Texas Tech Football: What’s keeping the offense from getting untracked

The offense has not had tons of time playing together

What makes football unique is the fact that the team’s success depends on the cohesion of every player on the team.  Unlike in other sports, where games often come down to one-on-one situations, in football, every player has to work well with his teammates in order to win.

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So it’s worth asking whether or not the offense is struggling because of how little time the players on the roster have spent both playing and practicing together.

Nowhere is cohesion more important than on the offensive line.  But this year’s starting five has struggled with various nagging injuries that have kept them from having as many practice and game reps as would be ideal.

To begin with, center Dawson Deaton missed all of spring practice with a shoulder injury.  That’s not what a young player at a new position needs when learning a new offense and preparing to start for the first time in his career.  What’s more, his responsibilities are even greater because it is the center’s job to make the line calls prior to the snap, something he is no doubt still mastering.

His former high school teammate, Jack Anderson, also missed the spring with a shoulder injury.  Additionally, he missed the second game of the year with a slight knee injury.

Tackle Terence Steele also suffered a significant injury this summer when he hurt a pectoral muscle lifting weights.  He missed all of fall camp and the first two games of the year and has not looked right since returning for the Arizona game.

That means the starting offensive line has been together for only the last three weeks.  At no time in the spring or fall camp did the Red Raiders have their intended starting o-line together and that has to take its toll on the cohesion of the group.

At receiver, there’s been significant turnover and it shows. Three of the starters and six of the team’s top receivers (not counting running backs) were either with other programs last year (as was McLane Mannix, Travis Koontz and R.J. Turner) or are playing new positions (like Donta Thompson and Kesean Carter).

And the upheaval at QB has to have taken its toll on the connection between the passers and pass catchers on the roster.  For instance, Alan Bowman and T.J. Vasher have played less than 10 full games together.  Additionally, Vasher missed most of the spring with an injury that limited his reps with his QB.  And on more than one occasion this year, those two have looked to like they were on different pages.

Offenses have to function as an in-tune unit in order to succeed.  That is not what the Red Raiders have been since Wells has taken over and it shows.  Injuries and roster turnover have only served to make the team’s adjustment to its new system all the more difficult.