Texas Tech defense — powered by Jacob Rodriguez — shines again in win over BYU

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has become something of a celebrity on campus. Fans have started wearing his iconic mustache in the stands, and his No. 10 jersey is behind only Patrick Mahomes’ No. 5 for most worn at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Rodriguez’s numbers have been sensational, and his stat line for No. 8 Texas Tech in dominant 29-7 win over No. 7 BYU scored one of his best – 14 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception returned deep into opposing territory. He guided the Red Raiders through a defensive transition, going from a good player on a bad defense last year to one of the best players in college football in 2025.

“The Heisman is given to the best player in football, it’s not given to the best quarterback,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “They have rewards for that. You can’t say that Jacob Rodriguez, at his position, isn’t playing the best at his position in the country, as elite and as good as anyone in the country.”

The last time a Texas Tech linebacker was such a household name was when a diminutive Hall of Famer from Pampa named Zach Thomas was making the calls. And in a historic victory for the Red Raiders, Rodriguez’s defense played one of the best games of the season.

BYU’s offense presents many challenges with its misdirection and option concepts. Dual-threat quarterback Bear Bachmeier also rarely drops and has only been sacked once by defensive tackle Lee Hunter. But even though the mayhem games had a premium, it was the hands-on excellence that stood out at Texas Tech.

Eight players recorded at least four tackles with very few misses in space. Seven players combined for eight passes defended. Four players recorded quarter hurries and four each recorded just one tackle for loss. On a day where the offense struggled early, the defense and special teams kept them alive.

Officially, Texas Tech doesn’t count stadium attendance against the stadium’s capacity of 60,229, but every nook and cranny was packed. However, for most of the afternoon there weren’t many people there. Despite a two-point lead, nerves took precedence over emotion.

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But late in the third quarter, Rodriguez deflected a third-down pass from Bachmeier and returned it to the edge of the red zone. From the first moment of the afternoon, the emotion was there. A drive later, the Red Raiders finally got into the end zone for the second time and the fun began.

“We can rely on defense,” McGuire said. “At any given time, no matter what’s going on in football at any level, if you can play defense and run the football, you’re going to have the opportunity to compete in games.”

The results against BYU’s highly touted running game were off the charts. The Cougars entered the game averaging 216 rushing yards per game. They mustered just 67 rushing yards on 2.5 carries against Texas Tech. Bachmeier was pushed to throw more in the second half, recording a career-high 38 pass attempts, but the Cougars were held to just 3.9 yards per play.

McGuire came to Texas Tech after spending most of his career as a high school coach. Although he is not schematically linked to any system, defense and physicality have always been his calling card. We wondered how he would be able to build this kind of culture after transferring several key defensive elements.

However, returners like Rodriguez and John Curry took this as a challenge. Everyone came to Lubbock for the opportunity to change everything. And after surviving BYU, Texas Tech officially completed the journey from a bottom-10 national defense to a top-10 unit. Texas Tech – yes, Texas Tech – has a championship-level defense.

“We’re so close,” Rodriguez said. “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had. It’s not just the offense, the defense, the special teams, it’s the whole team. Everyone cares about each other. We have to be one of the closest teams in the country.”

With this victory, Texas Tech virtually clinches a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time in program history. All that’s left are games against struggling UCF and West Virginia teams. If the Red Raiders enter the playoffs with just one loss, they can likely punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff – win or lose.

Rodriguez began his career as a quarterback at Virginia. He returned home to West Texas and changed positions, trusting the staff. After 10 games, Rodriguez has 91 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, seven forced fumbles and five passes defensed.

Will that be enough to receive an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in December? It remains to be seen. But it will be enough to compete for a championship.