Second-year head coach Tommy Tuberville has the Texas Tech Red Raiders undefeated through their first four games of the season, and the offense is clicking at a pace that would make Mike Leach envious.
After dodging a bullet last week at Kansas, Tech faces its toughest test of the season so far when Texas A&M comes to town this weekend. Seth Jungman of Double-T Nation checks in to answer Five Burning Questions about the Red Raiders.
1. Seth Doege has put up some great numbers to this point. How would you compare him to some of Tech’s great quarterbacks of the past?
Doege does seem to have a little bit of some past Texas Tech quarterbacks in that he can run if necessary, he’s capable of getting the ball down the field, he’s not turning the ball over on a consistent basis and he seems adept t taking what the defense gives him. That’s really a quasi-combination of Cody Hodges (mobility), Sonny Cumbie (making the right decisions) and Graham Harrell (getting the ball down the field).For me personally, I think that B.J. Symons was the best quarterback, especially for one year, Texas Tech has ever had, passing for over 5,800 yards and 52 touchdowns.
2. The defense was a huge Liability last year. What are your thoughts so far?
It still is a liability.
Switching coordinators for the past three years isn’t going to help, but the coordinator that Tuberville originally hired, James Willis, was “let go” when allegations of spousal abuse were discoveref. I don’t recall the outcome of that case, but I think that what Willis tried to do, i.e. play man defense all the time on the corners and instill a three-man front, wasn’t suited to what Texas Tech has available.
I do think that Tuberville had a good hire in Chad Glasgow, but like anything else related to football, you have to give it a little bit of time in order for things to improve. Texas Tech was respectable (top 50 in the nation in total yards) in defense during Leach’s final years, but there was certainly room to improve. I think Glasgow has done a good job of showing that he can adjust in the second half.
3. Of Tech’s remaining schedule, give us your key game for this season.
Really, both remaining home games against Kansas St. and Iowa St. are “must wins” if Texas Tech is going to go bowling this year. Then Texas Tech needs to find a win against UT (away), OU (away), TAMU (home), OSU (home), Missouri (away) and Baylor (neutral). I think a lot of Texas Tech fans are counting on the Baylor game, but with Griffin playing at such a high level, I’m not going to take that game for granted.
Truthfully, I’m not taking any game for granted at this point. Iowa St. has shown flashes and Kansas St. beating Baylor last week certainly lends credence to the thought that Snyder knows how to coach like few others.
4. Are you disappointed Texas Tech is staying in the Big 12?
There’s definitely part of me that wanted TTU, UT, OU and OSU to go to the Pac-12, because I get incredibly tired of writing about conference realignment and really wanted Texas Tech to be in a stable conference.
The Big 12, even with all of its flaws, does represent something that makes sense in that if I wanted to, I am within 4 hours or so of Norman, Stillwater, Austin and Waco. My furthest drive is to where I went to college, Lubbock, and so there’s something to that.
I mentioned to my dad, an Aggie who isn’t on board with moving to the SEC, that we really won’t be able to cuss and discuss football much longer because I won’t be watching any TAMU games. I don’t think that Aggies will feel “left out,” but they won’t be able to turn to a percentage of their co-workers and friends who aren’t Aggies and ask if they saw them play last week. I’m not going to tune into watch Texas A&M and they really won’t be on my radar next year, and that’s unfortunate for me as fan of this rivalry.
5. Weirder: Mike Leach or Tommy Tuberville?
Definitely Leach. I do find Tuberville an interesting character, but he can’t hold a candle to Leach.
I wouldn’t describe Leach as being “weird,” but he’s just different than you or I and his tangential conversations are not abnormal to him, but normal. He’s a history buff and he seems to have interests outside of football, so I think that’s more interesting than weird to me.
