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Texas Tech football: 3 areas of concern for the 2022 Red Raiders

By Matthew Conner

MANHATTAN, KS - OCTOBER 03: Place kicker Trey Wolff #36 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders attempts a field goal against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on September 3, 2020 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS - OCTOBER 03: Place kicker Trey Wolff #36 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders attempts a field goal against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on September 3, 2020 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /
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Sep 18, 2021; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders kicker Trey Wolff (36) kicks off in the second half in the game against the Florida International Panthers at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2021; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders kicker Trey Wolff (36) kicks off in the second half in the game against the Florida International Panthers at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Placekicker

The Red Raider kicking battle appears to be a two-man race.  But neither is a truly reassuring option.

Trey Wolff entered the offseason as the slight favorite.  A senior from Spring, Texas, he was Tech’s primary kickoff specialist last season.

However, he did not attempt a field goal in 2021 and has only five attempts in the last two seasons.  On the other hand, he was a bright spot in 2019 going 20-22 (90.9%).

The other combatant for the job is Gino Garcia.  The junior from Richardson, Texas is making this a true competition with his offseason work.

A transfer from Houston Baptist, the 6-foot-2 kicker was 32-46 (69.5%) during his three years with the Huskies.  That’s not a very impressive resume.

Yet, in 2021 he was 9-10 on his FG attempts.  That included a make from 59 yards.

Whoever wins this job will have huge shoes to fill.  Last year, Jonathan Garibay was an All-Big 12 selection after going 15-16 on FG tries including the unforgettable 62-yard game-winner against Iowa State.

In all, Garibay was 23-27 on FG tries over the past two years.  Thus, he helped put the Red Raiders in a good spot in an area of the game that can be disastrous.  And to remember just how much a kicking game can impact a season, we need to look back only to 2017.

That year, four kickers tried their hand at holding down the job going a combined 12-23.  That was the season that Clayton Hatfield suffered a preseason hip injury that caused him to miss half of the season and rendered him ineffective when he did return.

As a result, the kicking game was a complete joke and it cost the Red Raiders dearly.  In an 11-point loss to West Virginia, Tech missed three field goals, completely changing the course of that game.  And in an overtime loss to Kansas State, Tech missed a key fourth-quarter FG while up eight points to give the Wildcats new life.

This season will likely see Tech play plenty of close games as well.  That’s why the kicking game is so important and why, until one of the kickers on the roster calms our fears, it will continue to be a source of concern.

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