Texas Tech football midseason report: Assessing the Red Raiders after 8 games
The Texas Tech football team has an open date this week, eight games into the season. They go into it 3-5 and 2-3 in the Big 12.
Tech began the year No. 24 in the USA TODAY AFCA coaches poll and, in The Associated Press Top 25, tops among others receiving votes. Picked fourth in the Big 12 preseason media poll, the Red Raiders are tied for 10th in the 14-team conference with four regular-season games remaining.
Here's an assessment of the first two months of the season.
Offense MVP: Tahj Brooks
The most baseless critique of the Red Raiders is that Brooks has been used too little. He's carried 162 times for 891 yards, both second in the FBS. His average of 111.4 rushing yards a game ranks seventh. At that pace, Brooks would finish the regular season with 1,337 rushing yards, most by a Texas Tech back since 2015, when DeAndre Washington ran for 1,492 yards.
Defense MVP: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
Taylor-Demerson is one of the five senior starters from last year's defense who stayed for 2023 on the Covid-bonus year. The heady free safety ranks third on the team in tackles with 49 and tied for first in pass breakups with four. He's also intercepted a pass, gotten credit for a couple of quarterback hurries and half a sack.
Special teams MVP: Austin McNamara
The Texas Tech punter is averaging 48.23 yards, good for fifth in the FBS, and helping the Red Raiders rank sixth in net punting at 43.71 (the average of punting yards, less return yards). McNamara is going to finish with five of the top nine single-season punting averages in Tech history. Keep an eye on his career punting average — currently 46.13, better than the Big 12 record (based on minimums of two seasons and 100 punts) of 45.89 set by Oklahoma State's Quinn Sharp from 2009-12.
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Biggest disappointment: Receivers
At their current pace, the Red Raiders wouldn't have a receiver reach 500 yards for the first time since 1999. It would be one thing if it were a new, inexperienced cast, but it isn't. Preseason all-Big 12 selection Jerand Bradley (51 catches, 744 yards, six touchdowns in 2022), Myles Price (coming off back-to-back 500-yard seasons), Xavier White (45-572-3 in 2022) and Nehemiah Martinez (32-394-2 in 2022) all are experiencing year-over-year declines. Moreover, big plays haven't materialized as hoped for speed receivers Loic Fouonji and Drae McCray.
Biggest surprise: Ben Roberts
Joey McGuire started talking late in the 2022 season about the promise Roberts showed behind the scenes as a true freshman, and Roberts came out of spring as a top backup. An injury to starting inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in the season opener forced Roberts into a major role immediately, and he's responded by being the team's leading tackler in his redshirt freshman year. He has 66 stops, as well as 4 1/2 tackles for loss, an interception and two forced fumbles.
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Play of the year
Drae McCray's 100-yard kickoff return touchdown against Houston helped spark a 49-28 victory. It was the first kickoff-return TD by a Tech player since Keke Coutee against Baylor in 2017 and the first by a Tech player in Jones AT&T Stadium since Jakeem Grant against Oklahoma State in 2015.
Worst play
Operating from the Tech 10-yard line, quarterback Jake Strong and running back Tahj Brooks missed a handoff exchange, fumbled and Brigham Young cornerback Eddie Heckard recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
Worst day
Tech quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Behren Morton both got hurt in the Big 12 opener at West Virginia. Shough suffered a broken fibula with a projected recovery time of at least six to eight weeks, and Morton suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder that's compromised his effectiveness.
Best day
Tech beat Houston 49-28 in the Big 12 home opener. Red Raiders highlights included two 100-yard rushers, two special-teams touchdowns and a second-half shutout by the defense against a Houston team led by former Tech quarterback Donovan Smith.
Worst trend
Had the Red Raiders met oddsmakers' expectations, they'd be 7-1, 5-0 in the Big 12 and atop the conference standings. If only. Tech, however, has lost four games in which it's been favored: at Wyoming (Tech favored by 13 1/2), at West Virginia (by 6 1/2), against Kansas State (by 1) and at Brigham Young (by 3).
Best hope
Tech finished the 2021 and 2022 seasons on an upbeat note, springing bowl upsets against Mississippi State and Mississippi. Now the Red Raiders have to go 3-1 in November to qualify for a third consecutive year. They need to win the next three against TCU (4-4, 2-3), Kansas (5-2, 2-2) and Central Florida (3-4, 0-4). Otherwise, they'll have to beat No. 7 Texas (6-1, 3-1) in Austin the day after Thanksgiving.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football midseason report: Assessing Red Raiders 8 games in
