Mack Leftwich, Texas Tech football hunt for key to open up red zone - lubbockonline.com

The Red Raiders tied for the eighth most touchdowns in the country last year, a solid mark on its own. But the split between the two numbers tells a story anyone who watched games at Jones AT&T Stadium already knows. Tech moves the ball well enough to get into scoring range, then too often settles for three points instead of finishing drives in the end zone.

Mack Leftwich and the rest of the program are searching for the fix. Through the start of the 2026 season, that same pattern has shown up again.

For Tech fans, this is the difference between a team that wins close games and one that dominates them. Field goals keep you in a football game. Touchdowns win it outright, especially against Big 12 opponents who can match points possession for possession. If the Red Raiders can turn even a handful of those red zone trips into six points instead of three, it changes the ceiling for this season entirely.

Tech led the FBS in one category last year that nobody wants to lead in twice.