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How Texas Tech's Defense Has Worked to Reshape Its Reputation

Two years after one of the worst nights of their lives, Texas Tech defenders still don’t like to talk about it. “We had a couple of freshman guys playing,” Red Raiders safety Jah’Shawn Johnson says of a 66–59 loss to Oklahoma that set multiple FBS offensive records that still stand. “We just had to throw a couple of guys in the fire and try to survive.”

They lived, but they were scarred. “A huge part of this job is being a psychologist,” Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury says with a laugh. But he’s not completely kidding.