It’s no secret the run game has been sub par up to this point and with TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma all lurking around the corner, the undefeated Cowboys are going to need to pick it up if they want to stay just that. When the Pokes travel to Lubbock this Saturday, don’t be surprised to see running back Chris Carson have a much needed career day and rush for at least 100 yards.
Buy
Texas Tech is 125th in rushing defense. Only New Mexico State and Eastern Michigan have surrendered more yards on the ground than the Red Raiders. Carson is the only Cowboy this year to surpass the 100 yard mark, when he rushed for 104 yards on 17 carries in a 69-14 win over UTSA. Texas Tech is giving up 281 rushing yards a game and the Cowboys offense is long overdue for some rushing success. Carson is averaging nearly four yards a carry and you know Gundy is dying to run it down the throat of the Texas Tech defense. If Carson can get some early success, look for the offense to continue pounding it on the ground to set up some play action over the top.
Sell
For those of you pessimistic on buying this, you have good reasons. It’s mind boggling to think the 12th ranked team in the nation has only produced one, 100 yard rushing game from a single back heading into the eighth game of the year. In Oklahoma State’s three non-conference matchups, Carson averaged 73 yards a game. Since Big 12 play has started, that number has dropped significantly to about 35 yards a game. The scary thing is, both of those are still tops on the team. Last week against Kansas, Carson rushed for 44 yards against the 118th ranked defense. The difference between the 118th and 125th ranked defenses is about 40 yards a game. Granted, Carson only received nine carries, but if he couldn’t get it done against the abysmal Kansas defense, we may be in for another lackluster performance from Carson and the rest of the run game.