Texas Tech football: Statistical categories to watch as Red Raiders visit Baylor

Texas Tech can’t afford a ton of penalties

This weekend, the Bears will be decked out from helmet to cleats in yellow.  However, the combination of yellow laundry on green turf hasn’t really been all that prevalent in Waco this year, at least when it comes to penalties.

In fact, the Bears are the least-penalized team in the Big 12 in terms of yards per game.  Averaging only 30.2 penalty yards per game this year, Baylor has given up a  mere 151 yards on infractions thus far.

What’s interesting, though, is that the Bears have been flagged only one fewer times than Tech has (24 to 25).  That means that Baylor isn’t being hit with the major fouls that the Red Raiders have.

Often this year, especially in the losses to Wyoming and Oregon, Tech has been plagued by 15-yard penalties.  In Laramie, Tech was assessed three personal fouls, and against Oregon, another personal foul against tackle Monroe Mills caused Tech to have to try a long 56-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter.  Had that kick been 41 yards instead, Gino Garcia might have had a much easier time with it but unfortunately, he was unable to convert the long attempt.

The good news is that Tech is coming off of a game in which it was flagged only once for five yards against Houston at home.  That came one week after being penalized nine times for 96 yards at West Virginia.  Therein might be the rub.

We typically think of basketball as being the sport where officials are most heavily influenced by the home crowd given how close the spectators are to the action.  However, the home team often gets the benefit of the doubt from the officials in football as well.

This year, Baylor is yet to be penalized for more than 45 yards in any of the four games played in Waco.  That includes the season-opening loss to Texas State in which the Bears drew nine flags.

Tech is going to have to play a clean game this weekend and not give away huge chunks of yards via personal fouls and other 15-yard infractions.  That’s because Baylor likely won’t be assessed many game-changing penalties so Tech has to make sure that component of the game remains relatively even.