By Wendell Barnhouse
Big12Sports.com Correspondent

2014 record: 4-8 overall, 2-7 in Big 12.

Returning starters: 9 on offense, 8 on defense.

Top players returning: Junior QB Davis Webb, sophomore QB Patrick Mahomes, senior RB DeAndre Washington, junior WR Reginald Davis, senior WR Jakeem Grant, senior OT Le'Raven Clark, senior DE Pete Robertson, senior LB Micah Awe, senior S J.J. Gaines.

Key players to replace: WR Bradley Marquez, RB/LB Kenny Williams, LB Sam Eguavoen, OL Reshod Fortenbery, K Ryan Bustin.

Spring review
Texas Tech returns 97 percent of its passing and rushing production and 75 percent of its receiving production from last season. The problem for the Red Raiders last season wasn't on the offensive side.

Restoring winning ways in Lubbock this season will likely come down to improvements on defense – being coordinated by the seventh different coach in the last seven seasons – plus elimination of penalties and mistakes that contributed mightily to last season's disappointment.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury, going into his third season, hired David Gibbs from Houston to fix the Red Raiders' defensive issues. Texas Tech finished last in scoring defense and next to last in total defense. Gibbs' defensive scheme is known for forcing turnovers.

"He's a coach that's seen a lot, been through a lot," Kingsbury said. "He's an incredible teacher because he never freaks. He's always instructing, always coaching in a calm manner, which the players understand and the players gravitate towards."

While Texas Tech figures to have plenty of offensive weapons. What didn't get resolved during the spring was the starting quarterback. Junior Davis Webb is now healthy after surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. Sophomore Patrick Mahomes, who took over last season for an injured Webb and posted some impressive numbers.

Kingsbury said that the competition to become the starter will extend into preseason practice in August.

"There's no real easy answers on a quarterback competition," Kingsbury said. "As a coach, all you can do is try to make both guys the best player they can possibly be."

Quick slants
Because of off-season renovations at Jones AT&T Stadium, Texas Tech didn't have a spring game. The team held a scrimmage in Midland that served as a spring game. Texas Tech also spaced its 15 spring workouts from Feb. 28 to April 8 to work around the schedule of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who also is on the Red Raiders baseball team.

Texas Tech was last in the Big 12 in rushing defense. The new 4-3 scheme is expected to help stuff opponents' running games but a big key to the new alignment will be the linebackers. Mike Mitchell, a transfer from Ohio State, is expected to make an impact as an outside linebacker while Micah Awe was impressive during the spring at middle linebacker.

DeAndre Washington became Texas Tech's first 1,000-yard rusher since 1998 when he gained 1,103 yards last season. He has lofty goals for his senior season. Washington wants to rush for at least 1,500 yards in 2015. "Anything's possible," Washington said. "Fifteen hundred is just the bare minimum."

Coach Kliff Kingsbury on …
Quarterback depth with Davis Webb and Patrick Mahomes competing for the starting job:
"That would probably be one of our strong points to this point. You have two guys who have done some really impressive things, when you're talking about statistically. But guys have played well at times and have game experience. There are not a lot of teams in the league that have two guys that have played as much as the two we have."

Eliminating mistakes (turnovers and penalties):
"I've seen more of an emphasis. I think as a team, taking more pride in it. As a team, it can't be coaches yelling all the time. They have to own it. If they want to have a successful season, they'll get it figured out. That's what's been killing us the last couple of years. Coaches can yell and scream all they want, but at some point as a team, they have to take ownership."

The team's approach to spring practice and the off-season:
"I think we're just laying low right now. When you go 4-8, you've got to know when to lay low. We're grinding. We're working hard and our team has done a good job of keeping their mouth shut and just working hard and getting done what we need to get done."

2015 Schedule

Sept. 5	Sam Houston State
Sept. 12	UTEP
Sept. 19	at Arkansas
Sept. 26	TCU*
Oct. 3	Baylor* (at Arlington, Texas)
Oct. 10	Iowa State*
Oct. 17	at Kansas*
Oct. 24	at Oklahoma*
Oct. 31	Oklahoma State*
Nov. 7	at West Virginia*
Nov. 14	Kansas State*
Nov. 26	at Texas*

*- Conference game.