What will an unfettered Sonny Cumbie offense look like?
It’s hard to get an entire fan base to agree on anything but after last season, it was universally held by Red Raider fans that a change was needed at the offensive coordinator position. Two years of David Yost’s unimaginative, predictable, and high-school-esque play-calling had rendered the Texas Tech offense almost unwatchable at times.
Last year, Tech averaged below 30 points per game for the first time since the 2000 season and that is criminal in West Texas. So we are all happy that a new face is leading the Red Raider attack from the press box.
But what we don’t know is what new OC Sonny Cumbie’s offense will look like when he’s left to his own devices and he’s free to roam. After all, he’s spent the last seven seasons being lorded over by a defensive-minded head coach who refused at times to let his offensive coaches call the games that they wanted to call.
Is that why the Cumbie offenses in Fort Worth were just ok and not elite after the departure of former QB Trevone Boykin in 2015? Or, is Cumbie simply just an average offensive mind and play-caller? Is that why he was paired with former co-OC Dough Meacham in Fort Worth for the majority of his time there?
It’s time to find out. It’s time to see what Cumbie will draw up to better utilize the weapons he will have at his disposal.
It’s also time to find out if he can develop Tyler Shough into an elite QB. Developing a top-notch passer is something that he never did at TCU after Boykin’s run and that’s one of the most important tasks he has to accomplish.
So let’s see the real Sonny Cumbie this weekend. There’s no more Gary Patterson holding him back. Additionally, there’s now only one cook in the kitchen. There are no more excuses. It’s time to find out what Sonny Cumbie has to offer and that will begin Saturday night.