Texas Tech Red Raiders
Head Coach: Tommy Tuberville
2011 Record: 5-7 overall, 2-7 Big 12
Odds to Win Big 12 Championship: 30/1
Odds to Win 2013 BCS Championship: 500/1
Over Under Regular Season Wins: over -6 1/2 -125 / under -105
All Odds Courtesy of Bovada

Last season, Texas Tech started off 4-0 under coach Tommy Tuberville. They looked like they were on their way to a bowl game. However, the Red Raiders went 1-7 down the stretch including losing their last 5 games. Inexplicably, the only win came at then #3 Oklahoma 41-38. Actually, it wasn’t really inexplicable, as Oklahoma  had two turnovers and missed two field goals. Texas Tech was up 24-7 at halftime and held off a furious Oklahoma rally. The loss snapped a 39 game home winning streak for Oklahoma. The next week, Texas tech returned home to Lubbock and was crushed by Iowa St 41-7. That was probably the low point of the season, unless you count getting creamed 66-6 at home by an excellent Oklahoma St team. Texas Tech lost to Kansas St, Texas A&M and Missouri by a total of 16 points. A win in any of those would have sent Tech to a bowl game. Strangely, Texas Tech was outscored 173-55 in their last 3 home games.

Texas Tech was 7th in passing averaging 345 yards a game. They were 22nd in scoring with 33.8 points a game. Unfortunately, the defense was #117 out of 120 teams allowing 39.3 points a game. Baylor had a similarly awful defense but they had Robert Griffin III and scored 45 points a game. The Texas Tech offense was good, but not good enough to overcome the atrocious defense.The Red Raiders also battled injuries to key players, and missed a bowl for the first time since 1999.

The Red Raiders return 9 starters each on offense and defense. They are the most experienced team in the conference and should be much improved. However, the Big 12 is loaded, and experience might not be enough.

Offense

The offensive coordinator is Neal Brown. Like former coach Mike Leach, Brown likes to use the spread offense and just throw the ball as many times as you can.

Senior quarterback Seth Doege returns after throwing for 4,004 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Doege completed 68.5% of his passes. He was sacked 19 timers but did have 4 rushing touchdowns. His best game was against Oklahoma when he threw for 441 yards and 4 touchdowns in the upset. Back-up Jacob Karam transferred to Memphis, so it will be up to two freshemen if something happens to Doege. Redshirt freshman Michael Brewster is a dual threat running and passing quarterback. True freshman Clayton Nicholas could also be in the mix.

Senior running back Eric Stephens, Jr. dislocated his knee in the fifth game last season. In those games, he had 108 carries, 565 yards, and 8 touchdowns, and also 16 catches for 133 yards. Once he was injured the offense became one dimensional and the Red Raiders couldn’t run the ball with any effect. It wasn’t a coincidence that Texas Tech was 4-0 with him and 1-7 after he was injured. Back-up DeAndre Washington had 77 carries, 366 yards, and 3 touchdowns, along with 19 catches for 109 yards. He tore his ACL late in the season. Both are expected to be healthy by the start of the season. Kenny Williams had 43 carries, 135 yards, and 2 touchdowns, along with 6 catches for 52 yards. He is expected to play a bigger part in the running game this year, as will JUCO transfer SaDale Foster. Bradley Marquez played H-Back last year but could be either a running back or receiver. He had 25 catches, 240 yards and a touchdown catch. He also had a rushing touchdown.

Receiver Eric Ward had 84 catches, 800 yards, and 11 touchdowns last season. Alex Torres had 51 catches, 616 yards, and 4 touchdowns. He also tore his ACL, in the Missouri game, the same game Washington tore his. Darrin Moore had 47 catches, 571 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He missed three games with knee and ankle problems last year, and wasn’t nearly as explosive after he came back. Marquez, Jakeem Grant, Javon Bell, and Derek Edwards will also get some targets. Tight end Jace Amaro had 7 catches for 57 yards, and 2 touchdowns last year.

The line returns four players with starting experience including second team All-Big 12 tackle LaAdrian Waddle and center Deveric Gallington. Guards Alfredo Morales and Le’Raven Clark are young but have a lot of potential.

Defense

Last season, Texas Tech used a 4-2-5 defensive scheme to disastrous effects under former TCU assistant Chad Glasgow. The Red Raiders couldn’t stop the run and were terrible on third down, Glasgow left the Red Raiders to return to TCU. Tuberville hired  Art Kaufman to run the defense, the fourth different coordinator in four seasons. Kaufman will install the 4-3, a system Tuberville was used to running when he was the head coach at Ole Miss and Auburn. It is also the third alignment Texas Tech has used in the last 3 seasons, as they used a 3-4 in 2010.

The defensive ends will be junior Dartwan Bush and redshirt freshman Branden Jackson. Bush had 28 tackles, including 5 for loss and 2 sacks last year. Jackson came to Texas Tech at 225 pounds but has bulked up to 255, and has the potential to be a fantastic weapon on the line. Junior tackle Kerry Hyder had 42 tackles, and 5 for loss last year. Sophomore Delvon Simmons will start at the other tackle. Leon Mackey, Denell Wesley, Kindred Evans, and Jackson Richards will also see time on the line.

Safety Terrance Bullitt moves to linebacker after he had 56 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, and he also broke up 4 passes. JUCO transfer Will Smith will start at middle linebacker. Sam Eguavoen will start at the weakside after making 30 tackles last year. Blake Dees, Chris Payne, Justin Cooper and Daniel Cobb will also be in the rotation.

Safeties Cody Davis and D.J. Johnson accounted for 21 percent of all tackles made by Texas Tech defenders last year. Former wide receiver Cornelius Douglas will start at one corner. Eugene Neboh will be the other cornerback. He didn’t make any interceptions or break up any passes last year, unusual for someone who is supposed to be the top cover corner. Tre Porter, Jarvis Phillips, and JUCO transfers Olaoluwa Falemi, Bruce Jones, and Austin Stewart will also see time in the secondary.

Special Teams

Sophomore kicker Ryan Bustin must replace Donnie Carona. Carona made 14 of 18 field goals last year, but three of the misses were blocked. Bustin has  a strong leg and is accurate. The kickoff coverage unit allowed 23.2 yards per return with 2 scores.

Junior punter Ryan Erxleben averaged 41.7 yards per punt with 15 fair catches, and 19 inside the 20.

Ben McRoy averaged 25 yards per kick return last year. Running backs Stephens and Foster could also get some return chances. Austin Zouzalik averaged only 6.9 yards per punt return, so Foster could work there as well.

Schedule

The non-conference schedule for Texas Tech is tissue paper soft with home games against Northwestern St and New Mexico, and a road game at Texas St, who just moved from FCS to FBS this season. In conference Tech has road games at Iowa St, TCU, Kansas St, and Oklahoma St. They play Baylor in Dallas. The Red Raiders have home games against Oklahoma, West Virginia, Texas, and Kansas.

Outlook

If Stephens and Washington are healthy, the offense will be explosive. The defense has a lot of questions, but some junior college transfers will infuse some talent in a unit that struggled badly last year. They should be better, but I don’t know by how much. The conference schedule is brutal with a gauntlet in the middle of Oklahoma, West Virginia, TCU, Kansas St, and Texas. With a soft non-conference schedule, all Texas Tech has to do is win 3 conference games, easier said than done. They should beat Kansas at home, and that means they probably need to beat both Iowa St and Baylor unless they can somehow upset one of the six ranked teams in the conference. I think they come up just short again with a 5-7 record.

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