1. Finishing
I've seen several people -- on RRS, social media and the Double T 104.3 text-line -- mention how happy they were that Texas Tech showed up and was competitive on Saturday.
Frankly, you should be used to that part by now. The Red Raiders are 1-4 in their last five Big 12 games, coinciding with Pat Mahomes' ascension to the starting quarterback position. There's nothing competitive about that record, but the games themselves have largely been close.
Texas? Mahomes was knocked out of the game and the Longhorns pulled away in the second half. Oklahoma? Texas Tech held a fourth quarter lead. Iowa State? Win. Baylor? The Red Raiders were within a two-point conversion of sending that game to overtime. TCU? You know the story.
The issue hasn't been competing, it's been finishing. For as promising as Texas Tech's finish against Arkansas was two Saturdays ago, the Red Raiders still have a lot of work to do in terms of closing out games.
Put it another way -- Saturday's loss to TCU marked the third time in Texas Tech's last five Big 12 home games that the Red Raiders coughed up a fourth-quarter lead. Fourteen points against West Virginia, three points against Oklahoma and leads of five and four points against the Horned Frogs.
The silver lining to that dark cloud is, of course, that team has been in a lot of these games with a chance to win late -- especially against the 'Eers and Frogs. But at some point the Red Raiders need to turn the corner from competing to winning.
Saturday in Arlington would be a great time to start.
2. State of the 1/3 Union
I wrote in early August that, to me, the success or failure of Texas Tech's season hinged on the team improving its turnover margin and reducing its penalties per game average.
My reasoning was simple: If Kliff Kingsbury and his staff can turn around the program's awful numbers in both of those categories, then there's hope that other problem areas can be addressed in a similar way down the road. If not, then what reason is there to think that 2016, 2017 and beyond will be any better?
Well, the Red Raiders are fully one-third of the way through the 2015 football season -- boy, how depressing is that? -- and to date their turnover and penalty showings have exceeded my expectations.
Through four games, Texas Tech has been flagged 21 times (four personal fouls) for 170 yards. Last year, at the same point in the season, the Red Raiders had been penalized 46 times (13 personal fouls) for 422 yards. Kingsbury's team ranks leads the Big 12 -- not a misprint -- in both penalties per game (5.3) and penalty yards per game (42.5).
To put that in perspective compared to last year, Texas Tech could average 11 penalties per game for the rest of the regular season and still finish with fewer total penalties (109) than it did in 2014 (112).
The team has improved dramatically in turnover margin as well. The Red Raiders rank fourth in turnovers gained (8) and third in the Big 12 in fewest turnovers lost (3) and turnover margin (plus-5). Through four games last year, Texas Tech had gained four turnovers, lost nine and was minus-5 in turnover margin.
The Red Raiders are a week away from closing out the toughest three-game stretch of the season. If they can get through Week 5 with a relatively clean sheet in both categories, there's no reason not to think this run can't continue.
3. Question of the Day
Texas Tech allowed 55 points and 750 yards of offense last week to TCU. Baylor will probably put up similar stats on Saturday. Those numbers are obscene but the Frogs and Bears both rank in the top five nationally in scoring and total offense, so they're going to put up big numbers on a lot of teams this season.
If you peak ahead on the schedule, the offenses David Gibbs' team will face the rest of the way don't look nearly as intimidating. After Baylor, the Red Raiders will face just three teams that rank in the top 30 in scoring offense -- West Virginia (14), Oklahoma (19) and Oklahoma State (26). Kansas State (47) is a fringe top 50 unit, but Texas (78), Kansas (93) and Iowa State (101) all rank in the bottom half of FBS.
This week's question: What defensive numbers do you expect out of Texas Tech over its last seven games of the season?
4. Mighty Morphin Power Rankings
1. TCU (1) -- TCU's offense is good enough to carry the Frogs to a Big 12 title, but there won't be much margin for error until/unless their defense gets healthier.
2. West Virginia (3) -- The 'Eers look to be legit, but we'll find out for very soon as they play at Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, at Baylor and at TCU over the next four weeks.
3. Oklahoma (2) -- How will Maker Bayfield fare against WVU's defense?
4. Baylor (4) -- The Bears' schedule ramps up in difficulty this week.
5. Oklahoma State (6) -- It was ugly, required some flip-flopping at quarterback and the officiating was questionable, but the Pokes went on the road and won in Austin.
6. Texas Tech (5) -- Sports is a fickle beast. Red Raiders would have been at or near the top of this list were it not for TCU's unlikely catch on fourth down.
7. Kansas State (8) -- K-State fans better hope Bill Snyder figured out a way to milk some more offense out of his team over the bye week.
8. Texas (7) -- Horns on track for a 1-5 start to the season.
9. Iowa State (9) -- It feels like, at 1-2, the Cyclones are just playing out the string on the Paul Rhoads era.
10. Kansas (10) -- If KU doesn't win this weekend in Ames, the Jayhawks' current six-game losing streak will likely balloon to 15 games.
5. Last Time Out
6. Scattershots
I was this close to joining the Peace Corps in 2008. I hated my job, didn't like what I was doing and wanted to try something completely different. I filled out the application, shared my plan with friends and family and was looking forward to the rest of the Peace Corps process. The only thing that stopped me was a phone call from Level offering me a job at RRS. I accepted right away and moved back to Lubbock five months later.
8. Number to Know
5.2 -- Just 5.2 percent of Texas Tech's 302 offensive plays have resulted in a turnover or lost yardage. Last season, 10.7 percent of the team's 914 offensive plays resulted in a negative play.
9. Prediction for Saturday
Texas Tech 49, BAYLOR 56
10. And Finally...
Less than five days until the Red Raiders take on Baylor.
I've seen several people -- on RRS, social media and the Double T 104.3 text-line -- mention how happy they were that Texas Tech showed up and was competitive on Saturday.
Frankly, you should be used to that part by now. The Red Raiders are 1-4 in their last five Big 12 games, coinciding with Pat Mahomes' ascension to the starting quarterback position. There's nothing competitive about that record, but the games themselves have largely been close.
Texas? Mahomes was knocked out of the game and the Longhorns pulled away in the second half. Oklahoma? Texas Tech held a fourth quarter lead. Iowa State? Win. Baylor? The Red Raiders were within a two-point conversion of sending that game to overtime. TCU? You know the story.
The issue hasn't been competing, it's been finishing. For as promising as Texas Tech's finish against Arkansas was two Saturdays ago, the Red Raiders still have a lot of work to do in terms of closing out games.
Put it another way -- Saturday's loss to TCU marked the third time in Texas Tech's last five Big 12 home games that the Red Raiders coughed up a fourth-quarter lead. Fourteen points against West Virginia, three points against Oklahoma and leads of five and four points against the Horned Frogs.
The silver lining to that dark cloud is, of course, that team has been in a lot of these games with a chance to win late -- especially against the 'Eers and Frogs. But at some point the Red Raiders need to turn the corner from competing to winning.
Saturday in Arlington would be a great time to start.
2. State of the 1/3 Union
I wrote in early August that, to me, the success or failure of Texas Tech's season hinged on the team improving its turnover margin and reducing its penalties per game average.
My reasoning was simple: If Kliff Kingsbury and his staff can turn around the program's awful numbers in both of those categories, then there's hope that other problem areas can be addressed in a similar way down the road. If not, then what reason is there to think that 2016, 2017 and beyond will be any better?
Well, the Red Raiders are fully one-third of the way through the 2015 football season -- boy, how depressing is that? -- and to date their turnover and penalty showings have exceeded my expectations.
Through four games, Texas Tech has been flagged 21 times (four personal fouls) for 170 yards. Last year, at the same point in the season, the Red Raiders had been penalized 46 times (13 personal fouls) for 422 yards. Kingsbury's team ranks leads the Big 12 -- not a misprint -- in both penalties per game (5.3) and penalty yards per game (42.5).
To put that in perspective compared to last year, Texas Tech could average 11 penalties per game for the rest of the regular season and still finish with fewer total penalties (109) than it did in 2014 (112).
The team has improved dramatically in turnover margin as well. The Red Raiders rank fourth in turnovers gained (8) and third in the Big 12 in fewest turnovers lost (3) and turnover margin (plus-5). Through four games last year, Texas Tech had gained four turnovers, lost nine and was minus-5 in turnover margin.
The Red Raiders are a week away from closing out the toughest three-game stretch of the season. If they can get through Week 5 with a relatively clean sheet in both categories, there's no reason not to think this run can't continue.
3. Question of the Day
Texas Tech allowed 55 points and 750 yards of offense last week to TCU. Baylor will probably put up similar stats on Saturday. Those numbers are obscene but the Frogs and Bears both rank in the top five nationally in scoring and total offense, so they're going to put up big numbers on a lot of teams this season.
If you peak ahead on the schedule, the offenses David Gibbs' team will face the rest of the way don't look nearly as intimidating. After Baylor, the Red Raiders will face just three teams that rank in the top 30 in scoring offense -- West Virginia (14), Oklahoma (19) and Oklahoma State (26). Kansas State (47) is a fringe top 50 unit, but Texas (78), Kansas (93) and Iowa State (101) all rank in the bottom half of FBS.
This week's question: What defensive numbers do you expect out of Texas Tech over its last seven games of the season?
4. Mighty Morphin Power Rankings
1. TCU (1) -- TCU's offense is good enough to carry the Frogs to a Big 12 title, but there won't be much margin for error until/unless their defense gets healthier.
2. West Virginia (3) -- The 'Eers look to be legit, but we'll find out for very soon as they play at Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, at Baylor and at TCU over the next four weeks.
3. Oklahoma (2) -- How will Maker Bayfield fare against WVU's defense?
4. Baylor (4) -- The Bears' schedule ramps up in difficulty this week.
5. Oklahoma State (6) -- It was ugly, required some flip-flopping at quarterback and the officiating was questionable, but the Pokes went on the road and won in Austin.
6. Texas Tech (5) -- Sports is a fickle beast. Red Raiders would have been at or near the top of this list were it not for TCU's unlikely catch on fourth down.
7. Kansas State (8) -- K-State fans better hope Bill Snyder figured out a way to milk some more offense out of his team over the bye week.
8. Texas (7) -- Horns on track for a 1-5 start to the season.
9. Iowa State (9) -- It feels like, at 1-2, the Cyclones are just playing out the string on the Paul Rhoads era.
10. Kansas (10) -- If KU doesn't win this weekend in Ames, the Jayhawks' current six-game losing streak will likely balloon to 15 games.
5. Last Time Out
6. Scattershots
- Texas Tech is tied for third nationally and first in the Big 12 in plays of 10-plus yards (84). The Red Raiders logged 20 such plays against TCU.
- Texas Tech and Oklahoma are the only two Big 12 schools through four weeks to log a play of 70-plus yards.
- The Red Raiders are second in the Big 12 with a 53.85 percent conversion rate on third down. TCU is first with 55.74 percent. Texas is last at 29.41 percent.
- Texas Tech has almost as many third-down conversions (28) as Baylor has third-down attempts (32).
- Jakeem Grant leads the Big 12 in all-purpose yards (730). He is averaging 17.8 yards per play.
- Grant has caught 78 percent (29 of 37) of the passes thrown to him this season. Ian Sadler has caught 63 percent of his targets (15 of 24), Devin Lauderdale has caught 54 percent (13 of 24) and Reginald Davis has caught 52 percent (13 of 25).
- DeAndre Washington and Patrick Mahomes each have five rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for second-most in the Big 12 behind Aaron Green (6).
- Washington now has 2,394 career rushing yards as a Red Raider, which is good for ninth place on the program's career list. He is 108 yards away from passing No. 8 Baron Batch (2,501).
- Three of the Big 12's top four tacklers are Red Raiders. Oklahoma State's Jordan Sterns (former Texas Tech commit) leads the way with 40 total stops, but Micah Awe (34), Dakota Allen (34) and Jah'Shawn Johnson (33) are right behind him.
- The Red Raiders lead the Big 12 in sacks allowed (1). Every other team in the league has allowed at least three. Texas has allowed 14 in four games.
- On the flip side, Texas Tech ranks dead last in sacks (3). Oklahoma State leads the league with 16.
- The Red Raiders' scoring defense average dropped from 29.7 to 36 points per game after Saturday's loss to TCU.
- Texas Tech's defense has allowed 77 plays of 10-plus yards this season, which is dead-last in the Big 12.
- Kliff Kingsbury is now 11-2 when leading at the half, 1-12 when trailing and 3-0 when tied. The exceptions: The Red Raiders lost to West Virginia (21-10) and Oklahoma (14-7) in 2014 despite leading at the half, and overcame a three-point halftime deficit to Iowa State last year to win.
- Saturday marked the first time in program history that Texas Tech had scored 50 or more points and lost. The Red Raiders entered the game 72-0 all-time when hitting or topping that mark.
- Fifteen of Texas Tech's 29 scoring drives in 2015 have lasted less than two minutes. Seven have taken less than one minute.
- Saturday's game against Baylor will mark the first time in program history that the Red Raiders have faced a top five opponent in back-to-back weeks.
- The Red Raiders are averaging 3.5 yards per carry in the redzone, which is a marked improvement from last season's 2.42 mark.
I was this close to joining the Peace Corps in 2008. I hated my job, didn't like what I was doing and wanted to try something completely different. I filled out the application, shared my plan with friends and family and was looking forward to the rest of the Peace Corps process. The only thing that stopped me was a phone call from Level offering me a job at RRS. I accepted right away and moved back to Lubbock five months later.
8. Number to Know
5.2 -- Just 5.2 percent of Texas Tech's 302 offensive plays have resulted in a turnover or lost yardage. Last season, 10.7 percent of the team's 914 offensive plays resulted in a negative play.
9. Prediction for Saturday
Texas Tech 49, BAYLOR 56
10. And Finally...
Less than five days until the Red Raiders take on Baylor.
