SB Nation - Blake Collier

Position Matchups :: Kansas St. Wildcats Edition

Seth C — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:31 -0000

Texas Tech Passing Offense vs. Kansas St. Passing Defense

Texas Tech Pass Offense: This is going to be a bit tricky for Texas Tech. As much as everyone loves the backup quarterback, QB Steven Sheffield certainly has his deficiencies. He doesn't have the arm that Taylor Potts possesses, but I think the offense is in fine hands with Sheffield. What Sheffield does bring to the game is more mobility and because he doesn't have the big arm, he's going to rely on the short quick passing game, which if it looks anything like it did last week, then you can expect to see quite a bit more of Harrison Jeffers catching passes out of the backfield. Right now, it's a grab-bag of receivers and I think this is going to be what you see week-in and week-out. Someone is going to have a big day, whether it's Tramain Swindall, Lyle Leong, Alexander Torres, or Detron Lewis. And that's the rub, there is no Michael Crabtree drawing a double-team every play and these receivers need to work their tails off to get open each and every play. The fact that the offensive line will have Brandon Carter back is significant for this group. Although the line stumbled last week against New Mexico, giving up 5 sacks for 54 yards. That's uncharacteristic of this group, but that's the sort of thing that happens when an offensive line coach is trying to fill gaps on the line.

Kansas St. Pass Defense: The Wildcats have the 7th best passing defense in the nation, but this is a tad bit decieving. First, anytime you're in the top 10 of anything and the college football season is 5 games deep, there is something there, but in the case of Kansas St., of their 5 opponents they're not exactly throwing the ball around. UMass is 22nd in FBS, La-Lafayette is 74th, UCLA is 102nd, Tennessee Tech is 83rd and Iowa St. is 106th. Kansas St. hasn't quite played a true passing team so it will be interesting to see how the Wildcats hold up. K-State is led by SS Tysyn Hartman, who seems to do just about everything, but he's leading his team with 26 tackles, 3 interceptions and 4 pass break-ups. CB Joshua Moore is 4th on the team with 22 tackles, 1 interception and 3 PBU. The rest of the secondary is rounded out by CB David Garrett and FS Emmanuel Lamur. I mentioned the other day that K-State is having a tough time getting to the quarterback and thus far, the entire team has only managed 4 sacks for the year. I would imagine that K-State is going to do something to change that this weekend, or Sheffield is going to have plenty of time competing passes.

Advantage: K-State's been good thus far, but I'll put my money on Texas Tech.

Texas Tech Rushing Offense vs. Kansas St. Rushing Defense

Texas Tech Rush Offense: The rushing offense, despite the 120th ranking is improving. The problem is those pesky sacks getting included in the rushing totals. Last week, Harrison Jeffers (8 : 29 : 3 TD) and Baron Batch (8 : 47 : 1 TD) combined for 16 carries and 76 yards and 4 touchdowns. That's not too bad of production from this group and at the very least, it's better than what it was before where there was literally no production. I'll take 16 carries, although I'm still a proponent of more carries, especially when the running backs are having some success running the ball. Just as there will be an upgrade at right guard with the return of Brandon Carter, you can also expect to see the line struggle a bit with Justin Keown at center, if Byrnes is unable to go. I'm not as worried about Keown in the rushing game as I am in the passing game, but Keown is responsible for making the necessary reads and going into the meat of conference play with a brand new center is tough.

Kansas St. Rush Defense: A surprising (at least for me) 38th in the nation in stopping the run. Thus far, against their opponents, the Wildcats have allowed 110 (UMass); 102 (La.-Lafayette); 173 (UCLA); -19 (Tenn. Tech); and 207 (Iowa St.). Although statistically, K-State is pretty good against the run the numbers don't necessarily bear this out, especially when there are 2 games of over 170 yards. The defensive line and linebacking groups are led mostly by upper-classmen. LB's John Houlik and Ulla Pomele are seniors, while Troy Butler is a junior. DL Jeffrey Fitzgerald, Daniel Calvin and Hansen Sekona are all seniors, while DT Raphael Guidry is a sophomore. I'd like to think that a coach like Bill Snyder is going to try to take advantage of some young personnel along the offensive line and I'll be interested to see what, if anything, KSU does to stop the run against Texas Tech. Right now, the advantage goes to Kansas St.

Advantage: Just based on production alone, this goes to K-State.

Kansas St. Passing Offense vs. Texas Tech Passing Defense

Kansas St. Pass Offense: Some things are going to change with Grant Gregory at quarterback. I recall watching Case Coffman against Texas Tech last year and being relatively impressed, but I think Snyder likes the senior leadership that Gregory brings and it gives Coffman another year to take things in. I don't blame Snyder for wanting to win now and Gregory does seem give K-State a more steady signal-caller, but I do think the passing game takes a bit of a hit. Coffman's biggest problem was that he's already had 4 interceptions in only 95 attempts (that's 1 INT per 23.75 attempts, compared with Potts, who was just awful with 1 INT per 39.16 attempts). In any event, Gregory still seemed to find his play makers last week against Iowa St. in the speedy Brandon Banks (4 : 66 : 1 TD) and Lamark Brown (3 : 66 : 1 TD). Banks (23 : 289 : 2 TD) is clearly the game-breaker of the bunch as the rest of the receiving crew has 160 yards or less, but I think Red Raider fans would be wise to be mindful of TE Jeron Mastrud. Tight ends are something that Texas Tech really hasn't seen thus far this year and it will be interesting to see how that matchup will work.

Texas Tech Pass Defense: CB Jamar Wall and CB LaRon Moore were pretty good last week against New Mexico, enough to earn my defensive co-MVP, but I'm not sure how much these guys will get tested this week. I know what Ruffin is going to do defensively, and it's going to drive me insane, and I know that it should work against a quarterback that's not a game-breaker with his arm. That's not to say that Gregory can't beat a team, but Ruffin's going to make damn sure that doesn't happen. I'm not sure what McNeill is going to do at safety, but if neither Cody Davis or Franklin Mitchem are ready to play, I think you'll see a steady diet of Brett Dewhurst, Brent Nickerson and Will Ford willing in the safety positions. Julius Howard, despite being promoted to 2nd team linebacker with Blake Collier taking a leave of absense, could see a number of different positions on Saturday. The one thing I'd like to see the defensive line do this week is work on containment when K-State's Gregory goes back to pass.

Advantage: Push. Both have struggled to either really stop anyone or gain some yards through the air.

Kansas St. Rushing Offense vs. Texas Tech Rushing Defense

Kansas St. Rush Offense: The backbone of the K-State team is their rushing offense. Led by RB Daniel Thomas, who sits at 16th in the nation with 105.8 yards a game and 4 touchdowns. Add to that dual-threat QB Gregory and you've got me worried. Again, Gregory only had 29 yards last week against Iowa St., but from what I've read about Gregory, he's an athletic quarterback that can run if he wants. Behind that rushing attack is solid mix along the offensive line. The left side is led by LT Nick Stringer, a senior, and LG Zach Kendall a junior. The right side of the line has two sophomores leading the way, Colten Freeze and Clyde Aufner while C Wade Weibert rounds out the rest of the line. To speak a bit to K-State's efficiency in running the ball, Daniel Thomas has only had 19 lost rushing yards in 116 carries. When K-State gets a push, they move forward.

Texas Tech Rush Defense: Statistically, this group has made the most improvement over the past year and stopping opponents against the run is one of the biggest indicators of a successful team. Last year, the rushing defense was giving up 100.00 yards a game, good for 25th in the nation, against 2 FCS teams and SMU and Nevada. This year, playing against just 1 FCS team and 2 top 20 teams, the Red Raiders sit at 28th in the nation at 105.40 yards a game. I know you're thinking that this is not improvement, but this group has been better and Ruffin McNeill has done a good job of working in plenty of depth, regardless of whether or not he was forced to do it. The linebacker crew continues to play well, but there's room for improvement. I should also say that my favorite trait in watching Daniel Howard play is that he has a motor that just doesn't quit and the more I watch the defense, I keep thinking that the rest of the group has adopted that philosophy in just continuing to work the offense, play after play. Eventually, the offense is going to wear down or make a mistake.

Advantage: Kansas St. is the clear winner here.

Ed. Note: I've been a little busy this week and this is all I had the time to write.

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 09.25.09

Seth C — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:19:52 -0000

Odds and Ends

A Few Things: Interesting article from DMN's Rick Gosselin who talked with Hall of Famer QB, Joe Montana, who thinks that the spread offense can keep players from the NFL, although both of his sons play almost all or some of the spread concept . . . Ryan Hyatt and Don Williams have a brand new website . . . alcohol and beer is finally in Lubbock (hat-tip DC @ BON):

Students, vendors enjoy first day of alcohol sales (via DailyToreador)

Texas Tech Football

Collier Leaves Team, Three DE's Return: LAJ's Don Williams is reporting that WLB Blake Collier has left the team and linebacker turned safety, Julius Howard, is now moving back to linebacker to back up Marlon Williams. Here's Captain Leach commenting:

"I’m not concerned about it,’’ Leach said. "The guys that are here, you coach them.’’

Hmmmm. Seems like a strange response and you would think that if the feeling was mutual, Leach's response would have been different, like "we wish Blake the best of luck". This makes the weakside linebacker position a little thin, and I think that you'll see one of the freshmen linebackers, Brandon Mahoney or Dion Chidozie, battle with Howard to fill the spot next year.

Also in the story, out for this week's game is FB Ryan Hale and SS Franklin Mitchem, while DE's Rajon Henley, Ryan Haliburton and Brandon Sharpe all return for the Houston game.

Erxleben to Remain Punter: LAJ's Don Williams writes that freshman punter Ryan Erxleben will continue to punt for the Red Raiders and special teams coach Eric Russell talks about Erxleben:

"That’s what we’re going to get from him as a young guy,’’ Russell said. "As he gets stronger and things like that, obviously the distance will come. The thing he’s pretty consistent with is an adequate hang time, and his operation time is pretty good at getting the ball off.’’

Russell also talks about Corona losing the job and the role he will continue to fill with the team:

"No one’s more disappointed than Donnie was, obviously,’’ Russell said. "His previous punt, even though it wasn’t as big a punt as that one (against Texas), wasn’t really what we were looking for. It was too big a game to let it happen again.

"So take a little pressure off him, let him handle kickoffs. I knew Ryan mentality wise, it wasn’t going to bother him being in Texas (stadium). He’s kicked in that stadium before, and I’ve been telling him to stay ready every week.’’

Freshman Focus on Chris Knighton: LAJ's Don Williams is shining the spotlight on redshirt freshmen and up this week is DE Chris Knighton. Here's defensive line coach Charlie Sadler on Knighton:

"He’s like most of the young guys," Sadler said. "He’s done really a very good job competing. I say that based upon Thursday evening scrimmages that we have. The thing you like about him, and I can see about our young redshirt defensive ends, is they have all gotten better each week. I’ve been pleased with their progress so far."

Kingsbury Conflicted: SAEN's Jerry Briggs sits down with former Red Raider Kliff Kingsbury, who the Captain says helped change the culture at Texas Tech:

"When we first started," said Leach, who took over for Spike Dykes at Tech in 2000, "a lot of folks thought I was nuts to throw the ball, and they thought Kliff was some guy out there that was just average and throwing it too much.

"Of course he went on to rewrite the record books, not only at Tech, but also nationally. He was very instrumental in where we are today."

And Kingsbury remembers those late nights studying film:

"We took our bumps and bruises early," Kingsbury said. "We spent many Sunday nights up there until 1 or 2 a.m., just me and him, watching film and trying to improve. And, eventually we did."

High School Competitors: The Reporter News' talks with the high school coaches for both QB Taylor Potts and QB Case Keenum.

Familiar Look: ESPN's Tim Griffin writes that the Red Raiders are set to face a very familiar team in the Houston Cougars. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill talks about what Houston does offensively:

"They are a challenge for anybody," McNeill said. "Houston has a great set of skill-position people and a big, strong offensive line. They do a good job of blending and mixing plays. They like to stretch you vertically and horizontally and make it tough for a defense."

So whether Holgorsen really has an advantage over the Red Raiders is debatable.

"I think it’s a draw," McNeill said. "He knows me as well as well as I know him. I think the game will depend on which team ends up making the most plays."

Assorted Texas Tech, Houston Cougar and Big 12 Links: Rock M Nation with Beyond the Box Score for week 3 and the SB Nation Big 12 Roundtable Recap . . . with DT's Alex Ybarra writes about the renewed SWC rivalry between Texas Tech and Houston . . . the Chron's Steve Campbell writes that a win against Texas Tech will be the next step for Houston . . . the Chron's Richard Justice writes that the Cougars are gaining confidence . . . ESPN's Graham Watson writes that Houston hopes that their maturity keeps them humble . . . SI's Stewart Mandel writes that Kevin Sumlin has the Cougars in the BCS hunt . . . Kansas City Star's Blair Kerkoff has a well written Big 12 Insider . . .

Neglected Video: Fox34 with a preview of the defenses:

Depth Charting // The Linebackers

Seth C — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:00:10 -0000

Linebacker

Weak Linebacker	Middle Linebacker	Strong Linebacker
Marlon Williams (39) SR; 6-0/218	Brian Duncan (57) JR; 6-1/240	Bront Bird (20) JR; 6-3/240
Blake Collier (35) JR; 6-2/212	Sam Fehoko (41) RS SO; 5-11/220	Tyrone Sonier (45) RS SO; 6-2/225
Dion Chidozie (23) FR; 6-1/194	Chris Wallace (58) SR; 5-11/199	Brandon Mahoney (19) FR; 6-2/203

Weakside: At one point of watching Marlon Williams I wasn't too impressed, but as the season wore on last year, the more I came to appreciate the job that Williams does. That's not to say that I think he's a perfect player, but Texas Tech could do a lot worse than Williams. I know that isn't necessarily a ringing endorsement, but he's more than a serviceable player. He's not great, he's very solid. Blake Collier has struggled to find the field for the past two years as he rehabbed from a torn hamstring. If Collier can stay healthy, then I have no doubt that his superior speed and nose for the ball will pay off for Texas Tech next year. An experienced player who has speed to burn is a welcome addition to any team. Dion Chidozie is the prototypical linebacker that I can see Ruffin McNeill recruit from this point forward. Lanky with lots of speed and athleticism.

Middle: Brian Duncan is the unquestioned leader of the defense, and despite not getting enough Big 12 looks, he is an All Big 12 performer. Duncan is a model citizen and tremendous against the run. What more could you ask for from a middle linebacker? Behind Duncan is Sam Fehoko, who struggled coming out of high school because he was asked to change positions, from a rushing defensive end who was asked to just run after the quarterback at all costs, to a read-and-react middle linebacker. It's taken Fehoko two years, but I think he's finally ready to make the move. Another guy who looked pretty good in the spring game. McNeill signed James Scott in the 2009 recruiting class and I think that McNeill wanted his linebacking corp of the future. Despite the fact that Scott didn't qualify, I'm thinking that Scott makes an appearance in Lubbock after his two year stint in JUCO. I get the feeling that by sticking with Scott through this process, it's an indication that McNeill still wants this guy. From a size and speed standpoint, he's your prototypical middle linebacker. If Texas Tech gets down to Chris Wallace playing middle linebacker, the Red Raiders have big problems.

Strong: I really shouldn't be down on any player, but Bront Bird's lack of speed bothers me to no end. I know, I need to be supportive, but the truth of the matter is that Bird needs to be quicker and run up and down the sideline. Bird would have been perfect a few years ago, a big, bulky linebacker who could stop the run, but with the increase in the spread offense, Bird needs to be able to cover a lot of ground. His backup, Tyrone Sonier, is another high school defensive end converted to linebacker. I can't say that I've watched him that much, but from what I have seen of him, I do know that he can run and I think he's faster than Bird. I could very well be wrong about that, but I don't think I am. Brandon Mahoney is the commit that switched from Oklahoma to Texas Tech fairly late in the process. Whether it was a situation where OU didn't think Mahoney would qualify, I'm happy as hell that he did. Again, another prototypical linebacker. Athletic, rangy and speed to boot.

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 // 08.18.09

Seth C — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:20:56 -0000

Odds and Ends

Get Your Guns Up: You may have to get fairly close to your computer, but I don't think this picture needs any explanation (although there is one):

via kcbd.images.worldnow.com

Texas Tech Track

Roberts Runs at World Championships: This gets top billing this morning because 400m runner Gil Roberts competed in the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Roberts ran in the 5th heat this morning and finished with a time of 46.41. Despite not qualifying for the next round, this is a huge honor and congratulations to Roberts for competing on such a high level.

Texas Tech Football

Collier Hopes to Rebound: LAJ's Don Williams features linebacker weakside Blake Collier, who is currently backing up Marlon Williams, and his rough past two years (tearing the same hamstring two years in a row), but is looking for 2009 to be the year he gets on the field again:

"It was frustrating at first," he said, "but then I just looked at it as time to get better, rebuild, get my body right, get more flexible.

"I think I got a lot stronger, so I think it was a good year. Everything happens for a reason. That was one of those things that you just have to find the good in it."

Collier's biggest motivation is that he's a junior this year, and should he continue to perform, he will replace Williams in 2010.

Scrimmage Update: LAJ's Don Williams has a scrimmage update from yesterday and freshman RB Eric Stephens is making plays and breaking tackles:

Freshman running back Eric Stephens highlighted the scrimmage with a tackle-busting 14-yard touchdown off a screen pass from Taylor Potts. Safety Daniel Cobb hit Stephens hard and square, but Stephens bounced off, ran through another tackle by linebacker Sam Fehoko and carried linebacker Tyrone Sonier the last few yards into the end zone.

"It was one of the most impressive runs of the camp,’’ Tech coach Mike Leach said.

Go read the whole article for more details on last night's scrimmage.

Tech Football Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams discusses IR Adam James pushing Tramain Swindall and Cornelius Douglas . . . autograph night is at 7:00 p.m. this Friday night . . . full pads are scheduled to Monday, which is the last day of open practices . . .

Johnson in Focus: RedRaiderSports.com's Paul Lowery talks with freshman CB D.J. Johnson:

HOW HAVE THE OLDER GUYS AT CORNER HELPED YOU?

"Everybody, they’ve all played a part in it. The only thing is that [Jamar] Wall and the other cornerbacks teach you things, but you have to put your own little twist into it. So it’s like, ‘We’ll give you the basics, the things that you need to succeed but, you got to throw your own little twist into it to make if feel comfortable for you.’ What I do may not feel comfortable, but I mean everybody that’s on the team is helping me out tremendously."

Summary of 2009 Rule Changes: I'm pretty sure that I've posted something similar to this before, but Kevin Donahue of Fanblogs.com summarized the football rule changes in 2009.

Scouting the Enemy: per NewsOK, the Oklahoma Sooners believe that DT Frank Alexander will be pretty good this year . . . also per NewsOK, the Oklahoma St. Cowboys unveiled their T. Boone Pickens locker rooms . . . Rock Chalk Talk previews the Kansas Jayhawks cornerbacks . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin has scrimmage reports from Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma St., and Texas A&M . . . Crimson and Cream Machine interviews SI's Phil Taylor . . . Bring On The Cats breaks down Kansas St. Wildcats quarterback situation . . . And The Valley Shook, a LSU Tigers blog, breaks down the Big 12 quarterbacks

Alumni: Former offensive lineman Glenn January is playing for Winnipeg in the CFL . . .

5 Things // Players You May Have Forgotten, But Shouldn't

Seth C — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:30:09 -0000

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

Players You May Have Forgotten, But Shouldn't

There's 105 players on the fall roster, you're bound to forget a few, but these are five players that that I think are important, in some way or another, to this team's success. I'd love to hear you add to this list or add your own five.

1: LB Blake Collier

You probably won't remember, but Blake Collier played in four games in 2008 totalling all of 5 tackles for the year. Collier missed almost all of last year due to injuries and I think he was able to redshirt last year, which may turn out to be a good thing. Collier was originally recruited as a linebacker out of high school, but his tremendous speed and athleticism had coaches thinking that he would be better suited for safety. Of course, with the evolution of the spread offense, this seems completely opposite of what you would want to do with fast and athletic players, Collier is no exception. At some point, Collier was moved back to linebacker, a move that makes sense and now he's firmly behind Marlon Williams at the weakside linebacker spot. Personally, I could see Collier being a fairly useful and versatile player. He has the speed to play safety, albeit a slow safety, and enough size to play linebacker, albeit a bit undersized. The point is that Collier is going to find a place on the field this year. Perhaps in a Jordy Rowland type of role where he could cover a slot receiver or a running back coming out of the backfield.

2: QB Seth Doege

I've heard just about everything about Doege, that he was going to push Taylor Potts for the first-team offense and that Doege had "it". Then the Red-Black game happened and Doege looked pretty bad, especially in comparison with Potts and second-stringer, Steven Sheffield. I was on the field after the scrimmage and you could tell that his performance bothered him to no end, but there are a couple of things to take away from a scrimmage. First, despite the fact that there was a crowd and different players in different colored jerseys, the Red-Black game should have no more or no less impact than any of the other scrimmages. We heard almost all spring that Doege was pushing Potts, and we heard very little about Sheffield. I'm pretty sure that if Doege can shake off two significant knee injuries, then one scrimmage shouldn't be too tough. Despite Sheffield's rise, I'm hoping like hell that Doege makes it tough on Potts and Sheffield the rest of the way. Complacency is never a good thing, and to be quite honest, I think Doege is too talented to be too far back on the bench. With Jacob Karam getting some press on Saturday, it's easy to forget about the guys that you were pretty excited about three or four months ago, but Doege is one of those guys for me.

3: DT Britton Barbee

Just like the other guys, Barbee is a guy that I tend to forget, and perhaps there's good reason why he's fallen off the radar a bit. Thus far, Barbee hasn't really made any sort of impact on the field and with all of the issues going on in the defensive line, you would think that Barbee is going to at the very least get a look at cracking the defensive line rotation. I know that we're all excited about the additions of guys like Myles Wade and Pearlie Graves, but I think we'd be a bit remiss if we didn't at least mention Barbee. Barbee hasn't made it onto the field, but he's making progress and the coaches are taking note. Barbee's first year was in 2006, redshirted in 2007, and was on the scout team in 2008. That scout team part is significant as Barbee was awarded the Defensive Scout of the Year in 2008 (Cornelius Douglas was the Offensive Scout of the Year). If I remember correctly, Barbee was a svelte 280 early in his career, and has beefed up to 296 over the course of this three years at Texas Tech (I even said during the Red-Black game that he looked like he had a high motor and he added weight). If Barbee isn't a big player in 2009, I can almost guarantee that he'll be a significant player in 2010. One other thing to note about Barbee is the fact that he's a pre-medicine major, which obviously leads me to believe that he's got a good head on his shoulder and that's got to be an advantage for Barbee's development.

4: RG Mickey Okafor

We've talked quite a bit about most of the other four starting offensive linemen, but there's been very little talk about the right guard spot, although this spot is being handed, at least right now, to a redshirt sophomore. Technically, this is the only position that Olson isn't a backup, although I have no doubt that he could play here if there are issues here. In any event, it appears that as of right now, offensive line coach Matt Moore is going with either Okafor or Gallington. I would imagine that true freshman LaAdrian Waddle might be the guy that Moore will eventually move to right guard, which means that you've got some real young guys at this spot. But back to Okafor, who is somewhat of a forgotten man along the line, although I think that the success of the Red Raider rushing offense is going to be awfully dependent on Okafor creating space for guys like RB's Baron Batch, Aaron Crawford and Harrison Jeffers.

5: S Julius Howard and NT Victor Hunter

Couldn't pick just five players, so this is a cop-out of sorts as I pick two players who are recently converted to new positions. Howard is one of those players who is blessed with seemingly incredible athletic ability, but just hasn't been able to put it all together to get on the field. With the crowd at linebacker, Howard was moved to safety during the spring in order to compete for playing time. Howard dropped his weight to 208 and I get the feeling that DB coach Carlos Mainord likes to have some experience in his nickel and dime packages, which makes sense. If Howard has even been remotely a good student of the game, he should have some understanding as to where he needs to be. Hunter on the other hand is a guy that was on the edge of being a linebacker and a lineman. Hunter checked in at 250 last year and mainly saw time at the middle linebacker spot in short yardage and goal line situations. The switch was made during the spring and Hunter has blossomed to 275. I get the feeling that Hunter will see similar time that he did in 2008 in that I do think he can be an effective player along the defensive line, and right now, I think he's right behind Colby Whitlock at the nose tackle position. I always like Hunter as a player, and I get the feeling that he's a good guy to have on your side.

5 Things // Biggest Questions Heading into Fall Practice

Seth C — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:00:32 -0000

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

Biggest Questions Heading into Fall Practice

Practice is mere days away (Saturday actually) and I thought that it might not be a bad idea to ask what are my biggest questions heading into fall practice. These are obviously my biggest questions, but I'd like to know what's bothering you as we start the season?

1: Who will play left tackle?

I think we've discussed the options ad naseum, but it appears that the two options will be reshirt freshman Terry McDaniel (6-7/335) or junior Chris Olson (6-5/296). From my very untrained eye, I think McDaniel is ready to be the guy this year, but I can understand, especially with some early games against difficult opponents, that Olson may be the safer option. McDaniel has all-conference talent, right now, but there's no doubt that Olson knows the blocking schemes backwards and forwards, perhaps better than anyone on the team as Olson is prepared to play a number of positions this fall if he doesn't lock into the left tackle spot.

2: Who will step up as the third and fourth receiver options?

Looking back in past years, the top four receivers usually account for about 69% of the yardage and 72% of the touchdowns in the Texas Tech offense. A lot of this talk about fifth and sixth guys stepping up sounds nice, but history tends to lean towards four guys. Right now, we're looking at Ed Britton at the split end, Tramain Swindall and Detron Lewis at the inside receivers and a mix of Jacoby Franks, Alexander Torres or Lyle Leong at the flanker position. I'm pretty comfortable with thinking that Detron Lewis is more than capable of being the lead guy and I'm slightly torn that as to whether or not the second guy is going to be Britton or Swindall, but I'm thinking that Swindall has a break-out year. That means Britton has to be the guy that steps up the consistency of his game. He's great at a lot of other things that make this offense click, but the dude needs to catch four to five passes a game. That leaves the flanker position completely up in the air, at least right now. And don't get me wrong, I'd love to see guys like Austin Zouzalike or Cornelius Douglas or someone else get some burn at any receiver position, but history is not on their side.

3: How quickly will the inexperienced safeties adjust?

It's not a stretch to think that Cody Davis is going to be pretty damned good for quite some time. He has good size, not great speed, but all you hear about the defense rave about with Davis is his ability to take good angles making tackles. If anything, this somewhat demonstrates his ability to understand how the game is played. I must say that I'm a bit concerned about Davis' counterpart, Franklin Mitchem, only because he's really not getting the same type of recognition that Davis is. Mitchem didn't do anything during the spring game to make me think that he couldn't play, but he didn't stand out either. If it's not Mitchem, then you can look for one of the freshmen defensive backs to make a splash, and if I had to guess right now, it would be Will Ford or Terrance Bullitt.

4: Will Ruffin McNeill be more creative in his defensive philosophy?

This is the $64,000 question, isn't it? I think Ruffin is at a crossroads with the defense and he's slowly but surely building it into what he's envisioning, which is lots of speed, and then some extra speed, just in case. The lone remaining position that needs some upgrade is the linebacker spot, and there are guys that have speed, but they haven't quite yet cracked the top three spots . . . yet. And although this bit is focused on the linebackers, I think there is something to be said about how the defensive line and the defensive backs are athletically and how McNeill perhaps changes scheme to be more aggressive. This is going to be a big spring for guys like Bront Bird and Marlon Williams. They're going to need to step up and make some plays, all over the field, if they're going to keep their jobs on a full-time basis. That means moving sideline to sideline, and McNeill has recruited guys that can do this in Brandon Mahoney and Dion Chidozie. That's not to say that guys like Sam Fehoko, Tyrone Sonier or Blake Collier are positioning themselves to be right in the mix as well, but the philosophy is changing, it's just a matter of time.

5: Will a second cornerback step-up?

Another defensive back question, and much like the safety position, there's the incumbents and then there's the freshmen. Last year, the hasty L.A. Reed experiement failed, for a variety of reasons, but mainly because he couldn't stay on the field. Brent Nickerson struggled to keep receivers in front of him, which I think is one of McNeill's big tenants in playing his defense. During the spring, it was a neck-and-neck-and-neck race between Nickerson, LaRon Moore and Taylor Charbonnet. I'm almost at the point that I know what Nickerson can do and I know what Moore can do, but I'm getting to the point that I'd like to see more out of Charbonnet. I know that he's a bit undersized, however, he has put on about 15 pounds since last fall and is up to 175. That's respectable and if speed is his biggest attribute, then perhaps that speed can be a bit of a neutralizer. Then again, if none of those three can step up opposite Jamar Wall, then perhaps you see one of the freshman back here. Maybe Yashua Williams is the best choice, and D.J. Johnson is probably too raw at this point.

Red-Black Spring Game Roundup // Red Defense

Seth C — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:00:12 -0000

Red Defense

Defensive Line

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the size and consistency of DT Britton Barbee I know he's listed at 282 pounds, but he's added some weight and I was pretty impressed with his motor. I can see why the staff liked Barbee for his play during the Thursday night scrimmage. He didn't show up in the boxscore, but he's morphed himself into one of those plugging defensive linemen. Barbee may not get much time this year (he's a sophomore and will be a junior), but he's going to be a nice surprise to some of the graduating defensive talent after 2009. Colby Whitlock is as solid as he was last year. No worries about his play. Rajon Henley looked comfortable at both tackle and defensive end. Much like Whitlock, he's going to be solid, I just wonder how if he's got that playmaking ability that Dixon and Williams had (i.e. does he have the speed to get around the edge or the strength to get a push). Brandon Sesay was the surprise and made big plays, finishing with 3 tackles, two of which were sacks. He was going up against Joe King and so his competition wasn't the greatest. Take his performance with a grain of salt. If Sesay can be consistant with his play, then I like his chances, but he's got to do it in the classroom and on the field for more than just one or two plays. Brandon Sharpe also finished the day with 2 sacks and as good as Daniel Howard looked for the White Defense, Sharpe did for the Red Defense. I still think Howard is a bit more solid, but Sharpe is going to see quite a bit of time at defensive end.

Linebacker

Loved the play of Tyrone Sonier and I'm thinking that if he can take some time from Bront Bird, he adds a different dimension. I think he's got more speed than Bird and he's more likely to make plays whereas I tend to think that Bird will disappear during games. Sonier led the team with 6 tackles and one sack. Brian Duncan manned the middle admirably and I found myself watching more of Sonier and Blake Collier. I didn't notice anything glaring about Duncan's play. But to Collier, I like his speed at weakside linebacker and his interception reminded me that he's a former safety who should be pretty good in coverage. I'd love to see Ruffin McNeill take advantage of that. Sandy Riley made two tackles, but I didn't notice him too much. Again, watching Sonier and Collier.

Secondary

As much as people are talking about Steven Sheffield's play against the Red Defense, I just didn't see it. I saw a Red Defense that didn't give up too many huge play, registered 5 sacks and 8 tackles for a loss. Yes, Sheffield looked okay, but I was honestly impressed with the play of the secondary and I thought that when I wrote about the White Offense, there were times that I thought Seth Doege had no options to throw the ball, all because the secondary had everyone covered up. I really liked the play of the safeties. I loved Franklin Mitchem and now I understand why the staff thinks he's going to start. Very rangy and a good hitter. He's going to be fine starting alongside Cody Davis. Brent Nickerson looked good at cornerback, although I'm not sure that he or Jarrell Routt breaks into the two-deep. With that being said, I thought that these guys played well. I wish I had noticed the play of Jared Flannel and Julius Howard, but in trying to watch so many other positions, I didn't pay as much attention to them as I probably should have. Booo, me.

Poll

Who was the MVP of the Red Defense in the Red-Black Scrimmage?

Britton Barbee

8 votes

Brandon Sesay

24 votes

Tyrone Sonier

10 votes

Blake Collier

6 votes

Franklin Mitchem

3 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

Red vs. Black, Spring Position Battles: Linebacker

Seth C — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:00:15 -0000

A position-by-position look at the Texas Tech Red Raiders heading into spring practice. "Classifications" are based on entering school next fall. "Probable Roles" are merely guesses and welcome comments, thoughts and suggestions.

LINEBACKER

Middle	Brian Duncan	Sam Fehoko	Victor Hunter
Height:	6-1	5-11	5-11
Weight:	238	236	256
Classification:	Junior	Sophomore	Senior
Probable Role:	Starter	Second String	Run Defense Specialist

Ruffin McNeill has said that he's going to give Sam Fehoko a ton of time this spring to figure out if he's going to be a major player in 2009. Personally, I love Brian Duncan and I think he has a world of potential, especially considering what he did as a sophomore (he did redshirt in 2006) is pretty impressive. I'm a big fan of competition, and when you watched video of Sam Fehoko in high school (which I cannot seem to locate) he was a play-making defensive end that didn't have any responsibility other than to rush up the field. He had ability, and he made plays, but Fehoko's problem was technique and that seems to be his biggest stumbling block thus far. With that being said, this may be where the coaching staff is with the Duncan/Fehoko conundrum. Duncan is technically a very sound player, but he doesn't make a ton of plays, but he's incredibly solid. Fehoko makes plays, but isn't technically sound, or at least not yet.

Victor Hunter is only a run-stopping specialist and goal line player. He's too big and too slow to do much else, which creates liability questions in pass defense. He's very good at what he does, but this is all he is.

Strong	Bront Bird	Tyrone Sonier	Chris Wallace
Height:	6-3	6-2	5-11
Weight:	226	215	208
Classification:	Junior	Sophomore	Senior
Probable Role:	Starter	Second String	Third String

I think there are a lot of people that are very high on Bront Bird, but I'm a little cautious. I think he's talented and I think he's the unquestioned starter, but I'm not sure that he's an absolute lock. McNeill mentioned on Tech Talk that Sonier has added 20 pounds, so go ahead and push him up to 235 or so, and from I recall about Sonier, he was also in the mold of a pass-rushing defensive end that made plays, and with the addition of some strength, I think Sonier pushes Bird for playing time next year. Bird's biggest attribute is that he's a big guy that can play the run, but as teams in the Big 12 move towards spread offenses, I think it serves McNeill better if he has options rather than see Bird, who I believe was pushed out at times with a safety or covering a slot receiver. I don't know much about Wallace, other than he had a good spring last year and will probably be just a backup and an emergency plan.

Weak	Marlon Williams	Blake Collier	Julius Howard
Height:	6-0	6-2	6-1
Weight:	224	211	210
Classification:	Senior	Junior	Junior
Probable Role:	Starter	Second String	Third String

Much like the other two positions, I see Williams being a guy that can be pushed. He too was oftentimes covering the opposing team's slot receiver and that was not a matchup that I thought favored Texas Tech. With Collier taking off of all year with the redshirt, I'm hoping that he can play that hybrid safety/linebacker position and be a better option. I know the staff likes Williams and I do too, but the point of all of this is to push a guy that was an incumbent last year. Collier has superior speed and was at safety before being moved to linebacker last year and I'm a huge fan of putting speed out on the field, again as a result of teams going 3 and 4 wide. Howard has all of the athletic ability in the world, but this hasn't translated to significant playing time. Look for Howard to back up most, if not all positions if there's a significant injury. I sort of see him as being a versatile player that could be moved around if needed.

Feshmen	Dion Chidozie (W)	Brandon Mahoney (S)	James Scott (M)
Height:	6-1	6-2	6-3
Weight:	190	210	220
Classification:	Freshman	Freshman	Freshman
Probable Role:	Redshirt	Possible Redshirt	Needs to Qualify

I believe that there's a good chance that Scott doesn't qualify (I don't know this other than what I've heard) and Mahoney still has some work to do. Scott is an incredibly talented athlete and if he could ever get qualified, or spend a year or two at a JUCO, that could serve him well. Mahoney is one of the players that was originally committed to Oklahoma and I think he's much closer to qualifying than Scott, he still has some work to do, but it's not as much of a stretch. Chidozie is the wildcard and he's got great speed, but needs to put on weight to play at this level. I love his athleticism and McNeill mentioned on Tech Talk that he wants athletes and then he can coach them up. Chidozie fits that mold.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Competition is the key this spring and although there are three starters returning, the key will be how much, if at all, the second string guys can push the starters.

Thanks to kayakyar for helping out.

Previous Battles:
Quarterback :: Running Back :: Receivers :: Offensive Line :: Defensive Line ::

SB Nation - Blake Collier

Position Matchups :: Kansas St. Wildcats Edition

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 09.25.09

Odds and Ends

Texas Tech Football

Depth Charting // The Linebackers

Linebacker

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

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe // 08.18.09

Odds and Ends

Texas Tech Track

Texas Tech Football

5 Things // Players You May Have Forgotten, But Shouldn't

Players You May Have Forgotten, But Shouldn't

1: LB Blake Collier

2: QB Seth Doege

3: DT Britton Barbee

4: RG Mickey Okafor

5: S Julius Howard and NT Victor Hunter

5 Things // Biggest Questions Heading into Fall Practice

Biggest Questions Heading into Fall Practice

1: Who will play left tackle?

2: Who will step up as the third and fourth receiver options?

3: How quickly will the inexperienced safeties adjust?

4: Will Ruffin McNeill be more creative in his defensive philosophy?

5: Will a second cornerback step-up?

Red-Black Spring Game Roundup // Red Defense

Red Defense

Defensive Line

Linebacker

Secondary

Who was the MVP of the Red Defense in the Red-Black Scrimmage?

Britton Barbee

Brandon Sesay

Tyrone Sonier

Blake Collier

Franklin Mitchem

Red vs. Black, Spring Position Battles: Linebacker

LINEBACKER

Middle

Brian Duncan

Sam Fehoko

Victor Hunter

Strong

Bront Bird

Tyrone Sonier

Chris Wallace

Weak

Marlon Williams

Blake Collier

Julius Howard

Feshmen

Dion Chidozie (W)

Brandon Mahoney (S)

James Scott (M)

FINAL THOUGHTS

Previous Battles: Quarterback :: Running Back :: Receivers :: Offensive Line :: Defensive Line ::

Previous Battles:
Quarterback :: Running Back :: Receivers :: Offensive Line :: Defensive Line ::