Getting to know the high-scoring Red Raiders

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury calls a play from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury calls a play from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Put on your sunglasses and get ready to see some offensive fireworks. Texas Tech and coach Kliff Kingsbury are coming to Kansas this weekend.

Seven days after facing a deadly Baylor offense, the Jayhawks (0-5 overall, 0-2 Big 12) will have to deal with another point-scoring machine — even if Kingsbury, whom David Beaty ranks among the top five humans he knows, decides not to pile on in the second half.

Texas Tech arrives in Lawrence averaging 52.7 points per game, which ranks only behind Baylor (64.2) in the nation. Plus, the Red Raiders are more pass-happy than the Bears and have the top-ranked passing offense (439.0 yards per game).

The Red Raiders — 15-1 all-time versus Kansas, including a 6-0 mark at Memorial Stadium — rarely have had trouble with the Jayhawks, and Saturday doesn’t figure to be any different. Texas Tech has won eight straight in the series, by an average of 18.3 points.

Last week against Iowa State, another struggling Big 12 team in 2015, Tech set a school record with 776 yards of offense (515 passing, 261 rushing) in a 66-31 drubbing. The Red Raiders (4-2 overall, 1-2 Big 12) even scored 52 points in a three-point loss to TCU.

So, once again, there are plenty of guys lining up across from Kansas about whom the Jayhawks should be worried.

FIVE RED RAIDERS TO WATCH

No. 11: WR Jakeem Grant | 5-6, 169, sr.

In this Sept. 26, 2015, file photo, Texas Tech wide receiver Jakeem Grant (11) runs in for a touchdown after a reception in the first half of an NCAA college football game against TCU in Lubbock, Texas. Baylor, West Virginia, Texas Tech and TCU all have a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver. The rest of the power-five conferences have only one such team, plus Notre Dame.(AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

• The smallest man on the football field Saturday might also be the most dangerous one. Five-foot-six receiver extraordinaire Jakeem Grant averages 7.3 catches a game (No. 15 in the country) and 108.0 receiving yards per game (No. 10 nationally).

• The Red Raiders like to get creative and get the ball in his hands in as many ways as possible. Grant averages 14.7 yards per catch and 16.9 yards per touch.

• Grant has thrown a TD pass, returned a kickoff for a TD, rushed for a TD and, of course, caught a TD.

• With so many ways to burn defenses, Grant leads the Big 12 with 174.83 all-purpose yards per game.

• His three career kickoff returns for TDs make him Tech’s all-time leader in that category.

• Last week, Grant caught a 75-yard TD pass against Iowa State.

• KU defensive coordinator Clint Bowen said he’s more worried about Grant than any other Red Raider this week.

No. 5: QB Patrick Mahomes II | 6-3, 221, soph.

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) throws a long touchdown pass to wide receiver Zach Austin under pressure from Baylor defensive end Jamal Palmer (92) in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Through the first 10 starts of his developing career, sophomore quarterback Patrick Mahomes II has lit up opposing defenses, throwing for 3,692 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

• This season, which is going far better than 2014 (4-8) for Tech, has a lot to do with its QB. Mahomes has thrown for 2,264 passing yards and completed 167 of 257 passes and 19 touchdowns through six games..

• What’s more, the QB has rushed for 205 yards on 34 attempts — with a team-leading six touchdowns.

• In torching Iowa State, he completed 33 of 46 passes for 428 yards and five touchdowns. Mahomes threw for 371 yards on 24 completions before halftime.

• Beaty compared him to Texas A&M Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.

• Though Tech was known for its huge passing numbers in the first 10 years of this century, Mahomes compares favorably through the first 10 starts of his career with the most prominent Red Raiders from that era — both his coach, Kingsbury (2,858 yards, 19 TDs, 13 INTs), and Graham Harrell (3,507 yards, 32 TDs, 9 INTs).

• Mahomes is the only Red Raider QB since 2000 to throw for four or more touchdowns in six of his first 10 starts.

No. 21: RB DeAndre Washington | 5-8, 198, sr.

In this Nov. 29, 2014, file photo, Texas Tech running back DeAndre Washington carries the ball against Baylor in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas. Baylor, West Virginia, Texas Tech and TCU all have a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver. The rest of the power-five conferences have only one such team, plus Notre Dame. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp, File)

• Tech’s primary rusher, senior back DeAndre Washington is well on hhis way to a 1,000-yard season, with 586 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

• As one might expect out of a Red Raiders RB, Washington also gets involved in the passing game. His 18 catches rank second on the team behind Grant, but Washington’s receptions don’t tend to be especially explosive. He’s averaging 8.8 yards a catch, which is ninth among Tech players with at least 10 grabs. He also has 1 TD catch this season.

• Washington’s 7.1 yards per carry rank 11th in the nation.

• The team captain already has two 100-yard rushing games this season: 188 versus TCU and 138 against UTEP.

• Rushed for 4 touchdowns against TCU, a career high.

• Picked up the longest reception of his career on a 49-yard TD — via a screen pass from Mahomes — last week vs. Iowa State.

No. 40: LB Dakota Allen | 6-2, 234, fresh.

• Tech’s leading tackler on defense, red-shirt freshman linebacker Dakota Allen has a team-best 34 solo tackles to go with the 24 on which he has assisted.

• Coming a bit out of nowhere this season, the first-year defender leads the Big 12 with 9.7 tackles a game, which ranks 20th in the nation.

• Against Baylor, in his second career start, Allen went for a career-high 13 tackles.

• Allen had 3.0 tackles for loss, a pass break-up and a QB hurry this season, too.

No. 3: S J.J. Gaines | 6-0, 179, sr.

• With a pair of interceptions last week against Iowa State, safety J.J. Gaines now has 4 takeaways in the air this season.

• When Gaines picked off a pass earlier this year against Sam Houston State, he took it 47 yards the other way for a touchdown.

• The defensive back has 34 tackles this season. Four came in a loss to Baylor, during which he also picked off Bears QB Seth Russell.

• Gaines also has a pass breakup and a fumble recovery this fall.

• Now with 8 interceptions in his career, Gaines needs 1 more to enter Texas Tech’s all-time top 10.