Big 12 football: Texas Tech switching defense

Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville has been in the Big 12 one year. Long enough to make him switch his defense. The Red Raiders are switching to a four-man front after basing out of a three-man front in 2010.

Tuberville said Tuesday during Big 12 football media days that after facing Big 12 offenses, “two things you need in this league, you have to have a very good pass rusher coming from the outside and you have to have two very good corners.” Tuberville said his goal is to hold opponents to 21 points or less. Without that pass rusher and the solid cornerbacks, “you’ve got no chance,” Tuberville said. “You better outscore ‘em.”

Tuberville has hired Chad Glasgow as defensive coordinator. Glasgow spent 10 years at TCU.

“It’s all about depth and speed on defense,” Tuberville said. Last season, Tech ended up running a bunch of nickle defense (five defensive backs). So Tech will run a 4-2-5 base defense.

“Really not a lot of difference, other than we’re going to base out of it,” Tuberville said. “The whole philosophy of defense is getting as much speed as you can on defense. You play Oklahoma, you play Texas A&M last year, they just run you down. Reminds me of defenses when we played well (at Auburn). That’s what you have to have to win championships.”