Texas Tech receiver Alex Torres isn’t surprised when he witnesses the Red Raider defense save the normally stout offense from a rough outing.
And it happened yet again in a 20-13 win against Baylor Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, where the Bears’ offense was stood up at the goal line late in the fourth quarter.
“I think our defense has bailed us out of many situations throughout the season,” Torres said. “Getting key stops and key turnovers, they literally won the game for us (Saturday). They outplayed any aspect of our team.”
That final drive was an emphatic punctuation to a season in which the defense has followed up last year’s coming out party despite losing a few key pieces.
Baylor quarterback Blake Szymanski, who was running the ball well all day, went for a draw on third and goal from the 6-yard line with about two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
But defensive end Brandon Sharpe gobbled him up as soon as he crossed the line of scrimmage.
“I was ready to tear him up,” Sharpe said.
The next play was an incomplete pass and the Red Raiders took over and finished off the game. The 20 points are the lowest amount Leach has had in a win since 2001, and he has his defense to thank for that.
“What was the difference in the game? The Tech defense,” he said. “That was the difference in the game.”
The last time the defense saved the offense wasn’t that long ago either. In a 31-10 win against Nebraska Oct. 17, Tech’s 259 yards was the lowest output in a Leach victory since his first win at Tech in 2000.
The Red Raiders sacked Szymanski, a surprise decision at quarterback for Baylor, four times. Their season total stands at 40, which is second nationally with Pittsburgh at the top with 43.
And Sharpe has a lot to do with that number considering he alone has shouldered 38 percent of it.
He picked up his 14th and 15th sacks against the Bears Saturday, which gave him the school record for most sacks in a single season. He passed Adell Duckett, who had 14 in 2003.
“It’s a privilege. I’m just happy,” he said. “I couldn’t do it without my whole defense. We all work hard and work together to get back there. I’m just proud of myself and how the defense has been working hard.”
This year the Tech defense is holding opposing offenses to 34 less total yards than last season and to 21.7 points per game — six less than 2008.
Senior defensive end Ra’Jon Henley said the stellar improvements are a testament to more exposure and time under the guidance of defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill.
“I think we came back with a lot of experienced players,” he said. “The experience we had at linebacker and (defensive line) and (defensive backs), I think it really helped out a lot. A lot of seniors on the team, seniors play with passion.”
Against Baylor, the key stops kept coming late in the second half and more seniors were at the forefront.
In the third quarter after the Red Raiders scored a touchdown to make it a 13-10 score, senior cornerback Brent Nickerson intercepted Szymanski on the second play of Baylor’s ensuing possession.
It was his first career interception, and it couldn’t have been any bigger. Tech quarterback Taylor Potts hit receiver Lyle Leong for their second touchdown of the game a few plays later and Tech held on to the lead with the defense’s goal-line stand.
“We got turnovers,” Leach said. ”We stopped drives and of course we knew we had to stop them for four downs on that last one, and they did.”
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