It’s quiet... too quiet

Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss is arriving quickly. With just under two months to go, the hype surrounding football season is suspiciously quiet. Texas Tech has had a luxury of success in other sports this season. Both Texas Tech Baseball and Men’s Basketball had post-season success, Women’s Tennis and Men’s Golf had very strong seasons. So what’s up with football?

Quiet is probably just what the doctor ordered for Kliff Kingsbury, with the exception of a crazy week of recruiting, I feel like I have not heard much from coach Kingsbury and the staff this spring.

So why should we be excited for football in September?

1. The best offensive line in recent history: The big guys up front are going to look very familiar and this is a very good thing. I only project one underclassman to start on the o-line and that is sophomore Jack Anderson. Anderson may be the youngest, but he is arguably the most physically talented of the bunch and will move opposing d-lines off the block. A healthy season from junior Travis Bruffy will do wonders for the Red Raiders and he should protect whoever is under center for the Red Raiders. Madison Akamnonu, Paul Stawarz, and Terence Steel are all retuning as well giving the Red Raiders one of the most experienced groups in all of the Big 12.
2. Defense in West Texas?: Texas Tech has never been known to play great defense. But Coach David Gibbs has changed that stigma over the last few years. Last season, Texas Tech’s defensive gained 28 turnovers which was tied for 6th in the nation. With 10 starters returning, look for that number to grow and for the Red Raiders to boast one of the Big 12’s best defensive units.
3. A new-look offense: This offseason, Kliff Kingsbury had to hire a new offensive coordinator to replace Eric Morris. Insert Kevin Johns into the equation. Johns comes from Western Michigan which put up 33.9 points per game and rushed the ball very effectively, averaging over 200 yards per-game on the ground. Johns coached NFL products Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard at Indiana before taking the job at Western Michigan. Don’t expect Johns to take over play calling duties, but do look out for his influence on the running game. Don’t be surprised to see Texas Tech hand off the ball to Tre King and Ta’Zhawn Henry and let the aforementioned offensive line move some people around.
4. Fortune Favors The Bold Kingsbury: Remember early on in Kliff Kingsbury’s young career when his personal mantra was “fortune favors the bold?” Expect to see a form of this Kliff Kingsbury this season. It’s no secret that Kingsbury is on the hot seat. So I expect Kingsbury to pull out all the tricks in his bag in a make-or-break season for his coaching career at Texas Tech.

Remember this legendary call in Austin?

Note: If you look closely, you will see a goofy blonde kid with red pants losing it one the sideline. That’s me! I got heckled by UT fans all night while running back and forth with my camera. I’m not slaty about it, because I got the last laugh.

5. Loaded Home Schedule: Texas Tech is fortunate to have an incredible home schedule this season that is loaded with good matchups in the Jones AT&T Stadium. We get Houston, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Texas all at home. Personally, I always love when West Virginia has to come to Lubbock, Texas. I have flashbacks of Texas Tech ruining Geno Smith’s Heisman hopes and still occasionally hear the chants “no more Heisman” in my head when the Mountaineers come to town.

Why are you excited for Texas Tech football? Comment below so we can all get hyped together!