Ole Miss defense prepared for Texas Tech and its up tempo offense
With nine day left before Ole Miss wraps up its 2022 season and plays in the Texas Bowl the team started focusing on its opponent.
The final week of true practice began on Monday and the attention shifted towards Texas Tech and game planning for the Red Raiders.
For the Ole Miss defense the challenge is trying to slow down an offense that runs more plays per games than its own offense.
The Red Raider offense leads the country with an average of 89.1 plays per game and is seven more than the next best team which is Oklahoma State (82.0).
Having to prepare to be on the field for a long time is no sweat to the Ole Miss defense, which is one of the few defenses in college football build for a challenge like this.
“They really do a good job of tempo and and just going fast paced,” said defensive lineman JJ Pegues. “So we really just got to out-tempo the offense. (Their) o-line is pretty good and we just got to try to out-tempo the offense and get to the quarterback.”
Texas Tech (7-5) is running its offense at a higher pace than it was a season ago. In 2021 the Red Raiders ran 66.3 plays per game and bumped that up nearly 20 plays a game this season.
The boost in plays also led to increased production of total offense. In 2021 Texas Tech averaged 416.8 yards per game but this season that number is up over 40 yards to 459.5 a game. That is good enough to be a Top 25 offense.
Top 10
- 1
Conferences to gain power?
Internal documents reveal remade NCAA
- 2New
Matt Campbell
Iowa State HC to interview with Chicago Bears
- 3Hot
Coach K blasts NCAA
'It's ridiculous what we're in'
- 4
Rose Bowl
Evacuation warning issued
- 5
Mick Cronin
UCLA coach eviscerates team
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Related: ‘Really means a lot’: Veteran Ole Miss players are not taking the Texas Bowl for granted.
All of these numbers should not be a shock to Ole Miss’ defense as it has watched the offense put up even higher numbers.
Compared to Texas Tech, the Ole Miss offense puts up the seventh highest number of plays per game with 78.3. That number is actually down nearly two plays from last season’s average of 80.5 plays per game.
For Pegues this style of offense plays right into his hands as someone who has now experienced it on both side of the football.
“As a d-lineman we know the o-lineman are tired. So, like, it gives you an advantage sometimes,” Peugues said. “For me, it helps me out where I hear something they say and I”m so used to hearing it from me playing offense that it just gives me a little advantage.”
Pegues is also embracing the challenge the Texas Tech offense poses with a smile because he faces that style off offense every day of the week.
“Our offense at practice is the same way of up tempo and fast,” Pegues said. “Just knowing the situations through the game and like how we can slow down the game and small things like that. That’s where our coaches, they do a great job.”
Ole Miss and Texas Tech play in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Watch Pegues’ full post-practice interview from Monday below. Video provided by Ole Miss Sports Production.
