Texas Tech had a wonderful run under former coach Mike Leach from 2000 through 2009. The Red Raiders went to a bowl game all 10 years that Leach was in charge including the pinnacle under Leach in 2008. Leach was fired before the end of the 2009 season with Tommy Tuberville coming in for the three years. Texas Tech was mediocre under Tuberville, but he was never comfortable without a full complement of his players. In 3 years, Tuberville went 20-17 overall. Let's take a look at the change that occurred in 2013.

2013 Texas Tech Red Raiders Season

2013 was a monumental year for Texas Tech. After Tommy Tuberville's mysterious departure left Tech without a coach, they quickly hired Kliff Kingsbury, a former Texas Tech quarterback and successful offensive coordinator.

Big things were expected in Lubbock, as Tuberville left a talented roster and Kingsbury had engineered high-powered offenses at both Houston and Texas A&M. He coached Johnny Manziel to a Heisman Trophy and he has an edge in recruiting thanks to his dashing looks and cool personality.

They reeled off seven straight victories to start the season, but then stumbled down the stretch and lost their final five regular season games. Their youth was exposed and their defense showed its old porous self after starting off fairly strong. The season ended on a high note, though, with a 37-23 thrashing of Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. After both Baker Mayfield had transferred, Davis Webb responded with four touchdown passes to lead the Red Raiders to a dominant showing.

Below is the entire 2013 schedule.

Offense

This year, Kingsbury & Co. hope to build on the successful bowl game. While Kingsbury's first recruiting class is not spectacular on paper (35th-ranked in the nation), it is very deep and has players that look to contribute right away, most notably Justin Stockton.

The speedy running back from San Antonio was a four-star recruit by ESPN.com and will be a weapon out of the backfield. He will most likely factor in the return game as well. Last year's leading rusher Kenny Williams has moved to strictly linebacker, leaving DeAndre Washington as the only guy on the roster with significant experience at running back. Washington and Stockton will share the carries, and both of them possess blazing speed that makes them a home run threat every time they touch the ball.

The quarterback position should be locked down considering Webb's breakout performance in the Holiday Bowl, but it is a big question mark as well. After Webb and true freshman recruit Patrick Mahomes, there is not another scholarship quarterback on the roster. Mahomes has the potential to be a very dynamic quarterback, but if Webb gets injured and Mahomes is thrown into the fire, it might not be pretty. However, if Webb stays healthy, he is going to put together a monster season. With another year of familiarity with Kingsbury's playbook under his belt and more practice time to improve his footwork and accuracy, he should be even better than last year.

Webb should have some very talented pass catchers to throw to as well. Last year's top two receivers, Jace Amaro and Eric Ward, are gone, but there are still plenty of adept receivers on the roster. Jakeem Grant is one of the quickest players in the country and is very versatile. Bradley Marquez is a very consistent and explosive outside receiver, while Reginald Davis and Derrek Edwards are primed to build on their huge potential and have big years.

Defense

Last year, the defense made a phenomenal improvement from the previous years. Tech has long been known as a pass happy team with a suspect defense, but defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt is doing his best to change that perception.

Jackson Richards returns as a force on the defensive line. He has recorded significant playing time in two seasons and he looks forward to a solid junior year. He is very versatile on the line, allowing Wallerstedt to move him around between defensive end, defensive tackle, and even nose guard depending on the situation. Junior defensive end Branden Jackson is arguably the best defensive lineman on the team, and will begin the season as a starting defensive end.

The Red Raiders have a solid linebacking crew as well and a decent secondary. They are very young, but they have a host of junior college transfers that Kingsbury hopes are ready to produce right away.

VJ Fehoko, whose older brother Sam played at Tech, was impressive in spring practice. He transferred from Utah after last year, and should be a starting inside linebacker.

Special Teams

Ryan Bustin will return and handle the kicking duties for the Red Raiders. He played very well last season, making 23-of-27 field goals. Punter Ryan Erxleben was a weapon last season, repeatedly downing the opponent deep in their own territory, but he graduated. Hopefully, his replacement can match his proficiency. Taylor Symmank appears to be the player in line to take over the punting duties.

2014 Season Outlook

The Big 12 took a step back last year, but people should expect them to rebound in 2014 to return to prominence. That means that Tech will play a pretty tough schedule, but it is by no means impossible to improve on last year's 8-5 record. Here is the 2014 schedule for Texas Tech.

Expect the Red Raider offense to be even more explosive that last year. Webb is going to have a breakout season and the skill players have enough speed to make big plays on a regular basis. The defense is going to have struggle at times, but they will force enough turnovers and enforce a bend-but-don't-break mentality that will coincide well with the up-tempo offensive attack.

Here are three bold predictions and a prediction of the Texas Tech final record. The first bold prediction is Davis Webb will throw for more than 4,000 yards. Second, he offense will average more than 35 points per game (they averaged 35.8 in 2013). The third bold prediction is Jakeem Grant will lead the Big 12 in receptions. Finally, the Texas Tech final record will be 9-3 for 2014.

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About the author
Heath Clary
I am a sports columnist and blogger. I mostly write about the MLB and college football, but I do a little of everything