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Texas Tech Football: 5 Team Statistical Goals For 2017

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 05: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders encourages his team during the first half of the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns on November 5, 2016 at AT
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 05: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders encourages his team during the first half of the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns on November 5, 2016 at AT /
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LUBBOCK, TX – SEPTEMBER 29: Nic Shimonek /

Goal #5: Score Touchdowns On 90% Of Red Zone Trips

Texas Tech fans have proudly sported t-shirts reading “We Score A-Lot” throughout the “Air Raid Era”.  Sexual innuendo aside, scoring a lot has long been the road to the Red Raiders’ success and 2017 is likely to be no different.

Often, the difference in whether the Texas Tech offense is able to carry the team to victory or not is found in the red zone.

Texas Tech almost always finds it easy to move the ball between the 20’s.  However, inside the opponent’s twenty, when the field is compressed, spread offenses are easier to defend.

Last season, Texas Tech ranked 15th in the nation in converting on red zone opportunities.  Tech scored on 57 of 63 trips into the red zone including 47 touchdowns.  That is a 90% overall conversion rate and 80% touchdown rate.

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However, the touchdown conversion percentage needs to be at least 90% this season.  That is a lofty expectation but that is what will likely be necessary for the Red Raiders to finally start winning the shootouts that the’ve so frequently lost under Kingsbury.

The Texas Tech defense has been ranked No. 124 and No. 128 nationally in the past two seasons respectively.  The Red Raiders surrendered at least 43 points per game in 2015 and 2016.  What’s worse, under Kingsbury, Tech has lost six games in which it has scored at least 40 points.

Those numbers suggest that every point is critical to the Red Raiders.  The most likely way for Kingsbury to keep his job this season is going to be for his offense to be elite and outscore opponents.

Even if the Texas Tech defense shows some improvement this year, it will likely surrender 30 points in most conference games.  So the offense must not waste opportunities in the red zone.

The 2017 offense looks to have the personnel to be deadly in the red zone.  The Red Raiders will have three tall receivers, Willies, Cantrell and T.J. Vasher (all at least 6-foot-3) to whom they can throw jump balls in the end zone.

Furthermore, JUCO transfer running back Desmond Nisby (6-foot-2, 240-pounds) is the type of physical back capable of pounding out tough yards near the goal line that the offense has not had in quite some time.

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If the Texas Tech football team is able to reach the end zone on 90% of its 2017 red zone trips, the unit has a chance to be one of the highest scoring units in the nation once again.  But more importantly, Tech could finally turn some of those heart-breaking losses into program changing victories.

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