October 3, 2020; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Miles Price (18) looks for room to run against Kansas State Wildcats defensive back Ross Elder (19) during a game at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA Today Sports
We did it! It’s officially game week for the Texas Tech football team!
This weekend, the Joey McGuire era begins as the Red Raiders become the Murray State of the FCS bloodbath. After all, they were just 6-5 last season and lost their two games against FBS opponents by a combined score of 69-17.
Of course, all eyes will be on head coach Joey McGuire as he makes his Red Raider and collegiate head coaching debut. When he does, he becomes the 17th man to lead the Red Raiders into battle.
10 of the team (Grady Higginbotham, Dale Morgan, Dewitt Weaver, Jim Carlen, Steve Sloan, David McWilliams, Mike Leach, Tommy Tuberville, Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Wells) won their Red Raider debuts. In fact, it was the first time since 1987 and Spike Dykes that a Tech head coach had lost his first game with the program.
Moreover, EY Freeland, Morgan, Weaver, Carlen, Sloan, Rex Dockery, McWilliams, Dykes, Leach, Tuberville and Kingsbury produced winning seasons in Tech’s first round trip. But with six opponents ranked in the 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll, it’s hard for McGuire to join that club.
While this year is known to be full of ups and downs and unpredictable times, let’s try to predict what we will see in the coming months. Here are ten predictions for the 2022 Texas Tech football season.
No. 1: Tech will have a 1,000-yard reception
There was a time when the Texas Tech football program produced 1,000-yard pass catchers every year. For example, from 2002-2018, the Red Raiders had a thousand-yard receiver in all but four seasons.
However, the last time this program beat a receiver in that stretch was 2018 when Antoine Wesley had a massive 1,410-yard, 9-TD breakout season. Since then, no player has passed for more than the 748 yards Tech Eric Izukanma set in 2020.
But that will change this year, as Tech has at least one receiver going for a thousand yards. There are several reasons to believe that it will be so.
First of all, new offensive coordinator Zach Keightley has a history of designing offenses that put up impressive passing numbers. He had two receivers at Western Kentucky over the 1,402-yard mark last year.
Second, Tech is much better at the QB position than it has been since the end of the Pat Mahomes era (2016). With Tyler Shaw, Donovan Smith and Behren Morton all on the roster, this year’s team should be more isolated than the quarterback injuries that have plagued Tech football over the past four seasons. If the starter, Shaw, goes down for an extended period of time, Tech won’t have to turn to a backup who can’t, and that helps keep the offense going.
On the other hand, though, even a current Red Raider hasn’t even come close to a 1,000-yard season in his career. Still, one Red Raider looks poised for a big season in 2022. Miles price.
After putting up 523 yards and two TDs on 38 carries last year, the junior wide receiver is everyone’s pick to welcome Tech this fall. That’s because, in each of the past three seasons, Keatley’s offense has been led by an inside receiver, which is where Price plays.
Last season, WKU had a 1,902-yard season with receiver Jerez Stearns hauling in 150 passes. So don’t be shocked to see Tech’s top internal target price go wild this year as well. Even if Stearns doesn’t come close to what he did last year, he will almost certainly hit the 1,000-yard mark and will be a sight for Red Raider fans to welcome.
