Texas Tech’s offense is actually a lot more balanced than a lot of people are probably used to seeing from the Red Raiders. I mean, it’s not like we’re seeing the Dan Mullen or Urban Meyer ideal of a 50/50 split from passing and rushing, but what we’re getting out of the Red Raiders this year is a lot more balanced than what many would have expected if they haven’t paid close attention.
Over the past 20 years or so, college football fans have grown accustomed to offenses in Lubbock being so clearly based on explosive passing attacks and gaining a ton of chunks of yards at a time through the air (shoutout to Mike Leach and the Air Raid offense that fundamentally changed the way football is played today).
But with Mack Leftwich and his veer-and-shoot offense installed in Lubbock, the Texas Tech Red Raiders are throwing for a ton of yards and also gashing folks for a ton of yards on the ground. Again, not exactly 50/50 split, but good enough to get the Red Raiders ranked among the most effective running games in the Big 12 this season.
Texas Tech’s rushing attack ranks at No. 5 among Big 12 teams in rushing yards per game
Here’s the Big 12’s rushing offenses ranked by rushing yards per game and where the Red Raiders rank among the best.
- BYU Cougars - 251.3 yards per game
- Utah Utes - 242.6 yards per game
- Arizona State Sun Devils - 216.6 yards per game
- West Virginia Mountaineers - 216.2 yards per game
- Texas Tech Red Raiders - 204.5 yards per game
- UCF Knights - 203 yards per game
- Cincinnati Bearcats - 191.5 yards per game
- Kansas Jayhawks - 183.4 yards per game
- Houston Cougars - 171.5 yards per game
- Arizona Wildcats - 168.4 yards per game
- Baylor Bears - 154.8 yards per game
- Oklahoma State Cowboys - 153.3 yards per game
- Iowa State Cyclones - 151 yards per game
- Colorado Buffaloes - 147.4 yards per game
- Kansas State Wildcats - 139.6 yards per game
- TCU Horned Frogs - 133.5 yards per game
I’m not saying that Texas Tech is the most effective rushing team ever, but it’s impressive to even see them that high on this list. Especially when there are other teams that are good at throwing the ball around like Texas Tech is while not being anywhere near the top of this list (TCU and Baylor come to mind). This is good to see, especially after the Red Raiders played Utah in Week 4.