Red Raiders' defense losing softness

[Benard]

Texas Tech defensive coordinator Lyle Setencich is up to his old tricks.

 

During his second year as Arizona State's linebackers coach in 1996, Setencich helped the Sun Devils' defense improve from last in the Pac-10 to first. ASU also reversed a 77-28 loss to Nebraska with a 19-0 blanking of the Huskers. When Setencich went to California, the Bears went from eighth in the league his first season to third the next. And two years after that, they were No. 1.

 

Now in his second season at Tech, the Red Raiders have gone from ranking 106th out of 117 NCAA Division I-A teams in 2003 to No. 47 after five games.

 

"We were so ineffective last year and we have improved, but we're not a great defense by any means," Setencich said. "Somebody asked me (recently) what I had hoped for (this year) and I said if we could get in the mid-range of the Big 12, that'd probably be realistic. We're not like Nebraska on defense. Or Oklahoma."

 

The Red Raiders rank ninth in the Big 12, but the 332.2 yards-per-game allowed is just 8 more than the Sooners. Tech starts nine underclassmen.

 

 

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