Red Raiders vs. Baylor Bears Week 9: Offensive Players to Watch
The Texas Tech Red Raiders continue their Big 12 slate on Saturday when they host defending Big 12 champion Baylor at Jones A&T Stadium.
The Red Raiders (4-3, 2-2 in Big 12) are coming off a 48-10 win over West Virginia last Saturday, a win that keeps Texas Tech on the outside, but looking in, at the race for the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington, Texas, in December. But the Red Raiders, with two league losses already, doesn’t have any margin for error - and are also seeking a bit of revenge in this game - as the Bears won last year’s matchup, 27-24.
Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton won a Big 12 award on Monday, further cementing the idea that he may be the Red Raiders’ quarterback of right now and not just the future.
The Bears (4-3, 2-2) are in the same boat as the Red Raiders. Baylor is also coming off a win, as it beat Kansas, 35-23, last Saturday. If the Bears are going to defend their title, they likely need to win out.
Be sure to stick with RedRaiderReview.com as we preview every aspect of the matchup with the Bears throughout the week.
Now, here’s a look at some of the top offensive players to watch for Baylor.
QB Blake Shapen
Aside from the time he missed against West Virginia due to an injury, Shapen has been the consistent face of the passing game. He led the Bears to victory in the Big 12 Championship game last season and won the job in the offseason against Gerry Bohanon.
Entering Saturday’s game, Shapen has completed 68 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,608 yards and 12 touchdowns, while throwing just five interceptions.
RB Richard Reese
The Bears like to use several running backs. But Reese has made it impossible for the Bears to turn to anyone else but him when it comes to running the football. His 116 attempts are nearly three times as much as the second-leading rusher on the team.
His 643 yards are more than twice as much as the second-leading rusher. His nine touchdown runs are twice as much as anyone on the team. He’ll even catch the occasional pass. But hand him the ball and watch him go.
TE Ben Sims
Entering the season, Sims was considered one of the Big 12’s top tight ends, and he hasn’t disappointed. Shapen has distributed the ball to several pass catchers. In fact, six players have at least 10 receptions.
But Sims is the player Shapen goes to in a pinch. He has a team-leading 25 receptions, along with 193 yards and two touchdowns. He’s averaging 7.7 yards per catch and 32.2 yards per game.
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