We made it. It's been a long cold lonely off-season. Both literally as in there hasn't been a single down of meaningful football since November, as well as mentally, which is expected after a disappointing season.
The Red Raiders finished 5-7 last season with a defense that was ranked dead last in points allowed per game. Yet as we approach September 2nd, bitterness gives way to excitement and cautious optimism. Here are some talking points for the upcoming season.
Defense Should Be Improved.
Last season the defense finished 128 out of 128 in points allowed per game. Despite poor performance overall, the defense showed plenty of promise particularly from the younger players such as Douglas Coleman who's highlight of the season was a 100 yard fumble return for a touchdown against Texas.
This season David Gibbs returns a much more experienced squad led by juniors Dakota Allen and D’vonta Hinton and sophomore Jordyn Brooks. Allen returns to Lubbock after a standout season at East Mississippi Community College and should provide some much needed leadership and experience to the young group.
The secondary should show improvement as well with returning starters Douglas Coleman and D.J. Polite-Bray who had 26 solo tackles and five assists last season. The addition of JUCO transfers Octavious Morgan and Jaylon Lane should make an immediate impact on the secondary as well.
This is also the largest defense Tech has seen in years both in depth and in size. David Gibbs says Tech finally has a “Big 12 sized” defense and it will show on the field.
While I don't expect Tech to become a defensive juggernaut overnight, I predict that we will see a return to what we saw in 2012 under Art Kaufman. That season the Red Raiders finished 92 out of 124 in points allowed. When you consider that four of the seven losses last season were by a touchdown or less, any improvement, particularly in the turnover department, could put Tech back into the upper tier of the Big 12.
Nic Shimonek Is Fearless
Let me put it this way. If Nic Shimonek was on a plane and the pilot had a sudden heart attack and there was no one left to fly the plane, he would stand up and say “Well heck, I'll take a crack at it”. Whether or not he could actually land the plane remains to be seen, but if the Kansas game is any indication I’d say the passengers of Southwest Airlines Flight 207 have a pretty good chance.
If you haven't seen Shimonek Mic’d Up here's a link. Shimonek has no problem getting in his teammates faces but is also the first to criticize himself when he's off the mark (even after throwing a long touchdown pass). He seems to know where the ball will go before it leaves his hand. While it takes more than tenacity to win games, we have seen too many times when a talented quarterback struggles because of over thinking and not trusting themselves (i.e. Davis Webb and Taylor Potts).
Shimonek seems to have the talent to back up his confidence as he went 38 of 58 last season with six touchdowns and one interception. Most of those numbers came against Kansas when he came in for an injured Patrick Mahomes II and threw four touchdown passes.
Has Kingsbury Made The Change From OC To HC?
Anytime a coach goes from coordinator to head coach there is a certain amount of growing pains involved. Whether it's difficulty letting go of their day to day duties as a coordinator or trying to stay out of the way of a more knowledgeable coordinator. Most coaches get to start at the high school or lower level college first where they can work out the kinks while the pressure isn't so great. However other times (such as the case of Kingsbury) they go straight into the big time where all eyes are watching. At some point though, everything comes together and the difference in the results can be day and night.
This season is a make or break season for Kingsbury. He is taking a more active role in the defense and seems to now have a better understanding of the team as a whole as opposed to just the offense. Will it be enough? Only time will tell, but I think we will see a much more motivated and disciplined team than in the previous four seasons.
The Red Raiders kick off the 2017 season Saturday, September 2nd at Jones AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3pm central time. You can watch the game on FSN or listen on the Texas Tech Sports Network from Learfield through a radio affiliate or on the tunein app.
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