Texas Tech Notebook: Offense Looks Dangerous, Defense Showed Signs of Improvement in Win Over Racers
If you are a Red Raiders fan, there is not much of a better start you could have asked for to the Joey McGuire era in Lubbock.
The Red Raiders opened McGuire's inaugural season with a dominant win over the Racers, a game that was decided by halftime as they took a 42-10 lead into the locker room.
Ultimately, the Red Raiders were firing on all cylinders in all facets of the game. The offense didn't punt until well into the second half while the defense stifled the Racers in the Week 1 63-10 blowout victory.
Now, here a few key takeaways from the Red Raiders Week 1 win over the Racers.
Welcome to the Zach Kittley era
Offense has always been a signature for the Red Raiders, dating back to the days of Mike Leach. With the hiring of offensive quarterback Zach Kittley this offseason, McGuire showed that he was ready to take the offense to the next level.
In just one half of play it was clear just how good a Zach Kittley offense will be for the Red Raiders. Yes, the competition is a factor, but good offense is good offense. By the end of the first half the Red Raiders had accumulated 389 yards of total offense and 42 points. As Kittley implements his air raid offense, with the addition of a potent run game, the Red Raider offense is in for a big season.
Defense still has room to grow
The Red Raider defense was a cause for concern in 2021, as they struggled mightily at times to get off the field. In the season opener against the Racers, the defense looked much improved, only allowing 258 yards of total offense and forcing 12 punts on the night.
However, while they did look much improved against the Racers, they were still prone to the big play far too often. They allowed chunk plays through the air of 51, 52 and 33 yards in both halves. If the Red Raider defense doesn't get that under control, it could have a hard time getting off the field once again this season when better opponents are on the other side of the ball.
Offense has weapons galore
For a Kittley offense to work, the quarterback has to have weapons to work with and spread the ball to, and oh boy do the Red Raiders have some weapons. Out of the backfield, running back Tahj Brooks had 49 yards and three touchdowns on just five carries.
Out wide, the receiver duo of Jerand Bradley and Loic Founonji were completely unstoppable for the Red Raiders. They would combine for 209 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 9 receptions, offering both Tyler Shough and Donovan Smith a pair of dynamic receivers to work with in Kittley's air raid offense.
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.