Texas Tech Football: 5 Team Statistical Goals For 2017
Goal #3: 600 Receiving Yards From Four Different Receivers
Every football coach will preach about the virtues of having a balanced offense. However, former Texas Tech head coach and mentor to Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Leach redefined balance in college football.
When Leach was at the helm of the Red Raiders and the spread offense was still considered new and revolutionary, he was often asked about balance in regards to the ratio between the run and the pass. However, he stressed that he wanted balance across his receiving corps rather than in the run-pass quotient.
Leach felt that his offense was at its best when each of the four receiver positions had equal production. This would force defenses to cover the entire field without rolling safety help to one dominant side. Or, if defenses did chose to try to take away one side of the field, Leach wanted his other receivers to be fully capable of producing.
The 2017 Texas Tech football team will need its receiving corp to be far more balanced across the formation than it was a season ago.
The 2016 offense was far too dependent on one position, the “Y”slot receiver. In fact, the two top receivers in the offense, Jonathan Giles and Keke Coutee both played the “Y” position.
Of the Red Raiders’ 5,556 passing yards last year, Giles and Coutee were on the receiving end for 2,048. That means that 38% of the Texas Tech passing game went through one position.
That must change this season.
Giles is gone after transferring to LSU. Thus, the “Y” position will not be manned by two all-Big 12 caliber players this year. That means the other receivers must make the offense balanced.
“H” inside receiver Cam Batson returns after posting 644 receiving yards last year. Meanwhile, Dylan Cantrell (the starter at “Z” outside receiver) put up 675 yards in an injury-plagued season.
Where the biggest gains must come from is at the other outside receiver position. Senior Derrick Willies struggled with injuries and inconsistent play last year and must be more productive than his 18 catches for 288 yards from his junior season.
Nick Shimonek knows the offense well as a senior quarterback with three years in the Texas Tech football program. He will be fully capable of spreading the ball around. However, it will be up to the wide receivers to get open and make plays. If they are capable of doing so, the 2017 offense will be difficult to stop.