Texas Tech Red Raiders
Overall Rank: #31
#7 Big 12
Texas Tech Team Page
Texas Tech and Tommy Tuberville ultimately seem like a good match. They did not find much success in 2011. After a strong start, the Red Raiders fizzled out at the end of the season with five straight losses. Their defense just could not keep up with their opponents. They have to feel somewhat encouraged going into this season though. After beating #3 Oklahoma last year, at least Tech knows they can win big games in the Big 12. All of their major contributors on offense return this year, and most of the defensive stars as well. Texas Tech generally has a furious offense. They need a defense to match in 2012.
2011 Record: (5-7)
2011 Bowl: None
Coach: Tommy Tuberville (13-12 at Texas Tech, 123-72 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Neal Brown
Defensive Coordinator: Art Kaufman
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Eric Stephens Jr., RB, 565 yards
Passing: Seth Doege, QB, 4,004 yards
Receiving: Eric Ward, WR, 800 yards
Tackles: Cody Davis, S, 93
Sacks: Dartwan Bush, DE, 2
Interceptions: D.J. Johnson, S, 2
Other Key Returnees: S Terrance Bullitt, RB DeAndre Washington, WR Alex Torres, WR Darin Moore, TE Jace Amaro, OL LaAdrian Waddle, C Deveric Gallington, DT Kerry Hyde, P Ryan Erxleben
Key Losses: DE Scott Smith, K Donnie Carona
Strengths:
Offensively, the Red Raiders were top-notch. They were seventh overall in the country in passing. They averaged 470 yards per game thanks to their passing attack. They gained chunks of yards which set them up to score a lot of points. Thirty-three points per game is better than most teams in the country. Quarterbacks at Texas Tech always come close to breaking school and/or NCAA records. Seth Doege threw for over 4,000 yards which many quarterbacks at other schools do not ever achieve. He was effective with 28 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He will lead the way again in 2012 and the Red Raiders will rely on their air attack again.
Weaknesses:
The Red Raiders had one of the worst defenses in the country. Though they started out hot, the reason they faded down the stretch was because the defense did not hold up against ridiculously good offenses. The Red Raiders were dead last in the country in rushing defense. They gave up a staggering 258 yards rushing per game. They also allowed nearly 40 points per game, which was third worst in the nation. Giving up almost 500 yards per game does not make winning games very easy. They had a hard time applying pressure to the quarterback as well. They were 8th in the conference in sacks. Tuberville and his team have a lot of work to do on the defensive end.
The Bottom Line:
Texas Tech will continue to be a strong offensive team. They can improve on their record if their defense gets better. It will have to be exponential though. Ranking in the bottom three in the conference in most defensive categories will not be acceptable moving forward. Doege should have a great year and Tuberville is a cool customer. He will turn this thing around as fast as possible. They can start by not dropping their last five games by a combined 154 points. That is 30.8 points per game. Those games were not even competitive. It is all about a strong finish in 2012. It will not be easy with the talent in the Big 12. Look for a .500 record from the Red Raiders.
Projected Bowl: Meineke Car Care Bowl
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 125.17 (87th in nation, 10th in conference)
Passing Offense: 345.42 (7, 4)
Total Offense: 470.58 (13, 6)
Scoring Offense: 33.83 (22, 5)
Rushing Defense: 258.83 (120, 10)
Pass Defense: 226.75 (66, 2)
Total Defense: 485.58 (114, 8)
Scoring Defense: 39.25 (117, 9)
Turnover Margin: .08 (49, 5)
Sacks: 1.33 (100, 8)
Sacks Allowed: 1.58 (43, 5)
Madness 2012 Football Recruit Rankings:
#108 Michael Starts
#136 Dominique Wheeler
#191 Reginald Davis
