Kenny Perry has made an argument for one of the top performances
by an assistant coach in the country thus far this season as he boasts one of
the nation’s top punters in Austin McNamara as well as four units that
rank in the top 10 nationally in statistical categories. That’s not even
including his work as Texas Tech’s running backs coach where Tahj Brooks
is off to an impressive start, ranking sixth in the FBS in total rushing yards through
Nov. 8.
Perry’s
special teams units have ranked among the nation’s best through the first
two-thirds of the season as the Red Raiders rank fourth in the FBS for punt
return average (22.56), fifth for net punting (43.7), 10th for kickoff return
average (26.0) and 13th for blocked kicks (2). Texas Tech boasts two of the
nation’s top returners in Drae McCray, who leads the Big 12 and is 10th
in the FBS for kickoff return average (26.6), as well as Myles Price,
who is averaging 21.8 yards per punt return. That average by Price would rank
third nationally if he met the NCAA minimum of 1.2 punt returns per game. Price
has returned five of his nine punts at least 20 yards this season, which ranks
tied for fourth in the FBS. McCray, meanwhile, has four kick returns of at
least 30 yards, which ranks tied for eighth nationally.
That’s not to mention McNamara, either. An all-around punter who
can punt for distance and accuracy, McNamara is the only FBS
punter to rank in the top 10 for punting average nationally, to have his team
rank in the top 10 for net punting average and also rank in the top 10 in Pro
Football Focus’ hang time average. McNamara currently ranks sixth in the
FBS and second in the Big 12 Conference with a 47.7 yards per punt average. Texas
Tech currently ranks fifth in the FBS and leads the Big 12 with a 43.7 net
punting average this season.
Brooks,
meanwhile, has entered the national picture as one of the nation’s top running
backs this season as he ranks this week sixth in the FBS with 1,033 rushing
yards and seventh nationally for rushing yards per game (114.8). Brooks has
rushed for 100 yards in six of the past seven games this season, including five
times during Big 12 play, as he ranks fourth among power-five backs nationally.
Brooks is the first Red Raider to rush
for 1,000 yards in a season since DeAndre Washington totaled 1,492 yards
on the ground in 2015. Washington, who also hit the 1,000-yard mark in 2014 as
well, is the only Red Raider to reach the century mark in a season since Texas
Tech moved to a spread offense prior to the 2000 campaign. Brooks is one of
eight Red Raiders in program history now to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
