By ROBERT CESSNAThe Texas Tech football team is built around its vaunted passing attack, but it also can win with defense.
The Red Raiders proved that last week at Nebraska, a program that has prided itself on playing outstanding defense over the years. Tech could muster only 259 yards but grabbed a 31-10 victory over the Cornhuskers. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill's Red Raider unit had five sacks, and defensive end Daniel Howard returned a fumble 82 yards for a touchdown.
Some Nebraska fans were booing by game's end, shocked that those plays weren't being made by their Blackshirts.
"We have blackshirts there at Texas Tech too," Tech head coach Mike Leach said. "Every one of our guys is wearing a black shirt underneath their pads. I'm proud to say the blackshirts won this one."
Nebraska didn't score its touchdown until midway through the final quarter. The Cornhuskers could muster only 285 yards, the fourth opponent Tech (5-2, 2-1 Big 12) has held under 300 yards.
"I'm very impressed with them defensively and what they do," Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman said. "They're very fundamentally sound."
Sherman and the Aggies (3-3, 0-2) will play at Texas Tech at 6 p.m. Saturday. Tech's improving defense is a challenge for Sherman and his offense, which is averaging 484 yards per game (No. 3 in the country).
Statistically, the Red Raiders will be the best defense the Aggies have faced. Tech ranks in the country's Top 50 in four major defensive categories -- rushing (24th, 101.9 yards per game), scoring (34th, 19.7 points per game), pass efficiency (40th, a 116.9 rating) and total defense (49th, 340.9 ypg).
Tech's defense has taken some pressure on an offense that has battled through several injuries, including its top two quarterbacks.
"Sometimes that's just how the game's going to go," said junior wide receiver Detron Lewis, who starred at A&M Consolidated. "We're not always going to be able to put up the 500 yards we put up on offense to win the game. The 260 yards was good enough to get it [Saturday against Nebraska]."
Tech's defense has playmakers at every level.
Defensive end Brandon Sharpe has eight sacks, which is second in the Big 12 behind A&M's Von Miller's 10. Junior linebacker Brian Duncan has a team-leading 51 tackles. Senior cornerback Jamar Wall has 32 tackles and a team-leading six pass breakups.
"They play good, solid defense," Sherman said. "They play their system, they believe in their system, and they match up on your routes pretty good. They certainly have to defend passes in practice on a daily basis. They're going against one of the better offenses every single day in practice, when they go up against each other.
"And I think they have recruited well. They have some pretty good rushers on the edge; good, solid guys in middle; the linebackers run well, the DBs cover, I just think they're a solid group."
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NOTES -- Lewis leads the team in catches (35) and yards (485). He had five catches last week for 100 yards, his second straight 100-yard effort. He had eight catches for 100 yards and two scores in a 66-14 victory over Kansas State. Last year, Lewis had nine catches for 92 yards in Tech's 43-25 victory at Kyle Field. Michael Crabtree, who is expected to start for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers against Houston this week, had eight catches for 71 yards.
TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL
* Saturday's game: Texas A&M (3-3, 0-2 Big 12) at No. 21 Texas Tech (5-2, 2-1), 6 p.m.
* TV/radio: None/WTAW, 1620 AM and Sirius Ch. 161
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