The Texas Tech Red Raider Football program has taken some major strides in the past 3 seasons but the mad scientist known as Mike Leach is no longer the head football coach in Lubbock. Texas Tech finished 9-4 in the 2009 college football season capping it off with a 41-31 Alamo bowl win over Michigan State. New coach Tommy Tuberville is now leading the Red Raiders, a different type of coach than Leach. Tuberville prefers power running and a suffocating defense to the wide open style, Tuberville told Texas Tech that he would keep the spread offense, for how long nobody knows. The Red Raiders finished 7-5 against the spread, going over the total 5 times and under 7 times in 2009. The offense was one of the most productive in college football averaging over 470 yards in total offense which ranked 4th in all of college football, Texas Tech threw for over 386 yards per contest which ranked 2nd overall in the NCAA and scored an average of 37 points per game, 7th in college football. The Tech defense was not as efficient, they ranked 49th in total yards giving up 353 yards per game which ranked 49th, the gave up an average of 225 yards per game in the air and 127.4 on the ground.
Tuberville brought in Troy offensive coordinator Neal Brown to develop a system similar to what the team ran under Leach. Taylor Potts threw for over 3,440 yards last season but is being pushed this year by Steven Sheffield, both are very capable of putting up huge numbers but Sheffield looks like he will be the starter coming into fall camp. Whoever is under center they will throw to a corp of wide receivers that all had at least 45 catches in 2009 and that is impressive, hell this sports handicapper can put up big numbers throwing to these guys. Senior Baron Batch gained 884 yards rushing and he is expected to carry the load in 2010. The offensive line will be massive as usual. The smallest of the unit is 290 pound Lonnie Edwards at guard.
The Texas Tech defense will defiantly change under Tuberville, after all he is a defensive minded coach. Tuberville has brought in Alabama linebacker coach James Willis to run the unit and Texas Tech will go to a 3-4 defense. To boost the pass rush star linebacker Brian Duncan moves from the middle to the outside. The team is also counting on Donald Langley and Kenny Hyder to also apply pressure. The defensive line is sound with nose tackle Colby Whitlock ho is entering hi senior season as a 4 year starter. The defensive backfield gave up 12 touchdowns last season SeCody Davis, Franklin Mitchem and cornerback Laron Moore return as starters.