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There was a lot made about this offense this offseason. Tim Beck was demoted prior to the Valero Alamo Bowl and now he is calling plays for North Carolina State. In comes former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator and Ohio State passing game coordinator Mike Yurcich. Historically his offenses thrive with both the pass and the run.
Sam Ehlinger
For any offense the quarterback is the most important player. While you can get by with adequate QB play, Ehlinger is much more than adequate. He is the active leader in yards and touchdowns. For the Texas offense to get off humming, Ehlinger will be at the forefront of it all. Against UTEP, it only took one pass to Joshua Moore to get this team moving in the right direction. What will Ehlinger have for an encore?
The defense for Texas Tech couldn’t have looked any worse against Houston Baptist. Even when dropping eight defenders into coverage, the Red Raiders still allowed receivers to beat them deep. With Joshua Moore and Tarik Black ready to take the field again, Ehlinger could look to continue where he started with UTEP.
The Running Game
For the Longhorns, the running game has been a staple in their offense. This goes back to even before Tom Herman left Houston to take over at Texas. D’Onta Foreman was the latest back to get the run game going. This year’s team doesn’t have that Foreman like player, or at least not one we have seen yet. Houston Baptist may have abandoned the run game but the Longhorns have a plethora of backs that can make a difference.
Against the Miners, Texas didn’t stick with the run game. Instead they decided to air it out and get some of these new faces some key in game reps. Five different receivers scored touchdowns on Sam Ehlinger throws. Look for Keaontay Ingram, Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson to get more looks this week. With the Red Raiders inability to tackle a week ago, the trio could be in for big games.
Cade Brewer
With Jake Smith and Jordan Whittington out for this game, we could see a lot less of the three wide receiver sets against Tech. Brenden Schooler and Kai Money are listed on the depth chart in the slot but they could use more multiple tight end sets. Jared Wiley, Malcolm Epps and Brayden Liebrock are all capable receivers at the position.
Cade Brewer could be a factor in this game. Against UTEP, Brewer was one of the receivers who caught a touchdown pass from Ehlinger. With the concerted effort to get the tight ends more involved, the senior could be a weapon if the Red Raiders defense decided to lock onto the receivers and backs in this one.