Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough speaks to the press during conferences on the second day of Big 12 Media Days at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, July 13, 2023.
There is hype around the Texas Tech football program again. Take a minute to fully appreciate this fact. Also, take time to consider how quickly the national perception of the Red Raiders has changed.
Just 12 months ago, Tech was selected to finish ninth out of ten teams in the conference’s preseason poll. What’s more, most people outside the program and fan base were skeptical of Joey McGuire as the college’s head coach.
Keep in mind that last summer many national speakers were spreading the lazy, ignorant narrative that McGuire was just a high school head coach. It was as if his five years as an assistant at Baylor didn’t count towards his readiness to lead his own university program. Never mind the fact that three of those seasons at Waco saw McGuire hold the associate head coaching title.
Rather, because he wasn’t a top-notch coordinator like the guy Oklahoma hired last offseason (former Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables) or the guy Texas hired the year before (former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian), or because he wasn’t a promising coach with lower-level head coaching experience like Auburn’s 2022 signing Hugh Freeze or Wisconsin’s 2022 signing Luke Fickell, McGuire it was essentially written off as a cheap contract.
What’s more, many people who didn’t follow the Texas Tech football program closely were still critical of the decision Kirby Hocutt made to fire Matt Wells in October 2021 when the Red Raiders were 5–3 on the season. Isn’t it funny, though, how an 8-5 season and a top 25 recruiting class can change the way a program is viewed, even after a decade spent in decline and irrelevance?
Now, the Red Raiders are #4 in the Big 12 preseason media poll and should open the next campaign as a ranked team in the national polls. What’s more, some are considering Tech a true Big 12 title contender, with some people outside of Lubbock even believing McGuire’s team is a possible dark horse to crash the College Football Playoff.
While this is all fantastic for the morale of a fanbase that has been struggling since the end of the 2009 season, when beloved head coach Mike Leach was abruptly fired, there is still a sense of caution when it comes to the optimism that most people in scarlet and black are willing to exude.
What’s more, a closer look at the 2022 season will remind you that the 8-5 record Tech amassed last year was achieved by the smallest of margins. That’s because a number of factors that are usually considered pitching propositions in the game of football fell Tech’s way this past fall. Let’s take a look at some of those trends that helped the Red Raiders surpass all expectations a season ago, because they might have to stay alive in 2023 if this season lives up to the hype.
Allowing teams to score on just 74.1% of their possessions in the red zone, DeRuyter's defense finished ninth in the entire nation. That was a big factor in achieving eight wins.
n
Consider winning Iowa State. In Tech's 14-10 win on a bitterly cold November night in Ames, a place where Tech has traditionally struggled for years, the defense won the game by playing in the red zone.
n
In five Cyclone red zone opportunities, Tech allowed just seven total points. This included the benefit of two missed ISU field goals, but also included back-to-back goal-line positions.
n
With Tech leading 6–3 midway through the third quarter, ISU attempted to score on 4th and goal from the one-yard line, but the rush play was thrown for a three-yard loss. On the Cyclone's next drive, the home team attempted a 4th-and-goal pass from Tech's two-yard line, but the Red Raider defense came up with a sack to keep ISU off the board. In a game decided by four points, Tech's red zone defense was the unsung hero of the night.
n
This season, that's a trend that's set to continue. The Red Raiders have to be able to position themselves and hold teams to no more than three points in a series of enough red zone units to once again be the elite in that category. That was the key to last year's success, and it needs to be a factor again this fall.
"},{"title":"Can Texas Tech Football: Red Raiders Keep These 2022 Trends?","permalink":"https://wreckemred.com/2023/07/25/texas-tech-football-can-red-raiders-keep-these-trends-from-2022-going/6/","shortCodeTitle":null," content ":"
nttttttttttttt
October 29, 2022; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back Tahj Brooks (28) runs against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Required credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
nttttttt
nttn
Tech's offense should continue to excel on 4th down
n
Thanks to the analytics revolution taking place in the game, 4th down is now where many games are won and lost. Of course, no team in the country was more aggressive on 4th down in 2022 than Texas Tech.
n
Fortunately, the team that led the FBS in 4th down attempts was also one of the best at converting those bets. Ranking 16th nationally and 3rd in the Big 12 with a 63.5% 4th down success rate, Tech's philosophy has paid huge dividends in 2022.
n
Of course, winning Texas is what comes to mind in that regard. Going 6-8 on 4th down, Tech's ability to overcome that loss is what sent the game into overtime. That day, on each of the last two regulation attempts, McGuire's team managed a 4th-down conversion, leading to ten points on the scoreboard.
n
Interestingly, Tech was also very aggressive in last year's 48-10 home win against a poor West Virginia team. At 6-7 on 4th down, McGuire's team took 14 opening points on two drives that saw the team convert on 4th down four times, with three of those conversions coming on the same possession.
n
Even in the bowl win over the Rebels, a game Tech won 42-25, McGuire saw his team go 5-6 on 4th down. That night in Houston, 24 of the Red Raiders' points came on drives that included a 4th-down conversion.
n
McGuire believes in trusting what your analytics experts tell you to do on 4th down. There is even a literal book that the coaching staff use during games to help them decide what to do in these situations. But for this strategy to work, the offense must remain efficient when everything is on the line. If that happens, this fall could be even more fun than we expect.
