SB Nation - Jamar Wall

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 11.24.09

Seth C — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:57:10 -0000

There's a Chance: There's a slight chance that I'm going to be able to secure a parking pass in the tailgate lot. I don't have many details just yet and there's also the detail of acquiring tickets, but if I can make this happen, we'll have a huge DTN blowout.

Congrats! A huge congratulations in order for the women's cross-country team that had it's best finish ever, finishing 4th over all at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. A huge accomplishment and a DTN tip-of-the-cap to all of these incredible athletes.

A Profit: LAJ's Don Williams writes that the football program will gross (notice that this isn't a net) $1.6 million from Saturday's game with Baylor, although the thought is that this type of revenue could be had every year if the game sells out, here's the athletic department's CFO Bobby Gleason:

"If you can get that $1.6 million, it’s equivalent to getting that every year instead of every other year,’’ said Gleason, Tech senior associate athletic director and chief financial officer. "It certainly helps financially this year.’’

Sticking with Nick: DT's Alex Ybarra writes that head captain Mike Leach is sticking with "Nick", i.e. QB Taylor Potts for the time being:

"We’ll stick with Nick for now," he said. "Potts will be Nick, and we’ll just leave it at that and see how that goes for a while."

And Potts understands that no matter his role, he must stay focused:

"If I’m not starting," he said, "coach pulls me or whatever — It’s my responsibility to this team to stay focused and to stay with it and keep my head in the game and not just lose it."

Playing D: FWST's Dwain Price writes that Texas Tech can play defense too and has some other notebook items. Here's CB Jamar Wall:

"We’ve always been in the offense’s shadow," said left cornerback Jamar Wall. "But it’s something that we don’t worry ourselves about because we know, obviously, if we don’t do great they couldn’t win without us.

"So we just focus on what we can control, and that’s causing turnovers and keeping guys from scoring and just playing our best."

Price also writes from his blog that Leach has no sympathy for Art Briles and Baylor for losing Robert Griffin for the year:

"I have no sympathy whatsoever,'' Leach said, referring to Baylor's loss of Griffin. "I’ve played three guys this season."

Football Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams has his standard football notebook with Leach being pleased with WR Alexander Torres:

"Right now, he’s playing as good as any of our receivers and had a good game last game," Tech coach Mike Leach said Monday. "He was one cut away from having probably 200 yards receiving. Part of it is because he does what he’s coached. He’s a tough guy who does what he’s coached to do and doesn’t regress. Once he makes some progress he doesn’t really lose ground, ever."

. . . someone asked Leach about motion (I mentioned this on Sunday morning in PGT) and Leach agreed that this is something that was new on Saturday:

"We motioned a little more than we had been," Leach said. "We’d been messing with it for a while and hadn’t really broken it out. But we kind of liked some things we’d been doing in practice, so yeah, had a little more motion."

Baylor Bear and Big 12 Links: LAJ's Adam Zuvanich has a ton of good Big 12 notes, including Leach defending Kansas coach Mark Mangino (why is this just in the blog and I'd love to know whether or not this makes the paper):

"Nobody truly knows what went on in Kansas, but my suspicion is Mark’s in the middle of a witchhunt, which is unjustified," said Leach, who coached with Mangino at Oklahoma in 1999. "Heaven forbid somebody should ask a guy to pay attention, focus in and for the sake of all his teammates and coaches and everybody else, pay attention. Well, there’s different ways to ask a guy to do that, and sometimes after you’ve asked them a number of times, you raise the bar.

"And then the interesting thing to me is all this murmuring went from, ‘He hit some guy in the face,’ to, ‘Well, he didn’t even touch anybody, but he just said mean things to him. The mean man told some player something he didnt’ want to hear.’ Well, you know, there’s a mean man in Lubbock that tells people stuff they don’t want to hear, too, and it’s just part of it."

. . . TR's dedfischer with an excellent look at how the Red Raiders play not just on 3rd downs, but on the downs in-between (this is a must read) . . . LAJ's Adam Zuvanich writes that the in-state universities crank up the rivalries . . .

Game Tonight: Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
Television: TTSN and ESPN360 :: Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Johnson Coliseum, Nacogdoches, TX
Preview and Game Day Thread: Scheduled for 5:00 p.m. post

Ending Road Woes: LAJ's Courtney Linehan and DT's Mike Graham write that the basketball team is hoping to show that they can get a win on the road tonight (from Graham's article):

"If you plan on being anywhere in the postseason, it’s the guys who take care of the home floor and can win some games on the road," he said. "It’s going to be tough. We haven’t beat a Southland opponent on the road yet. It’d be nice to get wins on the road again — we have to. If we don’t start winning on the road, we’re just not going to do anything in the postseason."

And F D`Walyn Roberts hopes his team is focused and play like they're at home (from Linehan's article):

"We’ve got to get our first road win; we haven’t gotten one in a long time," junior forward D’wayln Roberts said. "We’ve got to be real focused, play like we do at home, and we’ll win."

10 Players Signed: The Texas Tech baseball program announced that the staff has signed 10 student-athletes for the 2010-11 team. LAJ's George Watson has an excellent breakdown of the class and has this from head coach Dan Spencer:

"We’re really excited about the fact that we were able to get those young arms, and not just high school arms but a core group of young guys to build and back the classes we have now," Spencer said. "When you start those are the hardest to sign are those premium high school arms. And we’re finally to a point positionally where we’re able to be specific. We knew we wanted a catcher in the class and there was a good one right here in town and that worked out great. But we really like the quality of pitching we got."

Post Game Thoughts :: Oklahoma Sooners Edition

Seth C — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:27:43 -0000

by Sue Ogrocki - AP

about 1 month ago: Wearing a jersey with the name "Nick", Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts passes against Oklahoma in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach said the name was a nickname. Potts threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns as Texas Tech beat Oklahoma 41-13 on Saturday for its most lopsided win ever over the Sooners. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

View full size photo »

SBN Box Score :: TTU Box Score :: Post Game Quotes : Mike Leach and Players

The Result :: So Sweet: I had not even considered a blowout on the Texas Tech side of the ledger. It seemed to me that such a result was truly inconceivable, considering all of the factors that have caused this season to be somewhat of a disappointment were virtually non-existent for most, if not all of this game. Huge props goes to the Texas Tech defense who just out-hit the Sooner offense on Saturday. I get the feeling that they were not expecting the type of athlete and player that was on the field on Saturday.

And I've probably missed a ton of storylines, so help a brother out and give me your storyline from Saturday's win. Follow me after the jump for storylines on the game, including my crazy theory as to why Leach had a player going in motion for quite a bit of the game.

The Storylines ::

Going in Motion: I really will need to go back and look at the tape of the game, but it seemed to me that the Texas Tech offense was running a receiver in motion quite a bit during the game, except for formations where the Red Raiders had a 2-RB set. Football 101 says that one of the main reasons why you send a man in motion is to give the offense a clue as to whether or not the defense is in zone or man. When Texas Tech wasn't sending a man in motion, I thought that the 2-RB set received quite a bit of burn.

The basic premise here is that I think Leach wanted to make it as easy on QB Taylor Potts as possible. He wanted to make it as easy on "Nick" to make the right decision, which I believe he did, for most of the game. And on 53 attempts, Potts had one interception, all game long he took what the defense gave him, pushed the ball down the field, took some chances and played a helluva game.

And on a personal side, I love the fact that Potts had success against a big opponent. All of the comments about how Potts doesn't celebrate or know how to have fun didn't hold water yesterday as he seemed to be leading the charge. There's no doubt that Potts hasn't been perfect this year, but if you give him some time in the pocket, he can do some things.

Finally, RB Baron Batch had this to say about his quarterback:

"I’ve heard the fans boo him. I’ve heard people say get him out of there,’’ running back Baron Batch said. "It takes a tough, tough, tough person to be able to withstand all that and come out of that on top, and that’s what he’s done. I’m so proud of him for that. I don’t know how I would have responded in that situation. I don’t know how a lot of people would have responded. But he’s shown he’s mentally tough and he has a lot of heart."

O-Line and Running Backs: I don't know how you separate the two, especially in this game. The line certainly had their problems, especially late in the second half where the OU defense were bringing more than what the Texas Tech offense could hold (I think this was just after playing "Jump Around"). But there's no reason to criticize the offensive line this game. Potts was only sacked twice for the entire game and I cannot remember any negative plays for the running backs. There were two plays that stood out to me, which was RB Baron Batch first touchdown. LT Chris Olson had a tremendous block, blowing out the OU defender and the rest of the offensive line, including LG Lonnie Edwards completely caved in the rest of the OU defensive line. Batch walks into the endzone untouched. That play doesn't happen without Olson taking his man out of the play entirely.

The second play is RB Eric Stephen's touchdown that put Texas Tech up 40 to 13 and Stephens ran right between RT Marlon Winn and RG Brandon Carter for an easy score. Winn had this to say after the game about that run:

Asked about what memory he’ll take from senior day, tackle Marlon Winn said, "Just that last drive, that last touchdown. Stephens comes in, and he runs it between me and (guard) Brandon Carter.
"We worked hard for five years, and for that to be the last play in the Jones our senior year, it was amazing. Great thing.’’

Touching Gesture: I feel comfortable enough with you guys to let you know that I almost shed a man tear when it was known that DE Rajon Henley would not be wearing his traditional number, but instead wore #40 in honor of DB Nathan Stone, a walk-on from Lubbock, who worked his way up the depth chart to see significant time early this season. Stone's season ended early with an undiclosed neck injury and although I don't know all of the details, I have heard that Stone is fine, but will never be able to play football again. You could call it a silly gesture, but I take great pride in the type of men that this Texas Tech football program produces. There will always be some bad apples, but there's a ton of solid citizens amongst this group. WR Alexander Torres and DE Brandon Sharpe had this to say about this after the game:

BRANDON SHARPE: That's real nice, you know. Somebody else was supposed to wear Sandy Riley's jersey. But I think it was a late time to ask for it and stuff but it was really an inspiration, you know, just to see him have a heart like that. To share his playing time with another playing on the team. You saw how close we can be, and we are.
ALEX TORRES: Like he said, it's one of those things that it's great to see that out there. And I know Nate appreciates it. It kind of goes to show what a family we are as a team and how much we care about one another to be able to give them a shot to see his jersey out there one last time on Senior Day and everything. I thought it was really uplifting, and I hope Nate appreciated that, which I'm sure he does.

Here's Your Run Stuffing Defense: Seriously. 26 carries and 48 yards. Sure, that figure includes 3 sacks for 30 yards, but son of a gun, that Texas Tech front 7 was simply outstanding. This may have been as well-rounded an effort as you'll see. To say that the front 7 dominated on Saturday would be an understatement. The defensive line did a tremendous job of holding their blocks to allow the linebackers to make tackles, as LB Brian Duncan led the team with 6 tackles and LB Marlon Williams had 5 tackles, including 1 TFL. The pressure that DE's Brandon Sharpe, Daniel Howard and Rajon Henley brought all game was tremendous, although I think that to not give credit to the tackles would be a mistake in this game. DT's Colby Whitlock and Richard Jones played big and I think Jones goes unnoticed sometimes, but he's as solid a defensive tackle that you'll see.

And although the defense will lose these pass-rushers mentioned above, I think it's interesting to see Sharpe talk about the fact that he essentially played one year, and with a little hard work, dedication, he's in a position to break the single-season sack record:

Oh, shoot, it means a lot, you know. I mean, hopefully I can finish up with a little bit more, break it and keep going with it and stuff for these last few games we've got. I hope to have my name sitting here with the sack list and stuff. So the people that's coming in next year are going to look forward to having something to do, something to work for, you know.

Torres Big Day: I've secretly had my doubts as to whether or not WR Alexander Torres could have a big day. Torres finished the day with 10 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown. Torres replaced Crabtree and I've wondered whether or not Torres could effectively replace the play-making ability of Crabtree. And that's an incredibly tough thing to do. I thought during the game that as a fanbase, we certainly give Graham Harrell quiet a bit of credit for the work he did last year, but Harrell also had the luxury of having the absolute best wide receiver in the country for 2 years running. I was trying to remember the last time that I saw a wide-receiver slant for a touchdown, something that Red Raider fans saw so frequently last year. The offense has and will be fine, but there was something special about the offense the past 2 seasons and that's a tough thing to have to remember life before Crabtree. Under previous years, it was guys like Torres who were making big plays out of seemingly nothing. Torres huge 65 yard receiption was all Torres. It was Torres knowing that the defensive back was overplaying the ball, that Torres didn't have anyone behind him and if he could quickly turn the route up field, he'd have a huge play. That's exactly what happened. I'm impressed and surprised that Torres has been a spokesperson for the offensive side of the team for a good part of the season. Leach hand-picks these guys and although Torres is merely a redshirt freshman, he knows exactly what to say:

Yeah, that whole play just happened to be a great check by pots. He gave me a quick route that told me to get my head around real fast. And like I do in practice and Coach Leach preaches all the time, the receivers coach, Lincoln and Dennis preach all the time. Catch the ball, turn and go straight up field. That's all I did. It wasn't really a special play on my part. All I did was do what I've been coached to to do. It was just a great check by Potts being able to see the defense and read that.

Passing Spikes: It was tremendous to see former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes honored the way that he was. The day could not have been better for Dykes and I'm of the opinion that all that Dykes would love to see, whether it's breaking his all-time wins record at Texas Tech or some other significant event, would be for the Red Raiders to win. Dykes is as humble, gracious and conversational as they come and it's a shame that he's not in the limelight more than he is. Dykes probably wants it that way and I can certainly appreciate that. Leach didn't get choked up like he did after the Kansas game, but he knows the importance of Dykes to himself and to the program:

It means a lot. We've kind of hashed over it a little bit. Got the opportunity to see Coach Dykes in the locker room. One of the greatest coaches of all time in my opinion, and who really was instrumental in building this program and being a part of his legacy is a real honor for me.

Defensive Takeaways: I found the statistic that Texas Tech has the nation's longest takeaway streak at 26 (or 28, I can't remember) and it's no coincidence that Ruffin McNeill has been in charge of the defense for 31 games. This is a short storyline, but it's a shout-out to McNeill and the job he's done. I always get the feeling that McNeill knows exactly how he wants to play, but he's got to have the players to do it first. Give him time and I think he's going to be pretty damned good.

The Offensive Co-MVP's :: QB Taylor Potts and RB Baron Batch: You could probably have quite a few candidates and not be wrong for an MVP, but the way that Potts threw the ball (35-53 : 388 yards : 1 INT : 2 TD) and the way that Batch ran and caught the ball (25 carries : 136 yards : 2 TD // 7 receptions : 68 yards) was something special.

The Defensive Co-MVP's :: CB Jamar Wall and DE Brandon Sharpe: The pass defense again looks outstanding and lots of credit goes to both Sharpe for the pressure on the quarterback and for Wall for his pressure on receivers. Sharpe finished with 4 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Wall had 4 tackles, 4 passes-broken-up and 1 interception.

The Special Teams Co-MVP's :: PK Matthew Williams and Donnie Carona: Carona had 8 kickoffs and put 5 of them back for touchbacks. Texas Tech needs more of this because to not even give the offense the ability to return puts the offense in a hole. Williams is going unnoticed, me included, because he's doing his job. They were short field goals, but he made them both, along with his extra points.

Quarterbacks, Defenses, Intangibles And Other Stuff About Texas Tech

ccmachine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:18:07 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

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Seth C, from SBN's Texas Tech site Double T Nation, is aboard the Machine today to give a fan's perspective on this weekend's opponent. We've seen crazy things happen in Lubbock during Oklahoma's last two trips there and now a team that's been snake bitten over and over this season travels to play in the Twilight Zone.

CC Machine: Tell us about the quarterback situation at Tech. What's going on between Potts and Leach and how healthy is Sheffield? Who should we expect to see Saturday morning?

Seth C: Leach mentioned earlier this week that he regrets pulling Taylor Potts out and putting in an injured Steven Sheffield. Sheffield was clearly not ready to go and despite his early season magic, without an offensive line that will adequately protect him, he's simply not as effective as when he had an ankle that wasn't broken. To answer your question, I think you'll see Taylor Potts for the entire game on Saturday, barring an injury. If Potts is injured during the game, I think Leach will probably turn to redshirt freshman Seth Doege.

CC Machine: The Red Raiders are dead last in the conference in rushing. Is that because of inability or is it just pass-happy game planning?

Seth C: The rushing numbers do look abysmal this year and there's lots of reasons why those number don't look so good. I mentioned this in my Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose as Texas Tech has lost a total of 283 yards to sacks this year. Compare that with 2008 where the Texas Tech offensive line gave up a total of 113 yards for the year. I'd also add that the line is giving up 2.7 sacks a game and to do the math quickly, that's a little over 10 yards a sack. That will hurt a running game quickly. I'd also add that Texas Tech is only averaging about 2 attempts less than last year, so it's not as if the running game has changed dramatically. The offensive line has also struggled in replacing 3 starters from last year, and despite thoughts that the team would have no issues replacing those guys (I'm sure that Sooner fans can relate), there has been consistency issues along the line. For the first time, in quite some time, the offensive line is starting the same unit for what appears to be 3 consecutive games and there's the thought that that consistency will pay off a bit with an improved running game this week.

CC Machine: This game features the Big 12's top passing attack against the conference's best pass defense. Share some intangibles that could work for and against Texas Tech in this matchup.

Seth C: If there's one intangible I'm counting on this week, it's the fact that the receiving corp is littered with guys who have the potential to make plays. The previous two years, it was a one-man-show with Crabtree and this year, it's really been a combination of guys who have stepped up at various points of the season to lead the team in receiving. Conversely, you could say that having a lead receiver generally means that you've got at least one player that an opposing defensive coordinator has to account for during the game. The fact that there are 10 players with 17 or more catches for the year should demonstrate that it's not just one guy. I also keep thinking that the running backs are due for a break-out game catching the ball out of the backfield. Last week, the passes to the running backs were telegraphed and just didn't work. I'm hoping like hell that Potts and Leach make a determination if they need to stay in for pass protection, and if not, then get those guys in open space, especially Baron Batch.

CC Machine: How in the world did this team lose 52-30 to A&M?

Seth C: For me, it was the defense and this is really symptomatic of the entire season. Quarterbacks who have the ability to scramble for first downs have had quite a bit of success against Texas Tech. Whether it be Case Keenum, Jerrod Johnson or Zac Robinson, all three guys were more than capable of seeing that the Texas Tech defense was dropping all but the front four into coverage, leaving huge chunks of yards for the quarterback to easily get first downs. Third down conversion rates for Texas Tech's four losses are 50.00% (Texas); 52.63% (Houston); 57.14% (Texas A&M); and 50.00% (Oklahoma St.). There's also something to be said for the fact that DE Brandon Sharpe hardly played against Texas A&M and he is Texas Tech's best pass rusher. I don't think he would have made a huge difference, but he's still a big part of getting to the quarterback and not having him hurt some.

CC Machine: When it comes to Texas Tech football most people immediately think of the fast paced spread offensive attack. However, Tech has made significant strides of the defensive side of the ball the last two years. Tell us about some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Red Raider defense.

Seth C: The biggest strength lies in the pass defense, and really all facets of pass defense. The Red Raiders are tied with the Sooners for 2nd in the nation in sacks. This is in large part credit to the defensive ends, including the aforementioned Brandon Sharpe, Daniel Howard and Rajon Henley. All guys play with fairly high motors and I think that's been a big key to their success, aside from being talented, in that they are all hard workers. I also think the entire secondary has done a pretty good job of not giving up many big plays (this again goes back to playing it safe, typically in a cover-2 scheme) and the cornerbacks have been really good. The unit is 3rd in the Big 12 in passes defended at a little over 6 a game. The biggest difference has been an increase in overall athleticism across the board. I think the safeties, Cody Davis and Franklin Mitchem, are overall more athletic than their predecessors and corners Jamar Wall and LaRon Moore have been much better at defending the pass. Fortunately for Oklahoma, it looks as if the hit that laid out OSU's Zac Robinson will keep Wall out for this weekend's game.

Gameday Buff Bites - Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Colorado Buffaloes

irish1611 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:21:47 -0000

Sorry the site has been a little slow this past week. Something about the combination of the Colorado Buffaloes being 3 - 7 and working 12 hours a day has killed the creative juices until this point in the week. The game thread will be live tonight at 5:30 pm in time for kickoff.

Here is what is going on around the web:

Woelk: Time for Buffs to play like they have nothing to lose - Boulder Daily Camera

Rather, what the Buffs must accomplish tonight is simple: prove to themselves -- not to their fans, not the media, not the nation -- that they can go on the road and play a competitive game against a Big 12 foe.

Paige: Shanahan to CU is fun banter, but not reality - The Denver Post

A high-ranking official at CU, who would not be named, asked me: "You know Shana- han well. Would he come to CU?" I think: Shanahan wouldn't go to CU, he much prefers the NFL, and CU won't pursue him. I also believe Hawkins will be given one more season. But, if Shanahan did coach the Buffaloes instead of Buffalo, he would be elected to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame twice.

About That Colorado Job - Inside USC with Scott Wolf

Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates would not respond to that previously posted Internet report that said he could be a candidate at Colorado if Dan Hawkins is fired. ``I've learned being a coach's son you can't look ahead,'' Bates said. Colorado is currently 86th in the nation on third-down conversions but that is superior to USC's 100th.

Behind Enemy Lines: Colorado | OSU Cowboys Sports Blog

Brandon Chatmon: It appears Hawkins in on the hot seat. How hot is it?
Tom Kensler: Scalding. At this point, the feeling is that Colorado could win big over Oklahoma State (unlikely) and Nebraska, and that still might not be enough to save Hawkins’ job. The momentum against him seems irreversible.

Boise State fans should be pulling for Hawkins, Colorado on Thursday | Voices.IdahoStatesman.com

Oklahoma State could be the biggest obstacle to Boise State getting selected for a BCS game. The Cowboys have made just one appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, a 16-6 victory against BYU in 1974 so their fans are no doubt itching to get to a BCS game.

Robinson's backup getting reps at Oklahoma State practices - Sporting News

While there has been no official announcement about whether QB Zac Robinson will play in Saturday night's home finale against Colorado, reports have surfaced that Alex Cate has been taking most of the snaps in the Cowboys' closed practices. Robinson was knocked out of Saturday's game against Texas Tech by a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit from cornerback Jamar Wall, In addition to a suspected concussion, sources have told The Oklahoman that Robinson also is dealing with a sore throwing shoulder

Brooks: Buffs Say Focus Where It Should Be - CUBuffs.com

Dan Hawkins continues to say he has enough administrative support to return as head coach in 2010. His players continue to say they back him. "I'm with him," sophomore receiver Markques Simas said. "He and coach (Eric) Kiesau are the reasons I came to Colorado."

Buffs: Plenty of motivation - The Longmont Times-Call

"I’m playing for myself right now," said cornerback Jalil Brown, who’ll be a fifth-year senior next year. "Well, the team as well, but I look at it like I’m an athlete and I came to college to play football. "I’m trying to keep that (the coaches’ futures) in the background. I’m not trying to focus on that; that won’t help at all. We won’t know about that until after the season is over."

much more after the jump

What to watch for in the Big 12, Week 12 - College Football Nation Blog - ESPN

Colorado responds to its role as a spoiler: The Buffaloes are the only Big 12 team without any bowl hopes heading into this week's games. Dan Hawkins predicted before the season that his team would "win 10 games with no excuses." That dream has long been dashed, but can the Buffaloes ruin Oklahoma State’s BCS at-large hopes before a national television audience? In order to do so, they will have to play their best game of the season.

Weekend Forecast: Title chase takes backstage to rivalry games - USATODAY.com

No. 13 Oklahoma State vs. Colorado, 7:30 p.m. (Thursday) Zac Robinson's uncertain status leaves the Cowboys potentially inexperienced at quarterback. Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins will take any advantage as he can while he fights to save his job. Oklahoma State 26, Colorado 16.

‘09 CU signee Moten coming aboard | All Things Colorado Sports

Good news for whoever the Colorado football coach is next season. Josh Moten, a 6-foot, 180-pound quarterback and member of Colorado’s 2009 recruiting class, told Scout.com that he finally has been accepted by the CU admissions office and expects to enroll for the spring semester. Moten starred in 2008 at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif., but failed to gain admittance, reportedly over questions about his college entrance exam.

Colorado men's basketball team must get better on glass - Boulder Daily Camera

Colorado struggled with its interior defense and was out-rebounded 32-25 by Texas Southern during an otherwise impressive 88-77 victory at the Coors Events Center. "We`ve just got to rebound the basketball. We`ve got to rebound the ball so we can get out in the open court," Buffs coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "We`re playing a dangerous game right now just trying to outscore people. We have to get some stops and rebound the basketball. We have to get better in those areas."

CU hoops 3-0 after win over Texas Southern - The Longmont Times-Call

Buffs don't feel heat that falls on Hawkins - The Denver Post

In an effort to reduce penalties tonight in Colorado's Big 12 game at No. 12 Oklahoma State, CU coach Dan Hawkins had some members of the program's operations staff wear striped shirts during practices this week. Yes, they threw flags. "I think it helped," Tyler Hansen said. "But it's funny, too. They'll throw a flag and we'll say, 'What? Are you kidding me?' But then coach Hawkins makes us pay for it by making us do up-downs or run."

Getting off the fence: Time for Hawkins to go | INDenverTimes

All necessary evils for the sake of the future. Keeping Hawkins just one more year would bolster the perception of CU football that is beginning to take hold nationally: These guys are cheap, ignorant or both. Human issues aside, the performance is just not there. A warm and loving 16-31 (Hawkins’ overall record) is still 16-31.

Brooks: Patience (And More) Link Simas, Clemons - CUBuffs.com

Markques Simas has learned the value of patience; Toney Clemons still is discovering it. There will come a time - spring practice first, then August camp, then the 2010 season - when they will be in the same huddle.

Buffs QB Hansen gets an eyeful of big hit on OSU's Robinson - The Denver Post

3. Can the Buffs avoid costly penalties? Colorado is battling Big 12 colleague Texas Tech for last among the 120 major-college teams in most penalties. But at least Texas Tech, with a 6-4 record, can overcome some of them. When CU shoots itself in the foot, it needs a wheelchair.

Tulsa World: OSU football: Class act
OSU seniors, combining for 407 career starts, savor unprecedented success

Colorado says credit fraud behind hundreds of football ticket sales - KDVR

University of Colorado police say stolen credit card numbers were used to buy more than 110 tickets to the Buffaloes' season opener.

Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Win ::Oklahoma Sooners Edition

Seth C — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:21 -0000

This weekly feature considers five reasons why Texas Tech will win and five reasons Texas Tech will lose to each opponent. Related: Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose ::Oklahoma Sooners Edition.

Reason #1 :: Desperation: I try hard not to claim that a particular team is any more desperate than the other, but I do believe, or perhaps I hope to believe that the Red Raiders realize the road in front of them. Win on Saturday and your team has quieted quite a few critics, your team becomes bowl eligible and you go into the last game of the season not playing desperate football. I would guess that the Sooners are playing desperate football too, but there's this hopeful thought that the fact that it's the seniors last game, that this team will make it happen.

Reason #2 :: Stopping the Run: I pointed out the other day that the Sooners are highly successful when they run the ball, but when they cannot get the ground game going, the Sooners tend to lose. I'm sure that Jones has the potential to be Texas Tech, but if it were me, I'd make him win the game. If the Red Raiders can stack to stop the run, limiting DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown to the type of yardage that they get in losses, which is about 100 yards a game, then consider that a success. In fact, the stats tell the same story for the Red Raiders. In wins, the defense only gives up 84 yards a game, but in losses, it's 210 yards on the ground. If there was ever a clear statistic to a Texas Tech victory, this might be it.

Reason #3 :: Despite the Offense: Despite all of the issues with the offense, whether it be inconsistent quarterback play, receivers dropping passes, the offensive line ushering defenders to the quarterback or running backs that may not run as hard as we'd like, but you're still talking about the #2 passing offense in the country and the #6 offense overall. I'll certainly grant you that the offense would be significantly better if the quarterbacks cut down all of the turnovers, but that's the key here. Despite certain parts of the offense, it's still getting done. The lowest point total for the year was last week against Oklahoma St. with 17 points. I'd be willing to be quit a bit of money that there's no way that the Sooners could or would really want to pull off the same type of gut-punching drives that the Cowboys did last week. Leach hardly cares about time of possession, but when your down close to 15 minutes to the opponent, you tend to think that if the Red Raiders had the ball more, Texas Tech would have scored.

Reason #4 :: Pressuring Jones: Sometimes when the Red Raiders do well in a certain category, I tend to discount that success and consider it an anomaly. I somewhat feel that way about the fact that the Red Raiders are 2nd in the nation in sacks. Perhaps I discounted the importance of having Brandon Sharpe, who if you recall wasn't available for the Texas game and was a shadow of himself during the Texas A&M game. That's 2 losses that you would think would have been closer had the Red Raiders had Sharpe's contributions. That's not to say that the workman-like effort produced by Daniel Howard isn't wholly appreciated and the pressure by Rajon Henley (1 sack last week) should create some true match-up problems for the Oklahoma offensive line. It's one thing to plan for just one defensive play-maker, but there should be plenty of contributions for Howard, Henley, Colby Whitlock, Richard Jones and possibly Bront Bird on Saturday.

Reason #5 :: Thank You: Edward Britton :: Austin Burns :: Shawn Byrnes :: Brandon Carter :: Ryan Hale :: Rajon Henley :: Daniel Howard :: Victor Hunter :: Richard Jones :: Jake Myatt :: Brent Nickerson :: Sandy Riley :: De'Shon Sanders :: Brandon Sharpe :: Jamar Wall :: Chris Wallace :: Marlon Williams :: Marlon Winn.

Monday’s Big 12 Football Thoughts

ccmachine — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:12:37 -0000

In taking a gander at the conference standings this morning and then the scores from Saturday I've come to the reality that the Big 12 is really bad. The best team in the North right now is Nebraska (two weeks ago it was Kansas State) who has a 21-point loss to the South's third place team and an ugly 2-point loss to Iowa State's JV team. Meanwhile, the second place team in the South (Oklahoma State) wouldn't be able to win Conference USA. It really is a year where there's Texas and then the other guys. A year after the experiencing quite possibly the best season in the history of the conference ten of the twelve teams have three losses or more. Congratulations, Texas you'll be champions of one of the worst seasons in the history of the conference.

Texas 47 - Baylor 14

The Longhorns reached 10 wins for ninth consecutive season by way of a blowout win. Up 40-0 at the half, Texas cruised through the second half scoring only on a defensive touchdown. With only Kansas and A&M (as well as the sacrificial bait from the north in the conference championship) in the way of a perfect season it looks as if Texas fans can start making their reservations for the BCS Championship.

Baylor must win out at A&M and against Tech to become bowl eligible.

Missouri 38 - Kansas State 10

Danario Alexander caught 10 passes for 200 yards and three scores to end Kansas State's run at the top of the Big 12 North. The good news for the Wildcats is that they still control their own destiny, somewhat, with a trip to Nebraska next week where the North champion will be decided. Nebraska's offense won't be as challenging as Missouri's but their defense much more so.

Colorado 10 - Iowa State 17

Don't look now but Iowa State is bowl eligible for the first time in three years. Paul Rhoads gets my vote for Big 12 Coach of the Year. Three second half turnovers helped guarantee that the Buffs won't be bowling this season and it may have written the end of the Dan Hawkins story in Boulder.

Nebraska 31 - Kansas 17

Next to Oklahoma the Jayhawks are my most disappointing team in the Big 12. I had them pegged to represent the North in the conference championship game and with Texas and Missouri waiting as the final two opponents there's at least a chance that they may not even qualify for the post season. How does that happen on a team with so much promise? At least Oklahoma had injuries to fall back on.

Texas A&M 10 - OU 65

I wasn't surprised at all that OU won this game but I was shocked at how quickly the game got out of control once the second quarter started. OU is now bowl eligible (only took 10 games) and the possibilities improve with each additional win. Holding the Big 12's top offense to just 10 points is quite an accomplishment.

Texas Tech 17 - Oklahoma State 24

This game actually took a backseat to the hit laid on Oklahoma State quarterback Zach Robinson by Jamar Wall. Most definitely the best hit of the week in the Big 12 if not in all of college football. Props to the Pokes for not choking it off and a memo to Mike Leach: Pick a quarterback and stick with him!

Sunday Buff Bites - 13 Days Until This Nightmare Is Over...Hopefully

irish1611 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:36:53 -0000

Woelk: Decision on Hawkins` future must come soon - Buffzone

It means that very soon, athletic director Mike Bohn and chancellor Phil DiStefano must come to a decision. Clearly, the program is nowhere close to where Bohn envisioned it being when he hired Hawkins. When Bohn managed to land one of the nation`s hottest young coaching prospects in December of 2005, he certainly never thought he`d be contemplating another change just four years later. Now such a decision is a distinct possibility. Today, I`m still not ready to say a change would be in the best interest of the program and the university. But, whatever decision is reached, it must be reached soon. After Saturday`s effort at Iowa State, waiting for the outcome of the last two games makes absolutely no sense. Bohn and DiStefano must sit down as soon as possible and examine the situation from every angle. Economics. Possible fallout from all sides. Recruiting. Next year`s schedule. Returning players. Then make a decision and move on. Let Hawkins know whether he`ll be here next year or not. If he`s going to be the head coach, make it known so he can begin to reassure recruits, contemplate staff changes and move on with business. If not, give him and his staff the opportunity to assess their futures. But whatever the decision, make it soon. Waiting will only increase the questions hanging over the program while doing nothing in terms of moving forward. Simply, a quick resolution is the only sensible solution.

Bowl ineligibility befalls Buffs - The Denver Post

Hawkins' problem is, in his fourth year, his team is going in the opposite direction of two rebuilding programs that beat him with first-year coaches. Paul Rhoads' Cyclones (6-5, 3-4) joined Kansas State in downing the Buffs at home. This time the nearly packed house of 43,208 stormed the field, celebrating bowl eligibility a year after going 2-10. Once again, offensive ineptitude on the road crippled Colorado. CU scored one touchdown against the second- worst defense in the league. That doubled its number of TDs in the past 10 quarters on the road to two.

CU Buffs bowl hopes end in another road wreck - Boulder Daily Camera

The signs are all there and they`re pointing toward a coaching change at Colorado. The football team isn`t playing well when it desperately needs to. Athletic director Mike Bohn, who just three months ago robustly defended head coach Dan Hawkins, turned away requests for comment after another loss Saturday.

Buffs lose 17-10 at Iowa State - The Denver Post

Lacking a killer instinct, Colorado (3-7, 2-4 Big 12) produced just three points — total — out of four possession inside the ISU 10-yard line, committed costly, careless penalties and set up Iowa State's third-quarter touchdown with a turnover. "We went from being one of the better teams in the red zone in the country to one of the worst," Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said.

Same old story for Buffs - The Longmont Times-Call

Hawkins, repeating another familiar line, said it just came down to a couple of plays. "Particularly with this group of guys, when you have a big play against you, there’s a huge momentum thing going on," Hawkins said. "We just have to be able to counter that a little bit better."

CU vs. Iowa State Game Quotes
Momentum thing, rhythm thing, confidence thing...blah, blah, blah, blah

On poor passing game
"On the first drive we had a couple of drops. You talk about that rhythm thing and that confidence thing and that momentum thing. A couple of drops on the first drive took us out of rhythm."

The Longmont Times-Call

From CU offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau: "The frustrating part is the turnovers and the penalties. We’re not getting outschemed. We know what they’re doing. If we eliminate turnovers and penalties, this is a completely different ball club." CU committed 11 penalties and three turnovers Saturday. CU was also 2-for-14 on third down conversions.

Bruising running game paves way for OSU - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
The Colorado Buffaloes next opponent, Oklahoma State, had a good win last night against Texas Tech but lost their starting quarterback in the process. Zac Robinson was hit hard late in the game and supposedly has a concussion.

One negative coming out of the game was an apparent concussion sustained by OSU quarterback Zac Robinson on a devastating hit by Tech cornerback Jamar Wall. With the Cowboys playing Thursday night against Colorado, it might be asking a lot for Robinson to return to action that soon. And Robinson was the key before his injury. He piled up a team-high 97 yards. Keith Toston added 78 and Kendall Hunter had his most impressive performance since returning from his foot injury with 70 tough yards on 17 carries.

Two key fumbles put Stewart in tough situation - The Denver Post

Stewart lost two fumbles, both coming at crucial times in the second half. His first turnover, on the Colorado 33-yard line, occurred early in the third quarter. That set up Iowa State's final touchdown and, ultimately, the Cyclones' winning score. The second turnover came at the end of a 7-yard run to the ISU 8 on a hit by safety David Sims, ending a CU threat early in the fourth quarter.

Givens' strange season takes another turn - The Longmont Times-Call

The strange season Bryce Givens is enduring in his redshirt freshman year at Colorado took another twist during Saturday’s 17-10 loss at Iowa State. Givens, making his first start Saturday since the Big 12 opener at Texas, was called for a personal foul during the third quarter for hitting an Iowa State pass rusher in the face as quarterback Tyler Hansen scrambled to the Cyclones’ 2 on first-and-goal. After Givens turned and said something to referee Tom Walker, Walker picked his flag up off the ground and tossed it high into the air to call a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalties gave CU a first-and-goal at the 39. The drive ended when kicker Aric Goodman missed from 42 yards. Coaches pulled Givens from the game and he did not return. Ryan Dannewitz took his place at right tackle.

ISU Football: Cyclones beat Colorado, become bowl eligible - The Des Moines Register

They reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2005 after a 17-10 win against Colorado before a boisterous 43,208 who held breaths as the Buffaloes tossed the ball around backwards on the final play before finally ending 69 yards from the end zone.

Go Cyclones - ISU bowl eligible after Colorado win

Iowa State beats Colorado 17-10 and Cyclones become bowl eligible - KansasCity.com

For some programs, reaching bowl eligibility is little more than a footnote. It’s a much bigger deal for Iowa State. Picked to finish last in the Big 12 North, the Cyclones can at least dream of their first bowl bid since 2005 after beating Colorado 17-10 on Saturday for their sixth win.

CU players say they`ll play for pride - Boulder Daily Camera

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 11.14.09

Seth C — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:29:09 -0000

Week 11 NCAA Football Buffet: Previewing All The Games Worth Consuming - SB Nation

Toughest Player: LAJ's Don Williams feature story polls the team to find out who is the team's toughest player. Apparently, it wasn't much of a contest as RB Baron Batch was the resounding winner. Here's C Justin Keown:

Center Justin Keown called him an "all-around tough (expletive).’’

"He’s hungry for the ball and doesn’t mind contact,’’ Keown said. "He likes running over people. He wants to get hit. He loves practicing. When he gets hurt, he’s out there the next day, wanting to be practicing.’’

But Batch says it wasn't always this way:

"My sophomore and junior year in high school, I’d run for my life,’’ he said. "I didn’t really like contact. Even my freshman year up here (at Tech), I kind of liked to use my speed a lot more. Once you get to college, everybody’s fast, and you can’t run away from everybody.’’

Lots of good additional quotes about a number of other players receiving votes in the article. Go read the whole thing.

More news, notes and links after the jump, including Texas Tech's 88-49 win over South Dakota.

Last Year Was Last Year: LAJ's Don Williams writes that last year's win was easy, but winning in Stillwater has not been easy. Here's Leach on the Cowboys:

"They’re big and strong and fast, and they’re a good team like they always are,’’ Leach, Tech’s head coach, said this week. "Really, they’re very much the same team we played last year, in most cases. They have several people back and are a good team, so we need to do the best we can to play like last year.’’

Wall Doesn't Worry: FWST's Dwain Price features CB Jamar Wall, who was a standout running back in high school and is now a standout cornerback in the Big 12:

"He was a big-time running back coming out of high school, and anybody who can rush for over 2,000 yards two years in a row is pretty awesome," Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. "We saw him in summer camp and we told him to go play defensive back, and from the first second he was out there he was a natural.

"We offered him [a scholarship] the first time we saw him in camp."

And New England WR Wes Welker has had praise for Wall:

After the workout, Welker praised Wall for being better than some of the cornerbacks he went against in the NFL.

"That was coming into my freshman year," Wall said. "That was my first time really playing defense and the first person I was introduced to was Welker.

"To hear that coming from him, it definitely gave me a boost that I can definitely do the work and get better. This coming from a guy that’s been in the NFL for years, then I could definitely try to guard some people in the college level."

Oklahoma St. Cowboy and Big 12 Links: LAJ's Adam Zuvanich on RB Kendall Hunter returning to the running back mix for OSU . . . CFN's Big 12 picks of the week (Texas Tech is not a popular choice) . . . Tulsa World with 3 storylines to watch . . . NewsOK's Brandon Chatman with players in the OSU secondary to watch out for today and the blitz package, which are key matchups and somesuch . . .

South Dakota Coyotes 49, Texas Tech Red Raiders 88
SBN Box Score

Red Raiders Defeat Coyotes, 88-49: LAJ's Courtney Linehan writes that the defense was outstanding in last night's win over the South Dakota Coyotes. Head coach Pat Knight:

"I think our defensive pressure helped, got us some easy buckets, but then our kids relaxed," Knight said. "Both teams were tight coming out, but that’s natural. It’s both teams opening games."

Linehan also writes that Juco newcomer G David Tairu led the team in scoring, although SF Mike Singletary was not surprised:

"I wasn’t impressed," forward Mike Singletary said. "He’s been doing it in practice. He comes out and plays hard, he has a nose for the ball. I wasn’t surprised at all."

However, the player of the game may have been PF Darko Cohadarevic, who only scored 8 points, but managed to grab 13 rebounds in only 23 minutes. Good to see Darko get off to a good start.

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 11.10.09

Seth C — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:42:04 -0000

What's Cool and What's Not Cool: I'm working on a post (maybe tomorrow or Thursday) to let everyone know what you can and what you cannot use as far as subscription based material. I'll mention this later, but the basic rule is that if you're disclosing information straight from a subscription based service then you'd be doing me a favor in not posting it. If you can find information creatively or hear information on the radio or receive a text message then feel free to post.

Part of the reason I try to be so careful is that I'm merely an independent contractor with SBN, which means that although I have plenty of technical support, a tremendous platform to write, and I think the network would have my back on some issues, but should I get sued individually, I'm on my own. To get sued would be a stretch for this type of stuff and to be honest I have a good working relationship with the guys from RRS.com, but I'd really prefer not to have to hire an attorney and pay for a legal defense if it ever comes to that.

It's really about my own self-preservation more than anything else. DTN is a hobby in the purest sense of the word and I don't ever want to be involved in any sort of lawsuit for something that I consider fun. This is why it's just easier to delete stuff or constantly warn you guys about what I think is appropriate or not appropriate.

And last, but not least, one of the reasons I started DTN because I did not and still do not pay for any subscription. I wanted an outlet and I thought others might want an outlet too. The thing about information is that there will almost always be a first person to break the story, but in today's world, if the story is truly big, it's going to break much sooner than a few years ago. Personally, I'm willing to wait to find out the information for free. Sure, it would be great to know, but DTN has never broken any news and probably never will. If you're visiting DTN for breaking Texas Tech news and can't live without that information then you may want to join one of the services.

Starting QB a Super Secret: FWST's Dwain Price writes that head coach Mike Leach is being coy about who will start and play at quarterback this week:

"We’ll see how it is comes [today]," Leach said, when asked about having Sheffield back at practice this week. "It always is good to have more options. The more the merrier."

And Price talked with WR Alexander Torres who thinks that QB Steven Sheffield is still playing tentatively:

"I know Sheffield, his leg is still tentative," wide receiver Alex Torres said Monday. "I don’t know exactly the whole injury situation and what’s the deal with that, but right now I’m not too sure what [the starting quarterback spot is] going to look like."

Swinging Your Sword: LAJ's Don Williams and DT's Alex Ybarra both write about Captain Mike Leach's improvisation abilities in his appearance in Friday Night Lights (there's NewsChannel 11 video after the jump). Leach tried to improvise:

"It was kind of scripted and then it was kind of, ‘Well, here’s the scenario; do what you want,’ ’’ Leach said. "’Include this, this, this and this.’ Actually, in the original (filming), there’s stuff about Napoleon, Daniel Boone, grizzly bears, raccoons, a bunch of stuff. We covered a lot of bases, and they picked from what they wanted.’’

There's also the mention that Leach grabbed the burrito from the coach's hand, however, this did not make the cut. CB Jamar Wall said that Leach's speech to the coach in his truck lasted only 60 seconds, but the real deal can last for a while:

"We’ve definitely had that,’’ senior cornerback Jamar Wall said. "One meeting (this year), that’s all we did was talk about waving the sword one way or another. They just got a small taste of it. We got hours of it.’’

And Leach also talks about finding and testing your inner pirate:

"I think it’s always tested,’’ he said. "I think it’s tested in practice. I think it’s tested individually and team-wise. I think you’ve got to keep battling away. You don’t ever want there to be a level of resignation where (players think), ‘Oh well, that’s it.’

"If you don’t enjoy the battle, and if you don’t enjoy going from one point to the next, you’re kind of in the wrong business. Football’s just designed to have one obstacle after the next. That’s why it exists to begin with. There’s going to be ups and downs, but you’ve got to enjoy battling it every day, I think.’’

Many Love the Pirate: LAJ's Adam Zuvanich has a note book of sorts, but during yesterday's teleconference many coaches were asked about Leach's impact on the Big 12. Here's OU's Bob Stoops:

"I’m just excited for Mike," said Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, who hired Leach to be his first offensive coordinator with the Sooners in 1999. "He has done a great job there with Tech, and he did a great job for us the first year he was here. I obviously felt he could be a head coach when I hired him, and that was my words to him: ‘If he did a good job at Oklahoma, he’d have the opportunity to be a head coach.’ But I didn’t know it would be the first year. He’s a done a great job, and all of us still keep in touch with Mike and we’re happy for him."

And Mizzou's Gary Pinkel:

"We certainly stole some ideas six, seven years ago to try to build my program here at Mizzou," Pinkel said. "… He’s a great football coach, and the proof is the consistency with how he wins."

Oklahoma St. Cowboy and Big 12 Links: The Tulsa World talks with head coach Mike Gundy about Texas Tech . . . Crimson and Cream Machine's dishingoutdimes on Auston English and Brody Eldridge being out for the rest of the year . . . NewsOK's John Helsley with an OSU notebook . . . NewsOK's Brandon Chatmon writes that Oklahoma St. defensive coordinator Bill Young has had success in holding the Texas Tech offense . . . Tulsa World's Dave Sittler also writes about Bill Young and his effect on the Cowboys . . . LAJ's Adam Zuvanich looks back at Texas Tech's last visit to Stillwater . . . DT's Adam Coleman on the 2009 version of the Big 12 not being as glamorous the 2008 version . . .

Honoring Veterans: The opening game between Texas Tech and South Dakota is going to be honoring this country's veterans and first responders. I'm sure that you guys are anxiously waiting on my preview for this game, but you'll have to wait until Friday. I know, I'm a sorry S.O.B.

Promised video:

Taking a Breath :: Looking Ahead to the Texas Tech Defense of 2010

Seth C — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:29 -0000

by Dave Weaver - AP

Nebraska's Chris Brooks (1), is brought down by Texas Tech's Cody Davis, in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

View full size photo »

THE DEFENSE

With the football bye week, DTN is taking this opportunity to look at Texas Tech's offense and defense in 2010. Up today is a look at the 2-deep, the talented players who are on the roster, but have not contributed much this year, the 2010 defensive recruiting class and a look back at the past 5 years recruits and the washout rate of players who were recruited by Texas Tech.

Who Returns (2010 Projected 2-Deep)

POSITION	PLAYER	STATS	YEAR
DE	Ryan Haliburton	6-4/245	SO
	Aundrey Barr	6-3/238	RS FR
	Christopher Knighton	6-3/240	RS FR
	Kerry Hyder	6-3/255	RS FR
DT	Colby Whitlock	6-2/287	SR
	Chris Perry	6-4/300	JR
	Pearlie Graves	6-1/278	RS FR
	Myles Wade	6-2/340	JR
LB	Bront Bird	6-3/240	SR
	Brian Duncan	6-1/240
	Tyrone Sonier	6-2/225	JR
	Sam Fehoko	5-11/220	JR
	Brandon Mahoney	6-2/203	RS FR
	Dion Chidozie	6-1/194	RS FR
CB	LaRon Moore	5-9/200	SR
	Taylor Charbonnet	5-10/175	JR
	D.J. Johnson	6-0/170	SO
	Yashua Williams	6-3/181	RS FR
S	Franklin Mitchem	6-2/198	SR
	Cody Davis	6-2/200	SO
	Brett Dewhurst	6-0/193	JR
	Will Ford	6-1/186	SO

If it's not incredibly clear, the weakness of this team will be at defensive end. I've mentioned this a couple of times and for 2 years straight, Texas Tech is losing quite a bit of production from the defensive end position. The key to all of this is that no one has seen any of these guys play on the collegiate level, other than Haliburton, who has done reasonably well in some spot duty early in the season and filling in for Howard, Sharpe and Henley during the early part of the season when there were so many injuries.

The strength of the defense will be up front with the return of Whitlock and Perry, who should form a formidable front and I think there's plenty of talent behind them in Graves and Wade. Much like Jacob Karam, Graves travels with the team and that's an indication that his personality in infectious and reading the tea leaves, he is going to be a player next year. I'd also mention that I do not see any of these tackles moving to defensive end. Perhaps that changes during the spring, but for the time being, I think this is your 2-deep.

Linebacker also returns 2 of the 3 starters from this year. Marlon Williams has been servicable, but he's been virtually non-existent for the better part of conference play, this past weekend's game excluded. You can expect Sonier to fill Williams spot at WLB. I'm also intrigued by Mahoney and Chidozie, who perhaps represent a change in the type of linebacker that Ruffin McNeill wants, which are projectable athletes who can run. If you see a change in philosophy, I think it starts at linebacker and continues to the secondary.

Jamar Wall will be the only player that needs replacement in the secondary next year and Johnson will have to step up his game during the offseason. I think the staff is enamored with his athletic ability, but you saw against TAMU how athletic ability can only carry you so far, he's got to be better from a technique standpoint as well. Ford should also take a step in the right direction this offseason and I may be in the minority, but I'd like to see more Charbonnet and expect Y. Williams to get some time next year as well. All in all, a pretty experienced group returning next year.

Lots more after the jump.

Don't Sleep On

DT: Britton Barbee (6-2/296; SR) and David Neill (6-5/280; JR)
DE: Jonathan Brydon (6-3/220; SR)
LB: None
CB: Jarvis Phillips (6-0/189; RS FR)
S: Jared Flannel (5-11/167; JR); Aaron Charbonnet (5-11/201; RS FR); Andre McCorkle (6-2/204; JR); Daniel Cobb (6-1/211; RS FR) and Terrance Bullitt (6-3/182; RS FR)

I think the only guys that I'm comfortable stating could make an impact from this group is Cobb and Bullitt, although I like Barbee and Neill from a depth perspective

Recruiting

POSITION	PLAYER	STATS	RR	STARS
DE	Kedrick Dial	6-5/215	5.6	3
DE	Jackson Richards	6-4/245	5.8	4
DT	Coby Coleman	6-3/290	5.7	3
DT	Lawrence Rumph	6-4/270	5.7	3
LB	Zac Winbush	6-2/200	5.5	3
DB	Urell Johnson	6-1/185	5.6	3
DB	Desmond Martin	6-0/173	5.6	3
DB	Russell Polk	5-11/200	5.6	3
DB	Tre'Vante Porter	6-0/185	5.7	3
DB	Brandon Smith	6-1/175	5.6	3
AVERAGE			5.63	3.09

If additional recruits are added, I think it's on the defensive side of the ball, namely at defensive end or linebacker. The one guy that I think could get some burn next year is Rumph, especially with the lack of defensive end. Keep in mind that Rumph was luke-warm when he committed to Texas Tech, so I would not count on his commitment until he's actually signed. I think you could also see Richards make an impact next year and Dial is another player who might make a difference next year. Richards is one of the more higher rated players of the class, he's a mature player and already has the size to play defensive end on the collegiate level. At this point, I'd imagine that it's about technique more than anything else. The sleeper of this group might be Martin, who was highly impressive in his film and possibly Porter.

Recruit Trending

YEAR	AVG. RR	AVG. STARS	WASHOUT RATE
2010	5.63	3.09	-
2009	5.57	3.00	2/15 = 13.33%
2008	5.63	3.13	5/8 = 62.50%
2007	5.47	2.70	2/10 = 20.00%
2006	5.53	2.89	7/19 = 36.84%

Disclaimer: I'm using the Rivals recruiting rankings and each player is assigned an RR number and a star.

To explain again, the Washout Rate are players who either never made it on campus or played only 1 year. As you'll note, the 2008 class was small, only 16 recruits total (keep in mind that there will be some classes that are smaller than others and a staff is typically limited to a certain number of scholarships in relation to the number of players on scholarship) but you had guys like Joey Fowler, McKinner Dixon, Broderick Marshall, Brandon Sesay and Brandon Reid (who could return to Texas Tech after a stint at JUCO) that all never made it at Texas Tech. This was Ruffin's first class officially, but this was also the same year that he replaced Setencich. If you wanted to take a look at the year that McNeill was in place early as the defensive coordinator then it's really the 2009 class that's his first class from start of the recruiting season to signing day. In that 2009 class you only had Romario Cathey who never made it on campus and James Scott, another guy who has gone the JUCO route but has a good chance of returning to Lubbock.