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Texas Tech football: 3 problems facing Red Raider offense

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Wide receiver KeSean Carter #82 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 05: Wide receiver KeSean Carter #82 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Oklahoma State Cowboys on October 05, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
(Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

The offense is not benefitting from many short fields

Another way that high-scoring teams make a lot of their success is by giving their offense a short field with regularity.  That’s not something this Red Raider team is doing.

Through seven games, Matt Wells’ team has begun only eight games on the opponent’s side of the field.  Basically one drive per game is not enough but when you consider that the vast majority of those drives came in one game, the problem becomes magnified.

Against Oklahoma State, Tech began five drives in Cowboy territory.  Not surprisingly, in that game, the Raiders tied their season-high in points with 45.

But that also means that there have been just three drives begun in plus territory in the other six games this year.  That’s just one for every two weeks.

Thus far, most of this team’s turnovers have proven to just stop opposition drives rather than also serving to set the offense up with a short field.  And Tech has had no return game at all on special teams.

Though the Red Raiders are third in the Big 12 with an average of 21.7 yards per kickoff return, their longest of the year has been just 29 yards.  Meanwhile, Baylor got on track against the Red Raiders two games ago when a 60-plus-yard kickoff return broke the Bears’ offense out of its first-half slumber and led to the game’s first TD drive.

On punt returns, the Red Raiders are averaging just 5.7 yards.  That’s only 7th in the conference.  Their longest on the season is 27 yards and no punt return has made any impact for this team so far in 2019.

Next. Why Tech lost to Iowa State. dark

When trying to win with a third-string QB and a group of skill position players that lack explosiveness, it would be a tremendous help for the defense or special teams to give the offense some shorter fields.  However, that hasn’t been the case this year outside of the one game in which the offense had its best day of the season.  Coincidence?  Nah.

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