NC State football opponent scouting report: Texas Tech

The No. 12/16-ranked NC State football team’s biggest non-conference game of the season arrives Saturday. Texas Tech is 2-0 and received votes in the polls this week after upsetting previously ranked Houston in a double-overtime win at home last weekend.

Kickoff is at 7:00, and the game can be seen nationally on ESPN2.

Here is a full scouting report on Texas Tech:

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Five Texas Tech Players To Watch

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jerand Bradley (No. 9)

The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder is emerging as a top receiver for Texas Tech and a potential matchup problem for defenses, including NC State.

Bradley caught 6 passes for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns against Murray State in his season debut and added 6 receptions for 50 yards vs. Houston. A year ago, while preserving his redshirt by playing just 4 games, Bradley flashed his potential with 5 receptions for 99 yards. He caught a pair of passes for 64 yards in the Liberty Bowl win over Mississippi State.

Junior running back Tahj Brooks (No. 28)

Texas Tech has a nice 1-2 combination at running back to throw at NC State with Brooks and fifth-year senior SaRodorick Thompson. The latter is tied for fifth in all-time rushing scores at Texas Tech with 33 and has over 2,000 career rushing yards (2,039).

However, Brooks has received most of the touches this season, thus far, and he also was the Red Raiders’ leading rusher a year ago. Brooks has rushed 24 times for 131 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2 games this year and has added 6 receptions for 35 yards.

Senior punter Austin McNamara (No. 31)

Texas Tech has a weapon that can flip the field on NC State. McNamara is a three-time All-Big 12 selection and was a Freshman All-American in 2019.

A year ago, McNamara set a league record by averaging 48.2 yards per punt. He also set a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record by booting 5 punts at least 50 yards against Oklahoma State, the most such 50-plus yarders in a single game. His 87-yard punt in 2020 against West Virginia is also a Big 12 record.

McNamara’s career average is 46.3 yards, which would rank best all-time in the Big 12, and in Week 1 vs. Murray State, he pinned 3 of 4 attempts inside the 10-yard line.

Third-year sophomore quarterback Donovan Smith (No. 7)

Behren Morton began the year as the starter for Texas Tech, but he is expected to miss the NC State game with an injury sustained in the opener.

In his place is Smith, a more-than-capable option. Smith is 3-2 as Texas Tech’s starting quarterback, dating back to last season. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against Houston, during which he completed 36 of 58 passes for 350 yards and 2 touchdowns while also rushing for 31 yards and a score. However, Smith also threw 3 interceptions.

Smith is a large (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), athletic quarterback who started the final 4 games of 2021, including the bowl win over Mississippi State in which he completed 15 of 28 passes for 252 yards and a TD and ran for a score. He has proven to be an accurate passer with a 63.7 percent completion rate in his career.

Fifth-year senior edge Tyree Wilson (No. 19)

The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder is a former transfer from Texas A&M, and in 2021 he broke out as a disruptive force. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks in 13 games while finishing with 38 overall tackles.

His 86-inch wingspan provides great length, and he was mentioned during the summer as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick. Wilson is adjusting to a new role under first-year defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s scheme. NC State will find Wilson more often in a stand-up stance after he previously was a down lineman.

What To Watch For From Texas Tech Against NC State Football

1. A stout middle of the defense: The Air Raid offense under first-year offensive coordinator Zach Kittley will garner headlines, but the Texas Tech defense probably deserves credit for the win over Houston, holding the Cougars to 17 points in regulation.

NC State will have a challenge trying to run the football Saturday.

In 2 games, opponents have rushed 70 times for just 138 yards on Texas Tech, just under 2.0 yards per rush. Removing the sacks from those totals does not dramatically increase the numbers, either — the average yards per carry bumps to just 2.7 yards.

Senior defensive tackles Jaylon Hutchings and Tony Bradford Jr. are three-year stalwarts at Texas Tech and each are 300-pounders. Behind them is super senior middle linebacker Krishon Merriweather, who was the leading tackler nationally in junior college before showing up at Texas Tech, where he is now a third-year starter.

Texas Tech has good, veteran depth behind that trio, too.

2. Up-tempo passing attack: Through 2 games, Texas Tech, when adding sacks to the equation, has called at least 101 passing plays and at most, 67 rushes. However, with Smith’s running abilities, there have probably been a few more throws called than that total suggests.

Texas Tech will try to test the NC State secondary early and often. Four receivers could be on the field frequently, including a tall pair on the outside in Bradley and the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder junior Loic Fouonji.

3. A work-in-progress offensive line: The fact that Smith can run saved the day vs. Houston. The Red Raiders gave up 5 sacks and 13 tackles for losses, and Smith was able to avoid more QB takedowns, including a crucial scramble late in the fourth quarter to set up the game-tying field goal.

Only one Texas Tech offensive lineman returns at his position as a starter, while another has switched from right tackle a year ago to the left side. The center, right guard and right tackle are all first-year starters.

Three Keys To The Game For NC State Football

1. Pocket containment: NC State may have a chance to get some sacks and pressure this game, but containing Smith in the pocket is crucial. The Pack did not do a good job against the QB runs at East Carolina, with Holton Ahlers rushing 5 times for 57 yards.

Removing sacks from his runs, Smith ran 15 times for 67 yards on Houston. That included a 27-yard rush to start a Texas Tech drive with 37 seconds left and no timeouts. His run quickly got the Red Raiders past midfield at the Houston 48 and eventually set up a game-tying field goal with 3 seconds left.

If NC State keeps Smith in the pocket and harasses him, there is a chance he will make mistakes. He threw 3 interceptions against the Cougars, including a costly one that set up Houston with the football at the Texas Tech 21 with 57 seconds left in a tie game.

2. Find the rhythm in the passing game: NC State fifth-year redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary looked a lot better against Charleston Southern than he did East Carolina, but he was supposed to considering the competition.

Thus far, Texas Tech has proven to be challenging to run the ball against. Houston had better luck throwing the football, completing 20 of 39 passes for 266 yards and a score with 1 pick. The Cougars have a proven, veteran quarterback themselves in Clayton Tune.

Tune, like Leary, is considered to be on NFL scouts’ radar. Can Leary have better success throwing at home than Tune did on the road? If not, NC State may have to hope for a low-scoring game.

3. Score in the red zone: NC State famously had two goal-line failures at East Carolina that kept that game close and set up the Pirates for a potential upset.

Last Saturday, Texas Tech twice held Houston to just field goals when the Cougars started at the Red Raiders’ 25-yard line or better. In two games, the Red Raiders have allowed only 2 touchdowns in 8 trips to the red zone by opponents.

Three Numbers Of Note For NC State Football Vs. Texas Tech

2008 — The last time Texas Tech defeated ranked opponents in back-to-back weeks

0 — Times that Texas Tech has defeated multiple ranked, non-conference opponents in the same season

10 — The spread on the betting line in NC State’s favor as of Wednesday morning