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Texas Tech football: Offensive goals the Red Raiders should reach in 2021

By Matthew Conner

Nov 28, 2020; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Erik Ezukanma (13) catches a touchdown pass in front of Oklahoma State Cowboys cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse (24) at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2020; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Erik Ezukanma (13) catches a touchdown pass in front of Oklahoma State Cowboys cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse (24) at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 24, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back SaRodorick Thompson (4) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back SaRodorick Thompson (4) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

90% scoring inside the red zone

It is hard to find anything more demoralizing to a team than failing to score on a red-zone opportunity.  But last year, Tech came away empty on 24.2% of their trips inside the opponent 20.  That was worst in the Big 12 and 105th in the nation.

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This season should be better in that regard…at least as long as Tech has some stability at the kicking position.  Last year, the Red Raider kickers were just 9-16 (56.2%) as a duo.

In 2021, should either Jonathan Garibay or Trey Wolff prove to be just an average college kicker, the Tech offense will improve significantly in red zone scoring three points at a time.  That could be critical in close games.

But however it happens, Tech needs to strive towards being a 90% successful offense in the red zone.  Of course, that’s a lofty bar to reach.

In the Big 12 in 2020, only Oklahoma and Kansas State managed to hit that mark.  For their efforts, the Sooners ranked No. 13 in the country at 91.5% and the Wildcats were No. 4 at 93.9%.

Tech also needs to find a way to score seven points more often than scoring three points on these trips.  On 33 opportunities, Tech scored just 20 TDs while kicking five red-zone FGs.  That means that Tech left 76 total points and 7.6 points per game on the board last year just in red-zone failings.

That can’t be the case again this year.  And hopefully, the Red Raiders will be far more efficient when they get close to the endzone.  If they are, and they reach the other goals we’ve discussed today, Sonny Cumbie will be hailed a hero just as he was in 2004.

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