TTU positioned for conference title run

Coach Joey McGuire and his Texas Tech Red Raiders have optimism running in the region after winning the last four games and ending the season at 8-5.

Texas Tech will have 14 starters returning, with quarterback Tyler Shough headlining an offense with what some term as dynamic, and the defense returns enough experience and depth to expect a step forward in ‘23. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley is set for a big jump following the success of 2022’s. The Red Raiders are coming off a season where they finished with an average of 461.4 yards per game. They were also fourth in the Big 12 in scoring offense, averaging 34.2 points.

The Red Raiders led the Big 12 in sacks (31) and had the ninth-best red zone defense in all of FBS last season. What really defines the TTU football team is experience.

Additionally, the Red Raiders also finished with the most fourth-down attempts (52) in FBS, converting 33 of those to rank 16th in conversion percentage (.635).

With senior and quarterback Tyler Shough back at the helm, it is bringing a lot of excitement to Red Raider fans. Shough is 8-0 in games he both started and finished with the Red Raiders, will take the first snaps this coming season. Shough was limited to four starts in 2021 because of a broken collarbone and missed six games last season because of a shoulder injury suffered in the opening contest.

Shough went 5-0 as Texas Tech’s starter in 2022 and finished strong, winning MVP honors in the team’s Texas Bowl win over Ole Miss. Set to enter his sixth year, Shough played three seasons at Oregon and started in 2020 as the Ducks went 5-2 and won the Pac-12.