Joey McGuire got a red Corvette for his recent birthday, and a seemingly innocent detail actually highlights one of the core facets of the Red Raiders' defensive mentality.
While he is gearing up to lead Texas Tech back to the biggest stages in college football, coach Joey McGuire took a break over the weekend to celebrate his 55th birthday.
Part of these festivities included being gifted a brand-new red Corvette from his wife Debbie, which included a custom license plate that showcased the Double T logo alongside the phrase 'TAKE3.'
It is undoubtedly a lavish ride and the leader of the Red Raiders will be able to make his way around Lubbock in style, but what is the meaning behind the cryptic plate?
Here at RedRaiderRoundtable.com, we reached out to McGuire to find out the answer to that question.
Initially, our thought was that the vanity plates "TAKE3'' that it paid homage to the three stops McGuire has made in his coaching journey, Texas high school football, Baylor and now at Texas Tech.
And after we joked with the coach that he's a little too young to be suffering from a midlife crisis ...
McGuire revealed the meaning is solely tied to the Red Raiders and their one of their prime focuses heading into arguably the most pivotal season in program history.
"Defense trying to create three turnovers," wrote McGuire in response to our inquiry.
And this squad of Red Raiders definitely has the skills to make that more than just a cheeky license plate slogan.
Last year showcased the transformation McGuire and defensive coordinator Shiel Wood have implemented inside the program after turning the notoriously offense-minded Texas Tech into a defensive juggernaut.
The Red Raiders racked up 32 combined takeaways last season, which running some quick math comes out to around two and a half per outing.
That puts into perspective just how daunting the goal set by McGuire is.
Obviously if the team gets two turnovers in a game, the coach will still undoubtedly be excited, but his expectations for what this latest group can accomplish is leaps above last year.
Losing out on Jacob Rodriguez, who seemed to find a way to account for one of these takeaways every game, is a blow. However, Texas Tech has others with a proven track record of finding their way to the ball and a few others looking to enter their name into the mix.
Stellar corner Brice Pollock snagged five interceptions alone this prior season to shoot up the Big 12 and national rankings, and he is suiting up again with hopes of becoming the undisputed leader.
Linebacker duo Ben Roberts and John Curry had their shining moments even with Rodriguez working his magic, as the pair accounted for four picks and three recovered fumbles.
Standing alongside transfer Austin Romaine, the trio will be a main part of McGuire's turnover standard.
Not even mentioning preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year A.J. Holmes Jr. up front. And the list goes on and on of potential weapons Texas Tech has all over the field.
What started out as a simple phrase on a fancy birthday gift could become the identity of a Texas Tech program looking to cement its status as one of the sport's newest heavy-hitters.
