t stand the heat, better get out of the kitchen. This is FOOTBALL!

Report this comment

I have been rooting for all teams in the big 12 to do well!!.. I understand that if texas loses it will make the whole conference look bad, but I am officially rooting as hard as I can against TU the rest of the year thanks to the trolls that refuse to leave the TEXAS TECH blogs!!!!

Report this comment

Me too tbone. Whether UT does well is not going to impact Tech at all this year. Last year yes, this year no. Hope UT goes down to OSU and Aggie. Course Aggie has owned Texas the last few years. I think Aggie beat Longhorn two out of the last three years. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Texas lose in College Station again. As soon as Texas loses their first game this year, the trolls will disappear.

Report this comment

“but maybe the chnage we need isn’t at QB, its at defensive coordinator.”

ANDY !!!
Your the Only Poster on this blog, that KNOWS what the REAL PROBLEM is !!

Good Luck against KU !!

By By RUFF !!!

BTW, We need to have a Dump Truck standing by just in case Mangino or Ruff gets sick during the game ! (Can you spell Heart attack !!!) to take them to Covenant !!!!

Report this comment

Andy – Gonzales,

Both of you are correct that Tech’s defense has been suspect for most of Leach’s era. They’ve been an average defense. Yes, they have had some good games, but not a good season. Good defenses have good seasons, and all good defenses have one thing in common. That one thing is a dominating d-line. Tech just hasn’t had that. The issue isn’t coaching technique or blitzing too much / too little. It is recruiting. We must do a better job recruiting top d-lineman. IMHO, you build a good defense with power in the middle and speed on the corners (DEs, LBs, CBs). Our DEs and LBs are not fast. A few LBs lacking speed can overcome it with excellent instincts. Our guys have neither. Zach Thomas wasn’t all that fast, but had phenominal instincts.

I personally believe Tech would be better off in a 3-4 scheme recruiting athletic LBs w/ speed. It is much easier to find talented LBs than dominating d-lineman. Put four LBs on the field and move them all over the place, much like Leach does w/ his offensive (same plays from multiple formations). Also search far and wide for dominating nose guards. Being in a conference with spread offenses and very mobile QBs make the 3-4 very appealing.

Report this comment

longhorns_BCS_champs said:
If I was the RUFF, I would starting looking for another job. The PieRat’s ship is sinking and fast.!!!

BTW- Colt is this weeks Big 12 Offensive Player of the week, there is a nice article about Colt’s and Shipley’s younger brothers in the AAS, one already committed to UT, the other is on the way. Anyone want to bet Okie State’s QB is carted off the field after an absolutely LEGAL but bonecrushing sack???

Colt should have went Pro last year. The kid will choke against OSU. The Cowboys will roll. Bevo will get BBQed. Good luck in the Big12 Championship game OSU, though you will not need it. The Horns will play in the Cotton Bowl after getting beat in a close game by A&M.

There, It has been said. And so it shall be.

Report this comment

It looks like Ruffin teaches the “Dogs chasing cars” scheme on defense. When was the last time you saw a tech defensive player blow up someone on the offensive side. The difference in good teams and average inconsistent teams like tech is the defensive & offensive lines. Ours are average at best- probably below average. Brandon Sharpe has a good game here and there, but they have really taken a step back from last year on both offensive and defensive lines. It seems to me they keep thinking theyre going to be “ok” and thats about all they are. You really cant fire the players, you have to upgrade the coaches so they recruit better players, better schemes, etc.

Report this comment

I agree totally with the football prophet!!!!!! OSU will be the big 12 south champions and may play the Iowa State Cyclones in the big 12 championship. I would be careful in Stillwater this week “Longhorn BCS champs. Those people in Stillwater won’t put up with any guff from the conceited UTfans! They are pretty tough and work hard! They can take care things. The Red Raiders will bounce back! They are rebuilding this year and will be an excellent team in 2010-2011. The short horns better take advantage this year. Because next season will be a tough for them.

Report this comment

Great idea 86raider88 on recruiting a 3-4 scheme except that usually means the offense can run between the tackles on you virtually at will. Ah yes, the heady days of Nebraska running their gutting attack right at our defense and being powerless to stop them…that’s what comes to mind. I think you need to consider the total body of work and consider where our Red Raiders have come since the inception of the Big 12. Our defense has improved profoundly. It’s a heck of a lot harder to recruit, organize and execute a skilled defense than it is to run a spread offense, especially at the college level. Give Ruff some time, he’s got the defense headed in the right direction. We’re not going to turn into LSU overnight.

Report this comment

Our below averege defense , as told by others has not been that bad. We may chase a few cars, but we’ve caught a lot of them, #2 in the conference in sacks and well ahead of our sack totals for last year. We have the #2 and the # 6 sacker at present, and both have had a DNP due to injury. We rank 4th in Red Zone defense. While you try to figure out which adjustment we should make take this into consideration. Our base defense is the 4-3, however on many occasions we go to the 3-4 with the Joker package, which ends up with a double team on the joker, The one thing I would like to see is 1 or 2 more blitzers coming with the joker coupled with in your face man to man corners. It is a huge risk, but when executed properly it can have it’s moments. We are last in the league at takeaways, 1st in penalties against, and all of our Tfl’s are sacks. Those 3 items can be game changers. I will say this, all those kids are warriors and they want to please all of you. While playing thru a lot of injuries, these warriors when cut, bleed Texas Tech red. As for The DE’s not fast, well just look at the stats or ask an opposing O-tackle. National embarrasment , please, way to serious, even if you’ve paid too much money and want to keep it your pocket. Leach and Ruff are just fine where they are at, you should be so lucky to have them, or maybe you’d prefer Stan Parrish, he just got his 1st win as Head Coach after 35 defeats, he’s on a roll like a lot you guys.

Report this comment

Wow, DD, you must be correct, what with all those stats. How about the real stat, the final score! Tech got their butts handed to them by a really bad team. So, my stat book says LOSS!

Report this comment

Low class school.
Low class fans.
Low class coach.
Low class product..

Report this comment

I agree with you rick. DD- those state look cool and all but to me stats are for losers. Whats more important is wins. I understand a down year here and there but as long as the team shows progress then thats great! This team is far from that, especially defense

Report this comment