No. 8 Texas Tech is rolling into their Saturday road game against Cincinnati still unbeaten at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in Big 12 play. The real secret sauce, according to none other than Kirk Herbstreit, is their defense. That Red Raider D, led by defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, has been an absolute brick wall, keeping them undefeated and making everyone talk.
Shiel Wood’s Defensive Masterclass Has Tech Unbeaten
Herbstreit dropped the truth bomb on College GameDay from Salt Lake City, saying, “Everybody talks about Texas Tech’s offense, but Shiel Wood, the D.C., he has a very, very talented group.” And honestly? He’s not wrong. Wood is only in his second season overseeing that defense, but he already got a serious shout-out as a 2025 Broyles Award finalist. Think about this: the Red Raiders haven’t lost a regular-season game since October 18, 2025, when they fell 26-22 at Arizona State. That’s over a year without a regular season loss, all thanks to that defensive consistency.
His first year running the show, Wood’s defense was just ridiculous. They allowed just 11.8 points per game and ranked third nationally in both scoring and total defense. They literally led the country in rushing defense, giving up a measly 68.1 yards per game, and somehow forced an FBS-best 32 takeaways. Six dudes from that squad even went on to the 2026 NFL Draft, including David Bailey, an edge rusher who got picked second overall by the New York Jets. That’s some serious talent coming through his system.
Can Anyone Run on These Guys?
Now, in 2026, the Red Raiders aren’t slowing down one bit. They’re currently fifth nationally in rushing defense, and get this: they are the ONLY FBS team that hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown ALL SEASON. Seriously, nobody has punched it in on the ground against these guys. This Saturday, though, is going to be a real test for that unit. Cincinnati isn’t just showing up; they’re bringing a ground attack that averages 234 rushing yards per game, good for 11th nationally. Gi’Bran Payne and Cole Tabb are leading that charge, and they will absolutely be trying to break that rushing touchdown streak.
So, can Wood’s boys keep that unbelievable rushing defense streak alive and stay unbeaten? We’ll find out when No. 8 Texas Tech hits Nippert Stadium to face the 4-2 Bearcats for Cincinnati’s 100th homecoming game. Kickoff is set for noon ET/9 a.m. PT on FS1 this Saturday. This isn’t just another game, this is where Wood’s defense proves if they’re legit contenders for the long haul.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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