Texas Football: 3 major concerns for UT vs. Texas Tech in finale

Texas Tech has taken care of the football during their winning streak

Earli

A big Achille’s heel for Texas Tech earlier in the season was costly turnovers. Texas Tech has suffered many double-digit losses this season in otherwise winnable games due to costly turnovers. For example Texas Tech turned the ball over four times, including three interceptions, in a one-score loss to the Oregon Ducks and Box Nix in Lubbock in Week 2.

Texas Tech also turned the ball over a combined eight times in back-to-back losses in mid-October to the Kansas State Wildcats and BYU Cougars.

Earlier in the season, the Longhorns might be able to count on the Red Raiders beating themselves by turning the ball over multiple times, especially with costly interceptions from young quarterbacks on offense.

But Texas Tech has shown a much better ability to take care of the football on offense in the last few weeks. Behren Morton and the Red Raiders have turned the ball over just twice in the last three games.

Avoiding costly turnovers has allowed the Texas Tech offense to have longer possessions and stay on schedule by running the ball with Brooks in the last few weeks. The more Texas Tech can run the ball with Brooks successfully, the more things open up in the passing game for them, and the longer they can keep opposing defenses on the field.

A noteworthy stat is that Texas Tech is 0-3 this season when it turns the ball over more than twice. Texas Tech is 6-2, with two narrow one-score losses when it turns the ball over no more than twice.

It doesn’t concern me greatly that Texas Tech will win the turnover battle against Texas. But it does mean Texas must be more buttoned up in managing turnovers in this game.