The Other Kicking Problem Texas Tech Must Correct In 2018

While all Texas Tech fans are aware of the Red Raiders’ 2017 field goal problems, there is another kicking problem that must be fixed this year; kicking the ball out-of-bounds on kickoffs.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the 2017 Texas Tech football season was the woeful performance of the kickers. Of course, everyone remembers how painful it was to watch the Red Raiders continually miss field goal attempts that one would expect a high school kicker to make.

But another problem plagued Texas Tech’s ill-fated kickers in 2017 and it is a problem that should never befall a collegiate football team. Last year, Texas Tech kicked the ball out-of-bounds on eight different kickoffs, a number that is unacceptable by any standard. Meanwhile, Tech’s opponents committed the same faux pas just three times.

Though free kicks out-of-bounds are less frustrating to fans than missed field goals, they should be just as upsetting. Missed field goals draw the ire of fans because they immediately result in a missed opportunity to put points on the board.

But sending a kickoff into the sidelines is arguably more egregious because the kicker is under no pressure from a rushing defense, there are fewer moving parts since the ball sits stationary on a tee rather than being snapped to a holder and the goal is just to keep the ball within the 54-yard wide field of play.

Plus, errant kickoffs make life more difficult for the defense. According to Andrew Schechtman-Rook of PHD Foobtall, there is a direct correlation between a team’s starting field position and its probability of scoring a touchdown.

Schecthman-Rook found that in NFL games, teams usually see a 10% increase in their odds of finding the end zone for every ten yards closer to mid-field that they begin a drive. Those numbers are likely even more generous in favor of the offense in college football where scoring is elevated and defenses are not as effective (especially in the Big 12).

So when Texas Tech kicks the ball out-of-bounds giving the ball to the opponent at the 35-yard-line, the opponent is 10% more likely to score than had they received the ball at the 25 following a touchback. That is a significant stat to consider, especially for a team like Texas Tech who has a defense that has ranked no better than 104th in the nation under current coordinator David Gibbs.

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Last year, Tech actually benefitted from good fortune on drives following kickoffs out-of-bounds with only one resulting in a TD and one resulting in a field goal. On two other such drives, the opponent missed field goals and on four drives, the defense was able to make the stop. But consider that half of the drives following kicks out-of-bounds resulted in quality scoring chances and it is easy to see that Tech was playing with fire.

The most costly instance came in the 4th quarter of the Birmingham Bowl when South Florida scored a TD to go up 27-24 with just 4:26 to play following a Michael Barden kick out-of-bounds. In a game that saw USF score the winning TD with just 1:07 to play, it isn’t inconceivable to think that an extra ten yards could have made a significant difference in the game.

The hope for correcting the problem this season is the same as it is for fixing the field goal woes. A healthy Clayton Hatfield, who missed six games due to a hip injury (which prevented him from kicking off at all in 2017) could be the key.

Last year, Michael Barden was responsible for five kicks out-of-bounds while Matthew Cluck was responsible for the other three. And both pulled off the dubious feat twice in a game.

Barden sent two kicks out-of-bounds in the bowl game while Cluck did the same on back-to-back kickoffs against Kansas. But if Hatfield is healthy, neither will be kicking off unless a game is out of hand.

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Additionally, Tech has brought in new special teams coordinator Adam Scheier to help improve the kicking game. Scheier has a reputation for developing top-level punters but his work with the kickers, even on a play as seemingly simple as kickoffs, could be a key for this year’s team.

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