Red Raiders Week 9 vs. Baylor: Offensive Players to Watch
The Texas Tech Red Raiders continue their Big 12 slate in Week 9 when they host defending Big 12 champion Baylor at Jones A&T Stadium on Oct. 29.
The Red Raiders will be playing their second straight home game, having faced West Virginia in Lubbock on Oct. 22. It caps a tough stretch for Texas Tech, as it will the Red Raiders’ third game against a Big 12 bowl team from 2021 in four games.
The Bears won last year’s matchup in Waco, Texas, 27-24.
Baylor is coming off a 12-2 season in which it won the Big 12 for the third time but won the Big 12 Championship Game for the first time in a dramatic 21-16 win over Oklahoma State. The Bears went on to beat Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
The Red Raiders went 7-6 last season and have a new head coach in Joey McGuire, a Baylor assistant under Matt Rhule and current coach Dave Aranda.
Be sure to stick with RedRaiderReview.com as we preview every aspect of the matchup with the Bears throughout the week.
Here’s a look at some of the top offensive players to watch for Baylor.
QB Blake Shapen
Shapen stepped up for the Bears in the Big 12 Championship Game when Gerry Bohanon couldn’t play due to injury. The Bears beat Oklahoma State, 21-16. Then, this spring, coach Dave Aranda let the pair duke it out, and Aranda decided in April that Shapen would be the starter because he proved to be the better passer. Bohanon is now at USF. If the Bears are going to repeat, Shapen must validate Aranda’s faith in him.
OT Connor Galvin
Want to get to Shapen? Then get by the All-American left tackle, who returns for one last season at Baylor coming off one of the best seasons of any offensive lineman in college football. He’s just plain impossible to get around, and he has some of the quickest feet in the conference. Don’t be surprised if he goes the entire season without allowing a sack.
RB Taye McWilliams
The Bears lost their top three rushers a year ago — Abram Smith, Trestan Ebner and Bohannon. Combined, the trio rushed for close to 3,000 yards. McWilliams, by virtue of their production and experience, was an afterthought. He won’t have that luxury in 2022. He rushed for just 181 yards, but he gained 10 yards per carry and managed a pair of touchdown runs. He’s the only experienced running back in the room. He’ll have to step up.
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