SB Nation - Darcel McBath

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 09.03.09

Seth C — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:24:26 -0000

Odds and Ends

Sprinting Towards Tier 1 Status: Because Texas Tech raised $24.5 million, the state of Texas is matching $21.5 million in funding. This is huge, huge news. And I'll echo the thoughts of Ayleein at RaiderAde in that you have one person to thank, and that person is Kent Hance, who didn't mince words when it comes to competing and "winning" at this particular game:

"I think it sends a very strong signal that we're out on the forefront," Hance said, adding he would have been embarrassed if Tech had not come out on top.

You betcha Mr. Hance. I may be reading too much into those comments, but personally, I think Hance sees this not only as an opportunity to further Texas Tech, but also as a competition and something tells me that Hance doesn't like to lose at anything.

College Football Starts: Here's your weekend schedule and I'll be staying up late tonight catch the Boise St. Broncos and the Oregon Ducks. Cannot. Wait.

Texas Tech Football

Texas Tech Football Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams has some good nuggets this morning, including the notion that DE Ryan Haliburton will most likely back-up Rajon Henley at LDE due to the fact that Sandy Riley is apparently out with an injury (this may be a blessing in disguise as there will be a need for experienced defensive ends in 2010 and Haliburton is the most likely player to receive playing time) . . . still no decision on the left tackle position as Terry McDaniel and Chris Olson continue to fight for that spot, as are Donnie Carona and Ryan Erxleben . . . the staff is still not sure if they intend on redshirting WR Eric Ward (I think they need to let him get some time, especially if he's going to be the primary backup to Edward Britton and should expect some time next year) . . .

Fighting Sioux: LAJ's Adam Zuvanich writes a fairly presumptuous article about how the North Dakota Fighting Sioux know that there may not be much of a chance on Saturday (I've just never heard a team admit that). Here's UND head coach Chris Mussman:

"Obviously, we know what we’re up against with that quality of an opponent," said second-year North Dakota head coach Chris Mussman, whose team opens its season on Saturday at Texas Tech. "At this time with our program, it’s probably not the best time to be playing that game, but we’re going to try to make the most of it."

The official UND website has some news and notes and UND QB Jake Landry is anxious to get on the field;

"I'm ready to finally get out and play a football game," Landry said. "We've been in camp for over a month now, and we're ready to get out there and play somebody different."

What??? Honestly, I was a tad bit shocked whenever I read ESPN's Tim Griffin's rankings of the Big 12 defenses and was shocked to read that he thinks the Red Raiders have the 4th best defense in the Big 12. Now, Griffin readily admits that the drop-off from 1-3 to 4 is steep (I would also admit this) and this is only one man's opinion, but I still think that this is about right:

This is where the big drop-off starts from the top three teams. The Red Raiders will miss pass-rushing threats McKinner Dixon and Brandon Williams from last season, but have an experienced unit back. Rajon Henley and Brandon Sharpe are set to fill in as the pass-rushing threats and Colby Whitlock can be a terror at times -- particularly against Texas. Brian Duncan is a producer and the team’s leading tackler at middle linebacker. Jamar Wall is one of the better cover corners in the league. But the unit will depend on the improvement of two projected starters: redshirt freshman free safety Cody Davis and strong safety Franklin Mitchem.

Not entirely accurate as Daniel Howard should get the start next to Henley. But this is the Texas Tech defense in a nutshell and I really think the difference is how quickly will Cody Davis and Franklin Mitchem adjust to their roles and pick up their play. Overall, I do think there's an upgrade in athleticism in that the combination of Davis and Mitchem I think is more athletic that Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet with Charbonnet being the player that I think there's a slight upgrade in the athleticism. Lots to look forward to this season.

Neglected Audio and Video: Fox34 on the Red Raiders preparing for North Dakota:

Big 12 Links: Barking Carnival continues the tour with the state of the union for their pals, the Oklahoma Sooners . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin on why Oklahoma St. needs a second receiver to develop (remember that the starting tight end just left the team) . . .

2010 Recruits: Tom Lemming released his top 25 at each position and I found a couple of Red Raider commits, including QB Scotty Young as the #11 pro-style quarterback and WR Karone Boone as the #4 wide receiver . . .

Alumni: Article from Jay Paris on new Chargers offensive lineman Louis Vasquez . . .

Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose :: North Dakota Edition

Seth C — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:00:17 -0000

This weekly feature considers five reasons why Texas Tech will win and five reasons Texas Tech will lose to each opponent. Check back tomorrow for "Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Win :: North Dakota Edition".

Reason #1 :: Big Game for North Dakota: This is absolutely a big game for North Dakota, although this isn't meant to diminish UND's other opponents, but the likes of Northwestern State, Stephen F. Austin, South Dakota, Stony Brook, Sioux Falls, Southern Utah, Cal Poly, Southern Oregon, UC Davis and Central Arakansas doesn't scream huge game. UND has had an entire spring and fall practice to ready themselves for this game and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see the Fighting Sioux be as sharp as could be expected for a first game. I don't think there's any doubt that the North Dakota coaching staff is telling their players that if they want to be a part of one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history, this would be a prime example.

Reason #2 :: Abundance of Penalties: Who remembers the opening game last year where Texas Tech had an astounding 18 penalties for 169 yards. Texas Tech needs to be sharp. It's been mentioned more than it needs to be mentioned, but the Texas game is merely two weeks away. The Red Raiders have two games to be on their best behavior. Gone are the days where the Red Raiders can rely on an All-American at receiver and a quarterback that routinely passes for over 5,000 yards to pull you out of any hole the offense or defense puts you in because of silly penalties. The offensive line needs to be absolutely sharp, which may be one reason why Terry McDaniel is not getting the initial start at left tackle. The offense needs guys who will not make mistakes. Those mistakes may not hurt you against teams like UND (no offense) but they will be drive and touchdown killers against the likes of Texas.

Reason #3 :: Looking Ahead: I don't know if you can blame any player for looking ahead, especially when the players know the circumstances surrounding this game and the relative inexperience of UND playing on a high level of football. It's only natural for players to look ahead, and I've said this before, but I think it deserves mention again in that no opponent deserves to be dismissed. Just ask Michigan and Appalachian State. Look past an opponent and you'll be sorry that you did. I have a feeling that this may have happened a bit last year against Eastern Washington where the Eagles came ready to play, looked sharp, made sure tackles on defense and put 17 points on the board in the second quarter. And as we speak of looking ahead, this can also be a symptom of . . .

Reason #4 :: Over-Confidence: This type of thing plagues teams all of the time. Players know what they're up against on a week-in and week-out basis. I'd like to think that this Red Raider team respects each and every opponent, that each game is an opportunity to do your job. Putting it simply, if Texas Tech simply does their job, then the idea of being over-confident is completely irrelevant. Doing your job each and every play erases the need to consider the quality of your opponent.

Reason #5 :: Time of Possession: One of the best equalizers in football is time of possession. If the North Dakota offense can keep the Texas Tech offense off the field, then there's a much greater chance for an upset. Last year in the aforementioned Eastern Washington game, the Eagles held onto the ball for 30:34, which certainly affected Texas Tech's chances of putting points on the board and putting this game away more than 49-24. The key will be whether the defense puts pressure on the UND defense, forces three-and-outs and how the defense can create turnovers, much like Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet did all of last year.

Texas Tech: 2009 Projections

Bill C. — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:00:11 -0000

Yesterday we looked at projections for OU...today, it's off to the pirate ship known as Lubbock, Texas!

Dude. Shave.

Until 2008, Mike Leach's tenure at Texas Tech had been startlingly consistent. Starting in 2000, Leach's Red Raiders have won 7, 7, 9, 8, 8, 9, 8, 9, and 11 games. There's a slight upward trend there, but clearly after losing Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell, not to mention some key defensive cogs like defensive ends Brandon Williams and McKinner Dixon and safety Darcel McBath, Tech is likely to take a step backwards in 2009. If history is any indication, that step backwards will land them back in 8-win territory for at least a year, and as luck would have it, that's what the projections suggest as well!

2009 BTBS Projections

Date	Opponent	Proj. W/L	Margin	Record	Conf. Rec.
9/5	North Dakota	W	+36.3	1-0
9/12	Rice	W	+22.9	2-0
9/19	at Texas	L	-19.0	2-1	0-1
9/26	at Houston	W	+6.2	3-1
10/3	New Mexico	W	+21.2	4-1
10/10	Kansas State	W	+9.8	5-1	1-1
10/17	at Nebraska	L	-3.2	5-2	1-2
10/24	Texas A&M	W	+7.9	6-2	2-2
10/31	Kansas	W	+0.5	7-2	3-2
11/14	at Oklahoma State	L	-7.1	7-3	3-3
11/21	Oklahoma	L	-8.8	7-4	3-4
11/28	vs Baylor	W	+3.7	8-4	4-4

Using the one-touchdown test, if Tech is a touchdown better than expected, then the Nebraska game likely flips, and the OSU and OU games come within reach. If they're a touchdown worse, then Houston, Kansas, Baylor and ATM all become losable.

In all, 8-4 was both my gut response and the numbers' pick. You know Tech's offense will be just fine, but the production will slip at least a smidge, and the defense is an interesting mix of exciting and experienced (guys like Colby Whitlock and Bront Bird are interesting guys to watch) and thin and questionable (Will they generate any sort of pass rush? And will a relatively green secondary be able to handle the OSU's and KU's on the schedule?). In the end, I think the defense steps backwards more than the offense, and that makes the biggest difference in a three-game fall, from 11-2 to 8-4, in 2009.

Tomorrow: Off to College Station we go...

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe // 08.21.09

Seth C — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:17:07 -0000

Texas Tech Football

Defense Controls Scrimmage: LAJ's Don Williams reports on scrimmage from yesterday where the defense absolutely dominated by not giving up a touchdown in 35 plays. And before anyone gets too excited, earlier in the week, the Texas Tech offense scored six touchdowns in a scrimmage, but last night was the defense's night:

After the defense got a series of stops followed by an interception, nose tackle Victor Hunter yelled, "We got ’em shook! We got ’em shook.’’ As the unit made one good play after another in the red zone, strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie yelled, "You get nothing, offense!’’

Go read the whole article for good detail of how the defense performed.

Texas Tech Football Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams reports that freshman CB D.J. Johnson continues to impress in practice as cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell has lots of praise for the freshman:

"Just pure athleticism,’’ Mitchell said after Thursday’s practice. "He’s making plays when he’s out there. He learns very well. The kid is not only a student on the field; he’s a student in the classroom. He’s doing everything above and beyond my expectations for a freshman.’’

. . . DE Sandy Riley has lost 20 pounds and is down to 228 pounds but hopes to play around 230 to 235 . . .

Gray is in Focus: RedRaiderSports.com's Paul Lowery talks with freshman LT Joel Gray and I like this about our staff:

DURING THE RECRUITING PROCESS, WHAT PARTS OF THE PROGRAM WERE YOU THE MOST IMPRESSED WITH?

"Well, it was my first offer so it was obviously really memorable but I remember right after I blew out my knee I had to call—my parents wanted me to call all of the colleges and let them know, and most colleges told me not to waste my time anymore, and Tech was like, ‘Well, just get better. We still want you. Just get better and we’ll still be around.’ That really gave me the home feeling and I felt that I was really accepted and that they really do want me to be here."

Checking in with Kickoff Club Luncheon: Check out The Broadcast Booth's recap of yesterday's event:

But the best part, as always, was when The Pirate himself stepped to the podium. Because he talked about the team and introduced the offensive and defensive lines as the "most important players on the team?" Nope. Because he shared his story about growing up in Wyoming where he says he saw an occasional tourist and had enough people come their thinking it was an oddity to prepare him for the barrage of attention, exposure, interviews and "brushes with greatness" during this offseason? Nope. Oh... because he went on to describe how this team is getting after it, kicking around the blood, sweat, and dirt while making the odd body sounds that go with it? Nope.

The best part, was snagging a copy of the new Texas Monthly on the newsstand at Love Field on my way out this morning, and asking Leach, the cover Pirate, to sign it! My guess, from his reaction, was that it was the first one he's inked so far (since it just hit the stand!).

Neglected Audio and Video: Fox34 confirms that QB Taylor Potts will be sporting the mustache all year, although we know it's more than a mustache:

FoxSports Preview: FoxSports has three videos and I've posted them as FanShots, but am linking them here. I think this is all from the FoxSports preview show:

Big 12 and College Football Links: In The Bleachers has an interesting roundtable on which defensive unit will have the most dominating performance in 2009 . . . I still find this hard to believe, but Florida St. turned in an Oklahoma Sooner player who had committed a similar violation to a Florida St. player . . . The Rivalry, Esq. with a look at the Big 12 Conference . . .

Scouting the Enemy: Corn Nation's 2009 Nebraska Cornhuskers preview . . . Rock Chalk Talk's 2009 Kansas Jayhawks preview . . . I Am The 12th Man's 2009 Texas A&M Aggies preview . . . Crimson and Cream Machine's 2009 Oklahoma Sooners preview . . . Burnt Orange Nation's 2009 Texas Longhorns preview . . . NYTimes The Quad with a preview of the Oklahoma St. Cowboys . . .

Alumni: The Mile High Report with a lengthy piece on now Denver Bronco S Darcel McBath . . .

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview // Double-T Nation's Preview of the Texas Tech Red Raiders

Seth C — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:15:10 -0000

View full size photo »

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview: In partnership with CBS Sports, the SB Nation Big 12 blogs are previewing each of their respective teams in the Big 12. This is Double-T Nation's entry and for all of those who are getting this way through the Texas Tech page on CBS Sports, we welcome you and hope you enjoy the content. Thanks to the Ralphie Report for compiling all of the previews and make sure and visit the Ralphie Report for a more extensive Big 12 conference breakdown.

TOP PLAYERS

Offense:
QB Taylor Potts
RB Baron Batch
OL Brandon Carter
OL Marlon Winn
WR Detron Lewis
WR Edward Britton
WR Tramain Swindall
Defense:
NT Colby Whitlock
DE Rajon Henley
LB Brian Duncan
LB Marlon Williams
CB Jamar Wall
S Cody Davis

OFFENSE: As is the case with each Texas Tech team, there is no question that the offense is led by its quarterback, and after three years of Graham Harrell, the Red Raiders usher in a new signal caller in junior Taylor Potts. It's easy of course to think that Potts will have a difficult time replacing Harrell's production, but Texas Tech has finished with the top passing offense in the Big 12 from 2008 through 2004. Something tells me that head coach Mike Leach understands a thing or two about running an offense. At receiver, the Red Raiders will lean heavily on inside receiver Detron Lewis to lead the way and although there are usually at least four receivers who receive a significant amount of passes, right now this may be a receiver by committee situation. Of course, the big question is who will replace Michael Crabtree at the flanker position and currently it's a three man race, with redshirt freshman Alexander Torres leading the group, followed closely by Lyle Leong and Jacoby Franks. Split end Edward Britton is the lone senior of the receiver corp and it would not surprise those who follow the program closely that inside receiver Tramain Swindall will contribute significantly in 2009. Most think that the offensive line lost three starters, but the truth of the matter is that center Shawn Byrnes started in 2007, lost his job to last year's starter, Stephen Hamby, but is expected to start in 2009. At left tackle, the starting job is between redshirt freshman Terry McDaniel, who showed that he is more than capable of protecting that left side, and all-purpose lineman, Chris Olson. At left guard the Red Raiders return an All-American candidate Brandon Carter and is moving from playing right guard last year. Sophomore Mickey Okafor will take over for Carter at right guard and incumbent Marlon Winn will get the nod at right tackle.

TOP GAMES

1. @ Texas Longhorns :: 09.19.09
2. Oklahoma Sooners :: 11.21.09
3. @ Nebraska Cornhuskers :: 10.17.2009
4. @ Oklahoma St. Cowboys :: 11.14.09
5. Kansas Jayhawks :: 10.31.09

DEFENSE: Texas Tech lost quite a bit of production defensively and previous years, there would have been quite a bit of worrying about replacing both defensive ends and both safeties, but with the increase in talent at Texas Tech, the less of a worry it is replacing quality players. Both defensive ends have moved onward, Brandon Williams has moved to the NFL, and McKinner Dixon declared for the NFL supplemental draft this summer, but went undrafted. Replacing Williams and Dixon will be no small task, but former defensive tackle Rajon Henley has lost weight during the off season and will solidify one end position, while the other end position will be left to Daniel Howard, a JUCO transfer, who was close on a number of sacks last year, has a motor that just doesn't quit. Look for fellow seniors Brandon Sharpe and Sandy Riley to see plenty of time alongside Howard and Henley. Inside, nose tackle Colby Whitlock returns for his junior year and senior Richard Jones will start at defensive tackle. The second and third team could consist of some of the newcomers listed below, but should certainly include in the rotation Victor Hunter, Chris Perry, Britton Barbee and David Neill. All three linebackers return from 2008, including the highly underrated junior middle linebacker Brian Duncan, who could be an all-conference performer, this year. Backing up Duncan is Sam Fehoko, who many think will be could be an impact player right now. At the weakside linebacker spot is senior Marlon Williams, although look for Blake Collier to edge his way into the lineup as he has superior speed which is obviously useful in the wide-open Big 12. At the strongside linebacker spot is junior Bront Bird, who will be fighting off Tyrone Sonier. Left cornerback Jamar Wall returns for his senior season and opposite Wall there is a three man race with LaRon Moore, Brent Nickerson and Taylor Charbonnet all hoping to nab that right starting cornerback position. The Red Raiders lose both safeties from 2008, but redshirt freshman Cody Davis should surprise many in 2009 at free safety and Franklin Mitchem looks to be the starter at strong safety. Brett Dewhurst, Julius Howard and Jared Flannel round out the veterans amongst this safety group.

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

Strengths: Quarterback position
typically performs at a high level,
quality receiver depth despite loss
of Crabtree, all starting linebackers
return and depth at defensive tackle.
Weaknesses: Lack of defensive end
depth as three ends graduated or
left the program, must replace or
improve right cornerback and
no experience at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: For the first time in the Mike Leach era, he's hired a full-time special teams coach, Eric Russell, and the talk during the spring and fall practices is that there's a noticeable difference in the attitude of special teams this year. Quite possibly the feel-good story of 2008 returns in plackicker Matt Williams, who was plucked from the stands to kick a field goal to win free rent, will return as the guy to kick short-yardage field goals and extra points. Donnie Carona returns to take care of the long field goals and should see competition from Brad Hicks. Punter Jonathan LaCour is suspended for the first six games and freshman Brian Exlerben and Carona will compete for the punter position. Returning punts, there are at least five or six option, but leading the charge is cornerback Jamar Wall, receiver Detron Lewis, running back Eric Stephens, while Stephens, receiver Jacoby Franks, receiver Edward Britton and Wall could each return kickoffs.

KEY LOSSES: LG Louis Vaszuez, LT Rylan Reed, C Stephen Hamby, IR Eric Morris, FL Michael Crabtree, RB Shannon Woods, QB Graham Harrell, DE McKinner Dixon, DE Brandon Williams, S Daniel Charbonnet and S Darcel McBath.

NEWCOMERS: The defensive side of the ball presents the most opportunity for newcomers to make a difference for this team as I think it takes at least a year to acclimate to the Texas Tech offense. With that being said, sophomore defensive tackle Myles Wade has the physical gifts to make an impact immediately, as does fellow defensive tackle Pearlie Graves. The Red Raiders signed six defensive backs in 2008 and although they are all talented defensive backs Will Ford, Daniel Cobb and Terrance Bullitt could all see time at safety in 2009. Receiver Eric Ward, a freshman who landed in Lubbock in the spring semester and has a leg up on the competition, has the talent to break into the receiver rotation quickly. Although technically not newcomers in the truest sense of the word, the aforementioned left tackle Terry McDaniel has the potential to start and running back Harrison Jeffers will surprise many opponents in 2009 as he should be the combination running back with Baron Batch. Also watch out for former quarterbacks turned receivers in Austin Zouzalik and Cornelius Douglas. Both are explosive athletes, Zouzalik may be one of the fastest players on the team, and Douglas is could be utilized in a Wildcat-type of formation.

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe // 08.20.09

Seth C — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:19:27 -0000

Odds and Ends

Day Off: Its a quiet day today as the team had Wednesday off from practice. That means we'll have a lot more stuff tomorrow morning, plus I've been working on a preview, as have a lot of SB Nation college blogs, in partnership with CBS Sports. You may or may not have noticed that most SB Nation blogs are included on the CBS Sports team pages, including Double-T Nation.

Texas Tech Football

Freshman Safety Focus: LAJ's Don Williams features two freshmen safeties, Daniel Cobb and Will Ford who are not intimidated by the expectations of left behind by Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet. Here's Cobb:

"It shows you the coaches are going to put you in a position to do well,’’ said Cobb, a 6-foot-1, 206-pound Killeen Ellison graduate. "You’ve just got to be able to make the play when they put you there.’’

And Ford on his and Cobb working together to be better football players:

"We chill with each other outside of football as well,’’ Ford said, "and we also study plays with each other and try to make each other better when we come out here. That way we can execute fast.’’

Events: Don't forget that today is the Kickoff Luncheon, starting at 11:15 a.m., but don't expect to get tickets today and this Friday is Autograph Night.

Carter Named to Lombardi List: Congrats to G Brandon Carter who has been named to the Lombardi Award Preseason Watch List.

Focus on Graves: RedRaiderSports.com's Brian Lane has today's freshman focus on DT Pearlie Graves and I liked this:

HOW HAVE THE OLDER GUYS UP FRONT HELPED YOU?

"My whole team, the whole defense I can look to my left or right and ask someone a question and know that they will help me out."

I know/hope Graves was joking (right?):

WHAT CLASS ARE YOU LEAST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL?

"I got to say all of them (laughing)."

Neglected Audio, Video and Photos: Fox34 had a small feature on new graduate assistant, Sonny Cumbie:

Scouting the Enemy: Corn Nation on WR Niles Paul emerging at wide receiver . . . . Rock M Nation's Beyond the Box Score on the Kansas defense . . . Rock Chalk Talk on the Kansas linebackers . . .

Big 12: ESPN's Tim Griffin and Ivan Maisel preview the Big 12 (video) . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin details the similarities between Texas Tech and Missouri . . .

Alumni: Per the Corsicana Daily Sun, it appears that G Louis Vasquez is finally returning to practice with the San Diego Charges . . .

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe // 08.12.09

Seth C — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:14:07 -0000

Odds and Ends

Gone Fishing: This will probably be my last post until Monday, and I really am going fishing for the next couple of days, somewhere in Colorado. I'm not expecting to have any internet access so don't count on having me around for the next four days. The only thing scheduled is a preview of the Aggies, scheduled for Monday morning and I'm trying to get something for discussion for Friday. Put your feet up, and feel free to post various FanPosts and FanShots to keep everyone entertained until I get back.

Texas Tech Football

Bullitt and Waddle, Former Aggies: LAJ's Don Williams profiles freshmen S Terrance Bullitt and OL LaAdrian Waddle, who both had early Texas A&M ties, but eventually decided on Texas Tech. Bullitt wants to compete for a spot this year:

"I’m more than ready to play this year,’’ Bullitt said. "I’m going to prove it, especially when we get the pads on. There’s going to be some hard hitting going on.

And secondary coach Carlos Mainord has high hopes for Bullitt:

"I like him,’’ Tech safeties coach Carlos Mainord said. "He’s a physical player. He’s a tall, rangy player that has good speed. I think he has some good instincts. Of course, he’s from a football family, so it’s important to him. I think I’m going to like him.’’

Meanwhile, offensive line coach Matt Moore thinks that Waddle is going to be worth the effort to recruit:

"If he would have grown up in a suburb of Dallas and played at a high school in Dallas, he’d probably have 25 offers coming out of high school,’’ Moore said. "He wasn’t an easy guy to recruit. It was a 21/2-hour drive from Houston. It was a 21/2-hour drive from San Antonio. So I spent a lot of time on the road, but I think it’s going to pay off.’’

Tech Notes: LAJ's Don Williams Tech Notes has you covered :: WR Landon Hoefer has been offered a graduate assistant job with the Memphis Tigers, so he's ending his playing career, congrats to Landon on the opportunity and we wish you well . . . S Cody Davis is laying it to receivers, in particular WR Austin Zouzalik:

"I don’t really think about it," he said. "Once the ball’s in the air, I’m just trying to do the best I can to make the best play I can. Once it gets closer to the season, I might start worrying about the offense a little bit, but I’m not going to pull up right now."

. . . RB Eric Stephens is making plays and turning heads . . .

DMN Preview: DMN's Chuck Carlton previews Texas Tech as well as has a feature story on the Red Raiders and there's this bit on WR Detron Lewis and those prognosticators who do not think Texas Tech can reload:

Lewis said he understands the skepticism that surrounds Tech, the idea that the Red Raiders will go back to winning seven or eight games this season.

He has dealt with slights before. He played his high school football in College Station and dreamed of playing at Texas A&M. The Aggies never offered him a scholarship, and he helped Tech reach new heights last season.

"We have a really good program," Lewis said. "We just want to prove everyone wrong. We're looking forward to the challenge. We're not going to be given any respect this year. We're going to have to take it and earn it."

More Boone: As most of you know, Ocala, FL, WR Kadron Boone committed to Texas Tech yesterday and Ocala.com's Andy Marks talked with Boone after his decision to pledge his undying love to the Red Raiders:

"Me being a receiver and the way they throw the ball," Boone said, "that's going to be one thing I had to really look at. Another thing is I get along with the coaches great, the recruiters, my receivers coach. I talk with Coach Leach all the time. He's a good guy. They've been straight-up guys who told me what I wanted to hear.

"They want me to come in and be hungry, just be ready to play."

via www.ocala.com

LAJ's Don Williams also talked with Boone who gave credit to receivers coach Lincoln Riley:

"I really didn’t think they recruited this area,’’ Boone said. "Some guys don’t want to leave Florida, but I just pictured myself in that offense. When they recruited me from this area, I was like, ‘Aw man, this is nice.’ My recruiting coach, Lincoln Riley, did a heck of a job. Any question I had, he had an answer for me ASAP. I’m just happy to be a part of the family now.’’

Congrats to Carter: Per the official site, congratulations are in order to OL Brandon Carter, who was named to the Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List by the Football Writers Association of America.

Neglected Audio, Video and Photos: Fox34 has a couple of embeddable (hint: this is a good thing) on yesterday's practice:

And a bit from Brandon Carter as well as a change in the defensive attitude:

RRS.com also has two videos, defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill after Monday's practice:

McNeill talks defense @ Rivals Video

And practice highlights from Monday:

Two Minute Drill - 8/11 Practice Highlights @ Rivals Video

Scouting the Enemy: The Chron's Sam Kahn, Jr. on the three Rice Owl quarterback options . . . CFN's Rich Cirminiello previews the Houston Cougars . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin gives his three predictions for Oklahoma St. . . . CJonline's Austin Meek with Kansas St.'s response to Ron Prince's demand for $3 million more dollars (Ron Prince makes me ill and I can't really imagine how K-State fans feel) . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin on Nebraska Cornhuser LB Mike Ekeler who thinks his fellow linebackers will be pretty good . . . Rock Chalk Talk with a preview of the Kansas running backs and tight ends . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin predicts nine Big 12 teams will go bowling . . .

Alumni: The Denver Post's Jeff Legwold on DB Darcel McBath making a move in the Denver Broncos training camp . . . SAEN's Tom Osborn on DE/LB Brandon Williams, who the Dallas Cowboys think he can make a difference this year . . .

5 Things // Defensive Players Who Must Improve in 2009

Seth C — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:00:12 -0000

Five Things is a handful (i.e., five) of thoughts about a single topic. Hopefully, discussion ensues.

Defensive Players Who Must Improve in 2009

There are a ton of factors that go into a team improving, but I thought that it might be good to take a look at both offensive and defensive players who need to improve their game for Texas Tech to have a successful 2009. This is going to sound more critical than it actually is, but the truth of the matter is that the Red Raiders need these players to step up their games.

Join me after the jump for a look at the defensive players who must improve in 2009.

1: DE/DT, Rajon Henley

Henley was injured for a good chunk of the 2008 season, and as a result, his 2008 season statistics seem very pedestrian. Only 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks and TFL, and this is your starting left defensive end. With Brandon Williams going to the NFL, McKinner Dixon declaring for the NFL Supplemental Draft, the current grade questions surrounding Brandon Sesay and Jake Ratliff graduating, there's a fairly substantial loss (or potential loss) in the ranks of defensive ends. It's strange to me (and I fall into this category) that Texas Tech fans are depending so much on a guy who, admittedly injured, only managed 10 tackles for the entire year.

What Henley does have going for him is a track record prior to 2008. As a junior in 2007, Henley had 45 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 7.5 TFL. That's what Henley is capable of as a full-time starter, and if Texas Tech can get similar production from Henely in 2009, then I think the Red Raiders will be okay at the end position.

2: DT, Chris Perry

For my own safety, I probably shouldn't pick on two defensive linemen, but I had great expectations for Perry, who found his way to Lubbock a little differently. Perry, originally signed with the Miami Hurricanes, decided to transfer to be closer to home and was given a reprieve from the NCAA and was not required to sit out a year due to normal transfer rules. Perry did play last year, relatively speaking. In 2008, Perry registered 7 tackles, 1 TFL and 1 sack. Of course Perry only saw action in 7 games.

Perry is certainly talented, and in fact, he was a Rivals 3 star and Scout 4 star recruit coming out of high school. The talent is there, but the word is that when Perry arrived at Texas Tech he was not quite physically ready for Big 12 play. I'm incredibly hopeful that Perry and strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie got to know each other intimately during the 2008 season and during the summer of 2009 and he's ready to burst onto the scene.

3: CB, Brent Nickerson

Nickerson is one of those incredibly frustrating players to watch. I know he has the athletic ability to play cornerback, but there were too many times last year where I felt like he got behind a receiver. I can't say that I'm privy to everything that's going on in Ruffin McNeill's defense meetings, but I have to believe that one of his tenants is not to get beat deep. Granted, part of the problem may be the safety not getting beat deep either, but Nickerson has his responsibility as well.

There may have been a couple of things that were working against Nickerson, the first being that he wasn't the full-time starter at the right corner spot, which initially went to L.A. Reed. Reed was injured, and then somewat back, but never made the impact considering his potential. The big statistic for me is the passes broken up, which was only 2 for the year, for Nickerson. For comparison purposes, Jamar Wall had 11 and Darcel McBath had 7. The numbers play this out, but there just weren't enough times that Nickerson was busting up a play, and that's a big part of playing cornerback.

Right now, Nickerson, along with Taylor Charbonnet and LaRon Moore, are battling for that right cornerback job. There are pluses and minuses with all three of these guys, and then you have the six freshmen defensive backs arriving in Lubbock looking to take someone's job.

4: LB, Bront Bird

I have a feeling that I may catch some flack for this pick, in part because it's tough to look at Bird's numbers from last year and complain very much. Bird was 4th on the team in tackles and 4th on the team in tackles for a loss. The biggest problem I have with Bird is that there were games where he would absolutely disappear (1 tackle vs. TAMU; 0 tackles vs. Texas; 2 tackles vs. Baylor). Granted, much of this can be attributed to match-up problems, i.e., Bird may not be quick enough to cover certain opponents due to match-up, and that's at the heart of the problem for me. Bird, while wonderful at certain things, has almost gotten to the point due to the increase in size where he's not able to be as versatile as I had hoped, especially because he was a safety coming out of high school. This may be a pipe dream, but the one thing that I'd love to see change on this defense is more speed at the linebacker position. I have a feeling that McNeill is headed that way and as mentioned above, it's hard to complain with the production of the three starters, Brian Duncan, Marlon Williams and Bird, but with the evolution of spread offenses in the Big 12, the more speed that you can have on the field, no matter position, I think the better you are. In fact, if you take a look at the linebackers from the 2009 recruiting class, the two commitments at linebacker that are in Lubbock are Dion Chidozie and Brandon Mahoney, both guys that can fly up and down the sidelines. I'm afraid that because of Bird's increase in size, he is a step slow to be useful in pass coverage and as more teams pass, especially in the spread offense, that's his fate.

5: DE/DT, Brandon Sesay

I hesitated putting Sesay's name here, but there's not doubt that he belongs here. There was a ton of hype following Brandon Sesay from junior college and whether this is a case of Sesay adjusting to a major college conference level or play, or adjusting to a new position, defensive tackle, but 8 tackles and 1 sack for the entire year just isn't going to cut it. Sesay is an absolute physical specimen at 6-6/278 and I think that McNeill made the right call last year, moving Sesay to defensive tackle, especially considering the overall depth at the defensive end position last year (Brandon Williams, McKinner Dixon, Jake Ratliff, etc.). But this year is a bit of a different story. With defections, graduations, and dismissals, Sesay becomes an integral part that defensive end rotation.

This spring, Sesay wasn't at spring practices, he was in the classroom working on his school work. If we can assume anything about Leach, it's that he will give you plenty of opportunity to get your grades up and if a guy is off the team, Leach won't hesitate to announce the move and go forward. Sesay did play in the spring game and finished the day with 3 tackles and 2 sakcs. I get the feeling that Leach wanted to keep Sesay motivated.

With that being said, Leach hasn't made any announcement, and I think it's safe to say that so long as Sesay working on his issues, then he'll be dressed and ready to play in 2009. There's no doubt that with Sesay's attributes, he's got visisions of NFL contracts dancing in his head, and he should. He's that type of talented, but the only way to prove to NFL draft folks that you're worthy of a pick (8 tackles and 1 sack will not do it), then be the guy this year. There's going to be opportunity to play and it's up to Sesay to prove it.

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe // 06.23.09

Seth C — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:09:57 -0000

Odds and Ends

I'm Back . . . Sorta

I got back into town yesterday evening and considering I'm heading into work this morning, I'm probably not going to be on schedule until next week. Just too much to do and not enough time. It would be fair to say that I'm going to be mailing it in until I have a weekend to catch-up. Not to mention, it would be fair to say that I haven't read anything related to sports or Texas Tech since last week so there's a ton that I've missed.

Texas Tech Football

Summer Preview

LJWorld's Eric Sorrentino is previewing every Big 12 team as Texas Tech is next on his list and I think at this point, it's standard operating procedure to note that the secondary will struggle for Texas Tech:

Senior cornerback Jamar Wall returns, but the rest of the secondary is gone, including starting safeties Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet, who combined for 12 interceptions last season. Much of the reason Tech shared the Big 12 South title was because of Ruffin McNeill's improved defense, which ranked third in the conference with 27.85 points per game given up last year. That may sound like a lot, but when you average 43.77, you'll more than likely win some games. Tech won 11.

Freshman safety Cody Davis established himself as a hard hitter in the spring, while junior Franklin Mitchem should occupy the other safety spot. It's an open competition for the spot opposite of Wall. If Tech is to make another run at the South title, the defense cannot revert to its old ways of getting picked apart for points.

It's a Little Early for the 2010 NFL Draft

It appears that the NFL scouts, or maybe specifically the National Football Posts' Wes Bunting scouts some of your Red Raiders (hat-tip Hyatt) which includes Marlon Winn, Brandon Carter, Edward Britton, Shawn Byrnes, Colby Whitlock, Rajon Henley and Jamar Wall. Some of Bunting's previews sound accurate, but then there are others where I wonder if we've watched the same player, but defintely a good read and certainly a different perspective.

Texas Tech Baseball

Brian Cloud Signs with Mariners

Per DT's Chris Martin, senior pitcher Brian Cloud, who went undrafted in the MLB draft, has signed on with the Seattle Mariners. Congrats to Brian and it sounds as if he's going to make the best of his opportunity:

"It doesn't matter if you were a top-five-round draft pick or a free agent like me, we all start off with an even slate and it is all based on performance," he said. "They will put me wherever they need me, and I expect to perform well."

Zach Stewart Pitching Well in the Minors

Baseball America's J.J. Cooper checks in with former Red Raider Zach Stewart, who is pitching incredibly well for the Carolina Mudcats and the Cincinnati Reds organizations.

"He definitely trusts (the changeup)," Beltran said. "He throws it in counts that I didn’t think he would because he believes in it. He’s worked on it since he’s been here. He had a little cut to it, not he’s getting more sink to it, which is what we want."

The development of the changeup gives Stewart a third option to go with an average slider and a plus fastball. Stewart’s calling card is his 93-94 mph fastball that combines velocity with plenty of sink. It’s not a strikeout pitch, but it is a ground-ball magnet.

"That sinker inside is devastating when you’re throwing 90-94 with that kind of movement," Beltran said. "I really haven’t seen anyone turn on it. Even when he misses, he misses off the plate."

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe // 06.16.09

Seth C — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:12:58 -0000

Odds and Ends

Extremely Slow

It's extremely slow this morning and I'm really grasping for content this morning. Since most NFL teams are starting mandatory workouts, I've done some quick searches on some 2009 draftees and that's your notes for today.

[Note by Seth C, 06/16/09 6:21 AM CDT ] I've been meaning to ask this, but does anyone have a link to the Texas Tech football schedule in iCal? I had a reader inquire and I meant to ask last week. Leave a comment or shoot me an email.

Texas Tech Football

Red Raiders in the NFL

Up first, guard Louis Vasquez appears to be a player on the rise with the San Diego Chargers. In fact, SB Nation blog Bolts From The Blue writes that Vasquez is the 5th most important player for 2009 success:

5. Louis Vasquez, RG I know, I know. Two impact rookies. I'll admit, though, that I'm not sold on Kynan Forney. Even as a project, if there wasn't something potentially wrong with his health long-term I feel that he would've gotten a better offer than what the Chargers signed him for. I also think that if management trusted him to return to form, Vasquez would not have been drafted. Now, onto Vasquez. That is a big, strong boy. Not Two-Ton Fonoti big either. Louis Vasquez is a brick wall, which is exactly what you want out of your right guard. He doesn't necessary need to have the best footwork, he just needs to be able to steamroll a defensive tackle when a running play is coming his way. I love his potential and think he's starting in week 1. Young offensive linemen can really help invigorate the group and provide offensive options that weren't there before. The Chargers went from 9 wins to 14 wins in one season with the only changes being McNeil, McCree and Rivers. I think we could see a similar situation in 2009.

LB Brandon Williams is making strides with the Dallas Cowboys as he converts from a 4-3 DE to a 3-4 OLB and is ahead of fellow LB, Victor Butler:

Third-year veteran Anthony Spencer will replace Ellis in the starting lineup on the strong side. Behind Spencer is a pair of fourth-round picks, Brandon Williams and Victor Butler. Both were 4-3 ends in college.

Head coach Wade Phillips has been impressed with Williams' improvement but admits Butler is "pretty far behind" after missing all of the OTA's while waiting to graduate. He and seventh-round pick Mike Mickens (graduation) returned to practice Monday.

S Darcel McBath is working with the startes with the Denver Broncos, although he has a long trek ahead to beat veterans Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill.

Texas Tech vs. Minnesota - #20 Most Memorable Big 12 Game

ESPN's Tim Griffin writes that Texas Tech's very memorable 44-41 win over Minnesota in the 2006 Insight Bowl was the 20th most memorable game of the Big 12. Just think, at 8:39 p.m. I called (jokingly) the 28 point comeback. And if you've never seen this video of Mike Leach during halftime of this game, as well as the highlights from the game.

TEXAS TECH 2006 INSIGHT BOWL (via rjxavier2000)

Texas Tech Baseball

Kenworthy Playing Summer Baseball

The Victoria Advocate's Jack Molitor has an excellent feature on 2B Joey Kenworthy, who is playing in Victoria for summer baseball:

He's always been the shortest guy on the field at 5 feet, 4 inches. He is the youngest child in a family with five older sisters. And his parents didn't even know if he would play again after he broke his leg during his senior year of high school.

But Kenworthy has succeeded. He is heading into his senior year at Texas Tech as a starter, and he has become a key facet in the offense of the first-place Generals.

And he's done it with a smile and a positive attitude.