2021 record: 7-6 (+3 wins from 2020)

Texas Power Poll ranking: 8 of 12

THE GOOD

Texas Tech was 5-4 on the year when the Red Raiders hosted Iowa State on Nov. 13. One more win and Texas Tech, led then by interim head coach Sonny Cumbie, were bowl eligible. Excitement was high in Lubbock that day with new head coach Joey McGuire watching from a suite at Jones AT&T Stadium after his hiring on Nov. 8. Texas Tech closed the season with games against Oklahoma State and Baylor, so the realistic chance to reach a bowl and extend the season came down to its matchup against Iowa State. A 62-yard field goal by Jonathan Garibay as time expired earned the Red Raiders a win and a trip to a bowl game. 

That bowl game ended up being against former head coach Mike Leach and his Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28. The Red Raiders walked out of Memphis, Tenn. with a win over The Pirate and momentum heading into the 2022 season. Texas Tech thrashed the Bulldogs and buried some old demons in the process. The Red Raiders averaged 5.9 yards a rush and gained more than 500 yards of total offense in the win. 

Texas Tech started the season 3-0, including a comeback victory over Houston at NRG Stadium in Week 1. The Red Raiders trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-7 at halftime before storming back for the 38-21 win. Running back Tahj Brooks raced for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. The team averaged 5.2 yards a rush in the win. Brooks would lead Texas Tech with 568 rushing yards (6.5 yards a carry) despite dealing with nagging injuries in the second half of the season. Sarodorick Thompson, who overcame injuries early in the year, finished with 500 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. 

The offense was solid for Texas Tech when the group received consistent quarterback play, which was hard considering the team lost its top two players at the position to injury throughout the season. Donovan Smith stepped up in the win over Iowa State with 322 yards passing and four total touchdowns in his first career start. 

Texas Tech’s offense averaged 30.31 points per game. Thirty touchdowns were scored on the ground as the Red Raiders averaged 159.1 yards per game and 4.7 yards a run over the season. That consistency on the ground allowed the team to convert 43.23 percent of its third down conversions and score 35 touchdowns in 50 trips to the red zone. The offensive line only allowed 20 sacks. 

The defense was led by linebacker Colin Schooler. He recorded 106 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries. Eric Monroe was second on the team with 83 tackles. Dadrian Taylor-Demerson led the squad with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups. Tyree Wilson proved to be the team’s best pass rusher, finishing the year with seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. 

The special teams were a highlight for Texas Tech. Punter Austin McNamara and kicker Garibay were named first-team selections on the 2021 Dave Campbell’s Texas Football All-State team. McNamara averaged 48.17 yards a punt with a long of 70. He pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 17 times and kicked 20 balls over 50 yards. Garibay was 15-16 on the season, including that 62-yarder to beat Iowa State. His only miss came in the season-finale against Baylor.  

THE BAD

Texas Tech lost four of its next six games after a 3-0 start. The slide started on Sept. 25 in a 70-35 loss at Texas. The Red Raiders had only given up 64 total points in the previous three games. It was the first sign that Texas Tech’s defense hadn’t taken a step forward despite shutting out Houston in the second half of the Week 1 win. Texas ran for 336 yards (6.5 yards a carry) and four scores on the ground. TCU gashed Texas Tech’s run defense for 394 yards and five rushing touchdowns two weeks later. 

Defense tends to be the missing link in Lubbock and that was true again for much of the 2022 season, especially once conference play began. Texas Tech allowed 30.14 points per game in 2021 and 35.66 per game in Big 12 play. Those defensive struggles led to a 3-6 record in the Big 12. Texas Tech allowed 21.33 points per game in the three out-of-conference wins to start the season. Opponents averaged more than 400 yards of total offense against the Red Raiders, including 268.23 yards a game through the air. Teams converted 44.92 percent of its third down conversions and scored touchdowns on 33 of 50 trips to the red zone. 

THE UGLY

Matt Wells was fired after Texas Tech’s 25-24 loss to Kansas State on Oct. 23. Wells was eight games into his third season in Lubbock when he was let go as the head football coach. He was 13-17 overall at Texas Tech and, more importantly, Wells was 7-16 against Big 12 competition. The loss to Kansas State was the final straw. The Wildcats were on an eight-game losing streak against Big 12 competition prior to the win over Texas Tech, and the Red Raiders led 21-7 at one point in the second quarter of that defeat. 

TEAM GRADES

Quarterback: C+

Running back: B

Wide receiver/tight end: B-

Offensive line: B 

Defensive line: C+

Linebacker: B

Cornerback: C+

Safety: B-

BIGGEST OFFSEASON QUESTION

Can McGuire’s off-field momentum translate to wins in year one? 

Excitement is building in Lubbock in a way it never did under Wells. The boosters are bought in. The fans are gobbling up season tickets. The recruiting classes are already making headlines. The high school coaches around the state of Texas are excited that one of their own now runs a Power Five program. But will that translate to instant success on the football field?

McGuire’s project is about the long term. Sure, the Red Raiders will try to win as many football games as possible in 2022, but not at the expense of derailing the vision for the future. McGuire wants a tough, physical squad built by homegrown prospects. Those prospects might require time to mature as football players.  

WAY TOO EARLY 2022 OUTLOOK

Texas Tech should compete for seven to nine wins in the 2022 season thanks to a solid core of returnees on both sides of the ball. The quarterback room possesses multiple options with talent. Brooks and Thompson form an exciting duo at running back. A new offensive system should unlock the wide receivers. Defensively, Texas Tech should improve at nearly every position. 

The out-of-conference schedule contains three winnable games against Murray State, Houston (at home), and at N.C. State. Big 12 opponents Texas, Oklahoma, and Baylor are scheduled to play in Lubbock. The toughest in-conference road test comes in the middle of the season against Oklahoma State. Matching the seven wins from 2021 should be the floor for Texas Tech in 2022. The win over Mississippi State in the bowl game should help propel the Red Raiders into the offseason with confidence.