Copyright CBS Sports
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has become something of a celebrity around campus. Fans have started sporting his signature mustache in the stands, and his No. 10 jersey trails only Patrick Mahomes' No. 5 for most sported at Jones AT&T Stadium. Rodriguez's numbers have been sensational, and his stat line for No. 8 Texas Tech in a dominant 29-7 win against No. 7 BYU marked one of his best -- 14 tackles, a tackle for loss, an interception returned deep into opposing territory. He has shepherded 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 football player, it's not given to the best quarterback," Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. "They have awards 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 anybody in the country." The last time a linebacker at Texas Tech was such a household name was when an undersized Hall of Famer from Pampa named Zach Thomas was making the calls. And during a historic win for the Red Raiders, Rodriguez's defense played one of the best games of the season. BYU's offense presents numerous challenges with its misdirection and option concepts. Dual-threat quarterback Bear Bachmeier also rarely goes down and was only sacked once by defensive tackle Lee Hunter. But while havoc plays came at a premium, it was down-to-down excellence that stood apart 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 quarterback hurries and four recorded a single tackle for loss each. On a day where the offense had struggles early, the defense and special teams kept them alive. Formally, Texas Tech doesn't keep track of attendance over the stadium capacity of 60,229, but every nook and cranny was packed. For most of the afternoon, though, it wasn't a loud crowd. Despite taking a two-score lead, nerves trumped emotion. West Texas boom: Inside Texas Tech's bold all-in bet on NIL and the billionaire landman responsible Shehan Jeyarajah But late in the third quarter, Rodriguez tipped a third-down pass from Bachmeier and returned it to the edge of the red zone. For the first moment of the afternoon, emotion flowed. One drive later, the Red Raiders finally got into the end zone for the second time and the party was on. "We can rely on the defense," McGuire said. "Anytime, 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 an opportunity to be in games." The results against BYU's highly touted running game were off the charts. The Cougars came into the matchup averaging 216 yards rushing per game. They mustered only 67 yards rushing 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 only 3.9 yards per play. McGuire came to Texas Tech after spending most of his career as a high school coach. While he isn't schematically tied to any system, defense and physicality has always been his calling card. There were questions about how he'd be able to build that kind of culture after transferring in several key defensive pieces. However, returners like Rodriguez and John Curry took it as a challenge. Everyone came to Lubbock for an opportunity to change everything. And after outlasting BYU, Texas Tech has formally 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 are so close," Rodriguez said. "This is the most fun I've ever had playing football. It's not just offense, defense, special teams -- it's the whole team. Everybody cares about each other. We've got to be one of the closest teams in the country." With the win, Texas Tech virtually clinches a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time in program history. Only games against struggling UCF and West Virginia teams remain. If the Red Raiders enter the postseason with only one loss, they can likely punch their ticket to the College Football Playoff -- win or lose. Rodriguez started his career as a quarterback at Virginia. He returned home to West Texas and switched positions, trusting the staff. After 10 games, Rodriguez has 91 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, seven forced fumbles and five passes defended. Will it 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.
