SB Nation - Justin Keown

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 11.14.09

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

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

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

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

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

But Batch says it wasn't always this way:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seth C — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:30 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

2 months ago: Texas Tech running back Harrison Jeffers (10) leaps over Houston linebacker C.J. Cavness (40) as he rushes for a first down during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Browse more photos »

THE OFFENSE

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

Who Returns (2010 Projected 2-Deep)

POSITION	PLAYER	STATS	YEAR
LT	Terry McDaniel	6-7/335	SO
	Chris Olson	6-5/296	SR
LG	Lonnie Edwards	6-5/290	JR
	Chris Olson	6-5/296	SR
C	Justin Keown	6-4/302	JR
	-------
RG	Mickey Okafor	6-7/319	JR
	Deveric Gallington	6-4/350	JR
RT	LaAdrian Waddle	6-6/350	SO
	Joe King	6-6/319	SO
QB	Steven Sheffield	6-4/190	SR
	Taylor Potts	6-4/218	SR
RB	Baron Batch	5-11/205	SR
	Harrison Jeffers	5-9/204	SO
HR	Tramain Swindall	6-3/180	JR
	Adam James	6-3/216	JR
YR	Detron Lewis	6-0/205	SR
	Austin Zouzalik	6-1/181	SO
XR	Lyle Leong	6-1/165	SR
	Eric Ward	5-11/202	FR
ZR	Alexander Torres	6-2/196	SO
	Jacoby Franks	6-1/185	JR

So there's definitely some advantages to having so many injuries in a season. Right now, there's not any one position where there is not a returning starter on offense. Think about that for a minute. Almost the entire 2-deep has at least 1 start. If there was ever a reason to look forward to 2010 it's the offense. Right now, the offensive roster appears to be a well-rounded group, probably because of necessity. This doesn't take into account the various redshirts from the 2009 recruiting class that could step up and help and the other players that have experience, but just don't fit on the 2-deep.

Lots more after the jump.

Don't Sleep On:

OL: Kyle Clark (6-5/277; RS FR); Blake Emert (6-5/287; JR); and Joel Gray (6-6/306; RS FR)
WR: E.J. Celestie (5-11/174; RS FR); Aaron Fisher (6-3/182; RS FR); Derrick Mays (6-0/166; RS FR) and Cornelius Douglas (5-9/193; SO)
RB: Eric Stephens (5-8/182; SO) and Aaron Crawford (5-11/204; JR)
QB: Seth Doege (6-2/205; SO) (6-4/218; SR) and Jacob Karam (6-1/205; RS FR)

Irregardless of whether or not you like Potts or not as a player, you could probably argue that Leach might put Doege ahead of Potts on the 2-deep next year, but based on last week's results, that may not be the case. Still, Leach is still undecided on some level and there's competition, which is good. There's really not any one position that's going to be lacking over the next few years, especially if some of the younger players develop as we expect. And I'd also add that although Scotty Young (detailed below) appears to be just a tremendous football player, I'd just like to remind everyone that Karam is traveling with the team every week. That says something about his personality and what the coaches think of him. Don't anoint Young too quickly. It's easy to get wrapped up in the new guy, but sometimes it's the least likely guy that can lead your football team and Karam had an impressive pedigree -- 3,291 yards / 38 TD's / 10 INT's (thinking of some guy named Sheffield). Let's also not forget that Ward was a 4-star receiver last year, came to Texas Tech early and I'm hoping that he can make a significant impact sooner rather than later.

Recruiting, The 2010 Class

POSITION	PLAYER	STATS	RR	STARS
QB	Scotty Young	6-3/185	5.8	4
RB	Delans Griffin	5-10/181	5.8	4
RB	Aaron Spikes	5-10/185	5.6	3
WR	Kadron Boone	6-1/190	5.8	4
WR	Shawn Corker	6-1/183	5.7	3
OL	Beau Carpenter	6-7/269	5.6	3
OL	Eric Lawson	6-6/320	5.5	3
OL	James Polk	6-7/290	5.6	3
OL	Denton Simek	6-6/260	5.6	3
OL	Javius Townsend	6-4/297	5.6	3
AVERAGE			5.66	3.33

I think it's safe to say that offensively, the class is probably finished. Leach is recruiting at every position and just about every one of these recruits are high quality players and this year, there are no 2-star players on either side of the ball, which is an upgrade in talent. If I had to guess which players receive early playing time, you should probably consider Boone and maybe Corker. Both are supremely talented I also wouldn't be surprised if Griffin gets a look as well. I'd also imagine that considering the depth on the offensive line, all of these guys should redshirt.

Recruit Trends

YEAR	AVG. RR	AVG. STARS	WASHOUT RATE
2010	5.66	3.33	-
2009	5.51	3.10	1/10 = 10.00%
2008	5.58	3.00	0/7 = 0.00%
2007	5.49	2.80	6/15 = 40.00%
2006	5.47	2.79	8/14 = 57.14%

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

I probably need some explaining as the wash-out rate, which is the rate of players that either played just 1 season for Texas Tech or never really made it on campus. The reason to even judge some of these players is that the rankings can look great, but if the players do not contribute or make it on campus, then you haven't done much. I think it's also important to add that the washout rate is something that's going to happen to any college football team and the trend that you would prefer to see is the rate to be lower than it was in 2006, but I think the key is that in 2006 and in previous years, the staff had two options: take safe, but less talented athletes or take more risky, but more talented players. I think that's the reason for the high washout rate in 2006 and in 2007, however, as the team improves, I think a staff is able to recruit a higher caliber player, both personally and on the field.

Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Win :: Kansas St. Wildcats Edition

Seth C — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:00:30 -0000

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

Reason #1 :: The Sheffield Spark: There's no doubt that QB Steven Sheffield provided a needed spark in the wanning seconds of the first half, driving the team 86 yards in 0:56 seconds, completing passes for 12, 17, 25 and 32 yards, eventually resulting in a touchdown to WR Alexander Torres. The start of the second half was equally as strong as Sheffield led the team to 3 straight touchdowns. The problem with having that energy is that it can sometimes be difficult to maintain for such a long period of time. A fumble, interception and punting the ball on the next 3 drives before getting two additional scores late. I'm somewhat of an "even keel" sort of guy, although I can appreciate the energy Sheffield brings to the team and I'm hoping that same spark continues this week as well.

Reason #2 :: Stuffing the Run: Despite what we thought was a rough week last week against New Mexico (giving up 115 yards on 35 carries) the rush defense has really been pretty damned good this year, good for 4th in the conference, and is 4th in the conference in yards per attempt. But for the year, the Red Raiders limited Texas, who is averaging 200 yards a game, to 135, while Rice and North Dakota failed to muster more than 135 yards combined. The one "bad" game was Houston, where Texas Tech allowed 144 yards on the ground. KSU QB Grant Gregory is similar to Case Keenum in the sense that he can run with the ball, however, I'm guessing that the Red Raiders and Ruffin McNeill have learned their lesson in allowing quarterbacks to kill you on 3rd downs and would look for a little better containment from the defensive line.

Reason #3 :: Cohesive O-Line: The return of RG Brandon Carter is going to be huge for the line. As much promise as guys like Lonnie Edwards and Mickey Okafor have, they're not quite ready for prime-time, but I feel pretty good about the rest of the group. LT Terry McDaniel is learning on the run and although he did have a holding call last week, he didn't give up a sack and looked pretty solid. The loss of C Shawn Byrnes was significant last week, but the more I consider this, I think Justin Keown is going to be fine, that it's just a matter of making the right call and having an entire week with the first team will help him significantly.

Reason #4 :: Playmakers: Last week there were a number of plays for 20 yards or more: 79 yards to WR Tramain Swindall (TD); 32 yards to WR Detron Lewis; 32 yards to Swindall; 25 yards to WR Alexander Torres (TD); 20 yards to Lewis; and 62 yards to RB Harrison Jeffers (TD). That's 6 plays for 20 yards or longer, 3 of which went for touchdowns. I've sort of bemoaned the idea that this club doesn't have a ton of playmakers in this group, but that's really not an accurate statement. Watching Jeffers makes all of us realize that he's a guy that needs to have the ball in his hands as he has the ability to make plays, but I won't sleep on Swindall any time soon. Since he was benched for the first game, he's leading this team with a little over 90 yards a game.

Reason #5 :: Struggle to Score: The Kansas State Wildcats have truly struggled to score this year and are dead-last in the Big 12 in scoring offense at 23.6 points a game. There are some interesting splits as well in that in KSU's two road games, they're averaging only 12.0 points a game, while averaging 35.0 at home. The one score that's swaying the 23.6 average, being the 49 points put up against Tennessee Tech (this happens against all non-conference opponents, so Texas Tech is in the same boat). If the Red Raiders can hold Kansas St. to their average and the Red Raiders do their thang offensively (and not turn the ball over, please do not turn the ball over), then there's not any reason this shouldn't be a 14 point affair in favor of Texas Tech.

Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose :: Kansas St. Wildcats Edition

Seth C — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:08:24 -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 :: Kansas St. Wildcats Edition".

Reason #1 :: Turnovers and Penalties: Too many turnovers for the Red Raiders and other than the Aggies, Texas Tech is 11th in the conference in number of penalties, but luckily for the Aggies, Texas Tech is last in the conference (or best) in yards. That's right, there's been 13 turnovers in just 5 games and the Red Raiders are in the hole one turnover for every game. And the interceptions are bothersome, but the rate that Potts was throwing picks was at an acceptable rate (1 INT for every 44 passes (for comparison purposes, Harrell was at a 50 attempts for every INT in 2007). At some point (although I think it has caught up to the Red Raiders to some extent) it's going to be an avalanche rather than losing a close game.

Reason #2 :: K-State Controls the Clock: We've talked a bit the last two days about KSU's running game and with the insertion of Grant Gregory there's the fear that K-State will control the clock and just pick away at the Texas Tech defense. I know that K-State isn't as talented as Nebraska, but I could see Snyder game-planning to just constantly pick at a Texas Tech defense that is looking not to give up the deep ball to WR Brandon Banks, QB Grant Gregory completing passes over the middle for short gains and RB Daniel Thomas grinding it on the ground.

Reason #3 :: Banks is Special: Brandon Banks can not only beat teams catching the ball, but he's been just spectacular returning kickoffs and right now the Red Raiders are 8th in the conference in allowing 21.45 yards a return. You'd like to see that average a little closer to 20 yards, but the easy way to avoid all of this is to have K Donnie Carona kick the ball out the endzone, which he can do with some regularity some of the time, but that touchback average has really regressed and currently sits at 25.81%. Carona's biggest flaw is consistency in kicking and it's clearly evident here. I really don't want Carona to get cute and try a bunch of directional kicking and would much prefer to simply just kick it out of the endzone if possible and remove the possibility of a Banks return.

Reason #4 :: Injuries Mounting: To say that this is a concern is an understatement and to be truthful, there's a lot of teams that cannot recover from losing a starting center, starting strong safety, starting defensive end and starting quarterback, and still win by 21. That's a lot of attrition for a season, much less just one game. There was talk this morning that KSU's defensive tackle/end Brandon Harold may return and he is the type of player that could give LT Terry McDaniel trouble on the outside or give C Justin Keown and LG Chris Olson trouble on the inside. The Texas Tech secondary is also taking quite a hit with the loss of FS Cody Davis who has been absolutely spectacular thus far this year and has made sure that the defense doesn't get beat for a long touchdown. If he's still in a protective boot yesterday, it's likely he doesn't play. He's the type of player that you don't necessarily notice is gone until KSU gets a touchdown deep. And we haven't even talked about replacing Taylor Potts for Steven Sheffield.

Reason #5 :: Solid Coaching: Bill Snyder is in the process of rebuilding Kansas St. and back in his heyday, he was one of the best in the coaching fraternity. To say that Leach has made some coaching mistakes this year might be an understatement and there may not be a more solid game-day coach that Snyder, who isn't likely to make a mistake on the field. His team may not be able to perform, but it won't be because of his coaching decisions. I've already mentioned the fact that KSU could have a similar game-plan to Nebraska of 2008. With a solid coach making right decisions and a solid game-plan the potential for an upset is quite prevelent.

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 // 08.28.09

Seth C — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:36:43 -0000

Odds and Ends

Day Off: Other than this daily diatribe, I'm taking the rest of the day off so no additional stories. However, feel free to look back at what was on DTN this week including the depth charts for the offensive backfield, the receivers, the offensive line, the defensive line, the linebackers and the secondary.

Ticket FanPosts: I think the idea of Ticket FanPosts is a great, but what I was thinking is that we could have one general post that I'll put up each week (I'll probably get around to this over the weekend) where we, as a community, can buy, sell or just give away tickets. I will ask that you guys help me figure out if you think anyone is a ticket broker. They have their own forums for selling tickets so if you're suspicious of someone, then let me know. This is for regular people who need to get rid of their tickets. I'm also thinking that here on DTN you sell your tickets for face-value or lower. I don't want this to be an avenue where people are trying to make money, but rather help out a fellow Red Raider. Also, once you've found a taker for your tickets, just exchange email addresses and let the bartering begin between the two of you.

Gillispie Will Not Coach at Texas Tech: I think there may have been an under-current of folks who thought that if Pat Knight had a tough year this year, Billy Gillispie's name would come up as a possible replacement. Ummm, I don't think that's an option any more as Gillispie was recently arrested for suspicion of DUI. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a few drinks, but there's no reason to get behind the wheel, and I think that's not an image that Gerald Myers wants attached to his career as athletic director at Texas Tech.

How Not to Post a FanPost: You're going to have to allow me some latitude here.

I was checking out all things Texas Tech and ran across the LAJ's blog RaiderBuzz, which is supposed to be a blog about what's being said about your Red Raiders. The problem with all of this is that whoever is in charge of posting content on this blog is just copying and pasting someone's work and adding a link. I posted a comment asking why this isn't plagiarism and I still haven't received a response and whoever is doing this is continuing to plagiarize other people's work.

I have an English degree from Texas Tech and as a result, this sort of thing bothers me to no end and rather than just rant about how there's a difference in blockquoting someone's work or making sure that everyone knows who is the original source, I thought that this is a perfect teaching opportunity on how to write a FanPost.

Don't do this.

FanPosts are supposed to be your own original thoughts, and you guys have truly stepped up the content lately.

And if someone from the LAJ is reading this, please stop plagiarizing. Have some original thoughts. Copying and pasting entire articles, even if it's from the Bleacher Report (I hate the Bleacher Report and refuse to post anything from the Bleacher Report), is not the way to run a blog. I'm sure I'm making friends left and right, but I would think a newspaper would know better.

Texas Tech Football

New Mexico Lobos Game Moved and to be on FSN: This is tremendous news for out-of-towners like myself as the official site announced that the New Mexico Lobos game will be moved to 2:30 p.m. but it will be on Fox Sports Net.

Special Teams Receiving More Attention: LAJ's Don Williams feature this morning is on special teams coach Eric Russell and the increased work that unit is receiving this fall. And I love and hate reading things like this:

"We spend a lot more," said Dewhurst, who was a key performer on Tech’s kickoff coverage last season. "When (Russell) wasn’t here, we only had one little period — we just did the team part. Now we have three periods. Since we’ve gotten (closer to) the season, it’s more team, but when we first started, it was so many different drills and techniques."

Safety Franklin Mitchem, who had most of his 15 tackles last year on special teams, said the time spent on teaching technique should pay off.

"I don’t think any of the (special-teams) drills are favorites; we get pretty winded," Mitchem said. "But I think the drills will help us focus on our technique in the game, because we haven’t really focused on technique this much (in the past)."

New found commitment. I. Love. It.

Potts is the Latest Wonderful QB: DMN's Kevin Sherrington feature this morning is on QB Taylor Potts who may be the NFL-type of quarterback that everyone seems to want Texas Tech to have, although Captain Mike Leach has no idea what the NFL actually wants in a quarterback. And Potts' job sounds like it should be pretty easy:

"I just need him to make the players around him better," Leach said. "Make the routine plays.

"Just focus on his job."

Texas Tech Football Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams writes that decisions are being made about the lineup including S Julius Howard being part of the substitution package for six defensive backs, along with freshman S Will Ford . . . DE Daniel Howard is still the stand-up linebacker (i.e. the Joker) and LB Bront Bird is the second option (this has me scratching my head this morning) . . . the offensive line has been cut down to eight players (LT Chris Olson and Terry McDaniel, LG Brandon Carter and Lonnie Edwards, C Shawn Byrnes and Justin Keown, RG Mickey Okafor, RG/RT Joe King and RT Marlon Winn) . . . RB Aaron Crawford is back practicing full-speed and he and WR Tramain Swindall are practicing with the scout team . . .

Lewis Wants Crabtree to Sign: FWST's Dwain Price talked with WR Detron Lewis, who would just like for Michael Crabtree to sign his contract:

"We need him to play and I want him to play,'' Lewis said. "I don't know what's going on.''

Snip

"I was looking at when he got drafted and I was thinking, depending on the year he had (with the 49ers), that would help a lot of our receivers out,'' Lewis said. "That's because basically when we come out they think we're just "system'' receivers anyway.''

Yea, all of this.

Wall Ready for Senior Season: DT's Adam Coleman talks with CB Jamar Wall, who is happy to be back on the field after being injured for most of the spring. Wall spent the spring trying to be as productive as possible:

"Tried to break down different things everyday," Wall said. "Looking at myself, how I performed my sophomore year starting to my junior year starting. What I did good, what I did bad. Things that could help me be a better player."

In addition to the usual lifting and weight training, Wall said studying film not only helped him keep pace during the spring, but it made him a smarter player.

This was his plan all along, however. He said it was his decision to have surgery, in hopes it would prevent the injury from nagging him. So Wall seemed prepared to go a few months without being on the field.

"It helped me develop a better aspect of the game," Wall said. "I couldn’t practice, so I had to get it mental. By getting it mental and being able to put it on the field, may as well make me a better player."

Motivation: DT's Alex Ybarra writes that the lack of attention for Texas Tech is motivation for the team to prove doubters wrong, although RG Brandon Carter doesn't care much:

"I don’t think we’re really worried about that around here," Tech offensive lineman Brandon Carter said. "I think everyone within the family here at Texas Tech, we all believe in ourselves and we all believe we can win every time we step out on that field."

While LB Brian Duncan is focusing on the defense being better than last year:

"As a whole, we are most definitely going to stop the run," middle linebacker Brian Duncan said. "We’re most definitely taking pride in the run. We’re taking it personal when teams score on us. We’re trying to get shut outs every game. The intensity and the running on our defense, swarming to the ball every time, we’re gonna pick that up."

Batch Ready to Play: ESPN's Tim Griffin writes that RB Baron Batch is ready to play after his recent shoulder injury:

"I've been hurt before, but that was a definite eye-opener," Batch said after a recent Texas Tech practice. "I was going in as the team's starting back and then I was thinking that it might all be gone that quickly. The injury wasn't what scared me as much of the thought of all the hard work I had put in to get where I was going down the drain."

I'm sure I'm right in line with the rest of you guys, but Batch is one of my favorite players and he's just so level-headed and a tremendous representative of this team.

Neglected Audio and Video: KAMC has a quick story and some reaction from recent Texas Tech verbal commitment, Tre'Vante Porter . . .

Big 12 Links: Over the Pylon previews the Big 12 . . . ESPN's Tim Griffin looks at the freshmen to watch in the Big 12 . . .

Scouting the Enemy: If you thought that Barking Carnival just liked poking fun of Texas Tech, you're wrong, they're equal opportunity offenders as the State of the Union tour continues with the Texas A&M Aggies . . . Rock M Nation Beyond the Box Score projections for the Aggies . . .

Depth Charting // The Offensive Line

Seth C — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:00:10 -0000

Offensive Line

Left Tackle	Left Guard	Center	Right Guard	Right Tackle
Chris Olson (70) JR; 6-5/296	Brandon Carter SR; 6-7/344	Shawn Byrnes (51) SR; 6-4/307	Mickey Okafor (77) RS SO; 6-7/319	Marlon Winn (67) SR; 6-6/287
Terry McDaniel (68) RS FR; 6-7/335	Lonnie Edwards (78) RS SO; 6-5/290	Justin Keown (73) JR; 6-4/302	Joe King (59) RS FR; 6-6/319	LaAdrian Waddle (65) FR; 6-6/350

I've only guessed on the two deep here because I'm not sure where some of the freshmen play, other than Joey Gray is going to be at left tackle. I think that if there are injuries or any issues, then you're going to see some players jump around a bit. The only player that I think bears mentioning is Deveric Gallington (66; SO; 6-4/350) who is also backing up at right guard at this time.

Left Tackle: The battle for the left tackle spot is a two man race. On one hand, you have the incredibly versatile and hard worker in Chris Olson and on the other hand you have the raw, but very large and talented Terry McDaniel. I've said my peace here, if it were me, I'd choose McDaniel, but even if he doesn't get the nod right here, he'll still get time. Not to mention, he's fairly young and he's already pushing older players. He'll force himself into the line. As far as Olson is concerned, if there's an injury, you're going to see Olson be the first player to take that spot, whether it be center, right tackle or left guard. If Olson's not careful, he's going to be an incredibly valuable player once he moves on to the NFL.

Left Guard: Carter should finish out his senior season much like Louis Vasquez did. I think Moore was smart to think about Carter at left tackle, but the truth of the matter is that he's just not quite fleet of foot to be in that much open space. He's a better mauler anyway. Lonnie Edwards looks to be the guy that will be able to anchor this spot for two years after Carter graduates and I'm very comfortable with that thought. Edwards was an immensely talented player coming out of high school and it's high time that he put that to use.

Center: Shawn Byrnes is earning what was taken away from him and I like that. I'm hoping like hell he has a chip on his shoulder all year long. It also seems as if Byrnes has put on some weight, so I'm hoping that he's just as agile as I remember him. After watching the spring game, I've come to appreciate Justin Keown as a more than capable center. When Byrnes does move on next year, I feel the same way about Keown that I do about Edwards in that after watching him play, I'm very comfortable with his skill set.

Right Guard: No one is talking about the fact that Okafor is a redshirt freshman and will be stepping into a starting role along the offensive line this year. I can honestly say that I didn't watch too much of Okafor during the spring game, but if I didn't notice anything blatant about his play, good or bad, he must be solid. Not to mention, Matt Moore has been incredibly good about picking the right players. I trust that Moore has done that here. Joe King was mentioned earlier last week as being a guy that Moore is grooming to be up and down the offensive line. If that's the case, then King is improving how valuable he is to the team each practice that he's able to help out at another position. This is really something that we're going to have to watch the longer Texas Tech has Moore in Lubbock, is that he may finally be getting to how he wants to run his line after three years. Versatile players who can play multiple positions if needed.

Right Tackle: This is the position that's received the second most press, not because the starter, Marlon Winn, has done anything negative, but apparently little known recruit LaAdrian Waddle has pushed himself to the second team. I think what this means is that if there's an injury, you'll see Olson at right tackle, but Moore likes what he sees in Waddle so much that he's grooming him to take over for Winn next year. That's impressive. And keep in mind that when we all complain about recruits who don't seem to be highly rated, sometimes the coaches know what they're doing. Moore keeps saying that Waddle, had he been in a major city, would have been recruited by every major school in the country. When the staff signs guys like James Polk and Coby Coleman, relative unknowns, I like to think that Texas Tech has had to mine talent in different places to be successful at what they do and Waddle may be a perfect example of that.

Five Things // Building the Offensive Line

Seth C — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:00:18 -0000

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

Building the Offensive Line

I know that I'm not worried about the quarterback, the running back and the receivers, but this is an in-depth look at the offensive line.

1: Is Experience Overrated?

Much of Phil Steele's rankings are based on the experienced players returning and right now, Texas Tech sits at 106th in the nation. The experience factor is why Texas Tech isn't even in Steele's top 40 teams of 2009 (again, it's just someone's opinion) and much of that probably hinges on the fact that Texas Tech, on the surface, may be replacing 3 startes from last year, C Stephen Hamby, LT Rylan Reed and LG Louis Vasquez. There's really no way to write how much those guys meant to the Texas Tech offense last year especially if you consider how much time QB Graham Harrell had last year. Last year, Texas Tech gave up only 13 sacks the entire year (113 yards) and RB Baron Batch lost only 13 yards and RB Shannon Woods lost only 12 yards in 2008. That's a very low total of only 138 yards for the entire 2008 campaign. Again, that's an incredibly efficient offense that starts entirely up front with the offensive line, so to dismiss the importance of replacing starters along the offensive line isn't a bad line of thought when looking at offenses in 2009.

2: The Man at the Top

I had my doubts whenever Captain Leach hired little-known offensive line coach Matt Moore, hired from Troy University with only one year of college coaching experience and a number of years at the high school level. It seems like quite a stretch to be quite honest, but I'm not sure that this could have worked out any better for Texas Tech. I'm not sure who to attribute the quote, but it was something to the effect of find the guy that can hike the ball, and play the best four players after that. I don't think it was Moore, but you could certainly say that he believes in that philosophy. I'm not certain about this, but I believe that Moore, regardless of position, wants to find the best players and really doesn't worry too much about position. Of course, there are limitations to this, as you obviously cannot have a guy that has really bad feet or isn't athletic on the edge, but he did do this in some respect with Rylan Reed last year. Reed seemed to be a very athletic LT, but after his ankle injury in 2007, he wasn't as mobile as he had been the previous two years. Despite that, Moore felt that Reed was the best player available and he needed to be on the field.

3: Change In Tackles

Rylan Reed was a wonderful left tackle for Texas Tech, but he wasn't exactly mobile. He was incredibly strong and Texas Tech certainly played to his strength. Playing on an island, you can sometimes minimize the faults of a player, but it can also feature those faults. Brandon Carter started the spring out at left tackle and I thought at the time that this may not be the position best suited for Carter. Carter, much like Reed, is a huge guy and strength is his forte and I think he has decent footwork, but to me, he's not the kind of footwork to play left tackle. I'd even go so far to say that Carter's best position in the NFL will be at guard and I think he'll excel at that position. With Carter's knee injury, although not serious, he was replaced with redshirt freshman Terry McDaniel at left tackle. One of my thoughts during the spring game was that I was very much impressed with the way that McDaniel played and was especially impressed with his athleticism at this position. The difference between Carter and McDaniel, in my opinion, was that McDaniel seemed to have better footwork, but lacked the strength that Carter has, not to mention the all important know-how in playing along the line. There's no doubt that whoever plays at left tackle, that player is going to have to handle the likes of UT's Sergio Kindle and OU's Gerald McCoy, to name just two, and if it were me, I'd fall on the side of having the more athletic guy.

Marlon Winn is a guy that doesn't get much pre-season press, but if you want to talk about guys that are true athletes along the offensive line, I think you start with Winn. Winn, at least to me, represents the wave of the future with the Texas Tech line. Winn is the type of player that can contain most defensive ends and to be honest, prior to the spring, I thought that he would be a perfect replacement at left tackle. Not knowing the progress of McDaniel, especially since he didn't play all of last year, I thought that Winn would pick-up right where Reed left off and would protect Taylor Potts blindside for the next year. And perhaps this is a bit of forward thinking by Moore, but I get the feeling that Moore wants to have a guy in McDaniel to hold that spot for quite some time, which may explain the reason why he's staying at right tackle, but if push came to shove and none of the LT options work out, I have no doubt that Winn could step-in without missing a beat.

4: Versatility

Chris Olson represents Moore's philosophy more than any other player. Moore has said that Olson could essentially play any position along the offensive line. Olson is too good to be on the sideline this year, and if a guy struggles then you could see Olson relatively quickly. And that's not to say that Olson won't start either. But that type of versatility is something that's starting to show up in recruiting as well.

2009 signee Kyle Clark's ESPN evaluation starts off by saying that Clark is a versatile player:

Clark shows some versatility at both offensive guard and offensive tackle. He is a big tall and lean football player that can become a real talent if he works on foot agility and plays with better leverage.

Same goes for Joel Gray, where the ESPN evaluation states that Gray could play either tackle or guard:

Gray has a good motor as a strong side offensive tackle but is better suited for the guard position. He is an impressive 6'6" and at 285 pounds and has the dimensions you're looking for in an offensive lineman.

LaAdrian Waddle is another guy that was mentioned as coming in second in the discus throw in state, and the ESPN evaluation confirms that he's another projectable athlete:

Defenders have trouble getting around such a huge specimen and the long arms are effective in keeping pass rusher away from body. Must be careful to not be beaten underneath. Waddle has real potential because he moves well for such a big player. If he works on trimming down and improve foot quickness and technique he will be a highly sought after lineman.

Matt Goetz, I think is penciled in as a center, played guard in college, but there's nothing for me to think in his ESPN evaluation that he couldn't play guard or tackle:

Goetz is a very solid offensive lineman that is made for the guard position. He has good size and still could add strength and bulk. Very good run blocker that comes off the ball quickly and delivers a real jolt to the defender. Sometimes loses control and has trouble sustaining; needs to be consistent at locking into the defender's frame. Gives excellent effort and drives his legs after contact at the point of attack. Has a little problem with the backside cutoff and loses defensive man across his face. Good short stepper on the reach and zone block. Goetz should develop into a fine offensive guard at the next level.

5: Rounding Out the Rest

If you're wondering about the rest of the line, I think the same type of thing can be said about the rest of the group. Shawn Byrnes is expected to start at center, but I've come around greatly on Byrnes' backup Justin Keown. After watching him a bit during the spring game, he can play. The same goes for right guards, Mickey Okafor and Deveric Gallington, additional athletic guys that I think could play a number of positions if asked. After Winn graduates next year I get the feeling that if Olson hasn't found a spot anywhere else, he'll step up at this spot and Joe King could easily assert himself, much like McDaniel, during the offseason. Lonnie Edwards was one of the higher rated recruits coming out of the 2007 signing class, and although he's yet to find a spot, that's another player that could step up for Carter at left guard when he graduates next year.

Red-Black Spring Game Roundup // White Offense

Seth C — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:14 -0000

White Offense

Quarterback

All in all, I thought Steven Sheffield looked okay and despite the fact that he's wearing gloves bothers me to no end, I thought he was marginally effective. For the day, Sheffield did a good job of hitting most of his throws, although he didn't test his arm deep and the fact that he only averaged 5.5 yards per attempt is indicative of that lack of a deep threat. Seth Doege (5-11; 50 YDS) had the worst day of the quarterbacks, but he's got to just shake this off. Perhaps it was a little bit of nerves, but never quite looked like he was in rhythm. The three sacks and throwing the ball short way too often was indicative that perhaps he was trying too hard. Although, to give Doege credit, it seems as if that the few times that Doege got the ball, the defensive backs did one of the better jobs in the afternoon in covering up every receiver and only leaving open the running back as the last option, which never amounted to much yardage. The thing about Doege is that he just looks like a quarterback. He passes the "eye test" with me and despite his less than stellar day, I think he's going to be fine. Garrett Riley looked adequate, but he's skinny and a bit short, although I really don't have room to talk. Everyone's taller than me.

Running Backs

Baron Batch is still, at least to me, head and shoulders above any of his competition. I know the competition is pretty good, but being good in college football is a process, I think that Batch is at the pinnacle of the process. The thing that really jumped out about Batch is that he runs north-south with tremendous aggression. That's what I want every running back from here on out to do -- run north-south with tremendous aggression. Harrison Jeffers is more than capable of turning the corner, perhaps like no other that's been through Lubbock, but to me, the difference between being a great running back and an average running back is that an average running back can only do one or the other. A great running back can do both exceptionally well. As far as statistics are concerned, nothing really ground-breaking, although I loved Batch's hit on some unsuspecting defensive back and his touchdown was all determination.

Receivers

Perhaps the reason that Sheffield looked so good was the fact that Detron Lewis was on his team. Not a knock against Sheffield, but Lewis is a pretty special target, and once Sheffield figured out that throwing the ball to him meant yards-after-catch, then he started feeding him the ball. Cornelius Douglas showed a little something. He's one of those guys who is listed at 5'9", but he's at best, 5'8". He's a little guy, and despite the guy has got some moves, but as others have said, he needs to learn to hold onto the ball. Douglas was also the guy taking direct snaps a couple of times as the quarterback, and on one play he looked pretty good, but the second play . . . not so much. I hardly noticed much of anyone else, although there were a couple of plays that Adrian Reese seemed to look like a guy that should dominate, but he just hasn't put it together. I really would like to see Jacoby Franks be more active and getting more looks and he didn't see a ton of passes his way on Saturday.

Offensive Line

I wish I had written down who started at what position, but I'll give it a shot: LT - Brandon Carter; LG - Chris Olson; C - Blake Emert; RG - Deveric Gallington; RT - Joe King. It's already been talked about that Carter may move back to left guard and Olson or McDaniel will move into left tackle. I thought Carter did a good enough job, but it's not matching up with Texas Tech's defensive talent that I'm worried about. Carter may have only been a fraction of what he should be, but I'm still not sold that he has the foot quickness to play left tackle. Carter did flip back to left guard before the the game had Olson filled in nicely. Inside guys, Olson, Emert and Gallington, played well, especially since I really didn't notice any inside guys really whiffing on any blocks inside. They weren't perfect, but they were adequate. I'm also beginning to doubt whether Gallington started, and as I'm thinking about it, I think that Justin Keown may have started at right guard as well. Joe King is struggling to do much of anything right now and he's by far the weakest link on this line. Overall the offense did give up 5 sacks on the day, but we're talking about just Carter being the sole starting lineman in this group, although I like Olson and his potential to be a starter.

Ed. I was pretty tired when I finished writing this. Obviously, there were other players on the White offense that I haven't included, but these are the ones that I noticed while watching the game. Feel free to leave your own thoughts about the White offense and vote in the poll.

Poll

Who was the MVP of the White offense in the Red-Black Scrimmage?

Steven Sheffield

15 votes

Baron Batch

54 votes

Brandon Carter

0 votes

Detron Lewis

20 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

Texas Tech Wednesday Morning Notes - Collective Improvement Edition

Seth C — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:12:33 -0000

Spring Practice is Here

via wr.swco.ttu.edu
Tech freshman football; 1930's.

Good times.

Spring practice starts today, I'm I've almost finished with the Red vs. Black battles, the last to be posted at noon today, defensive backs.

I was going to do a special teams preview, but there's not too much you need to know, other than there should be some real interesting things happening, with the hiring of a real special teams coach, Eric Russell, which means that we could see lots of different things. I'm also interested to see if Russell can somewhat resurect the kicking of Donnie Carona, who has a great leg, but couldn't seem to get any height on his kicks. Matt Williams is back, as well as preferred walk-on Brad Hicks, so there's competition there. Jonathan LaCour is the only punter on the roster, so I'm thinking he doesn't have much competition. There's your preview.

Matt Moore on Tech Talk

Lots of good stuff in the second hour of Tech Talk, where Chris Level and Robert Giovannetti talked with Texas Tech offensive line coach Matt Moore. It's to be expected, but Moore sounds genuinely excited about the guys coming back this spring. Had lots of praise for Terry McDaniel and his improvement over the course of his redshirt year. Also talked about Omar Castillo, the defensive tackle/offensive lineman (6-5/270) is being worked as a big tight-end, is a really good athlete and is catching balls to be ready for the fall, help prepare the defense for those teams that have a blocking tight end (OU, OSU, and Texas), and is a good athlete that Moore hopes he can develop a serious running game.

Perhaps the most interesting thing was Moore's philosophy in terms of how he groups his offensive linemen. Moore likes to have a rotation of 8 linemen: two centers, three players on the left side, and three players on the right side. This means that Moore essentially wants his starters and a guy that can play either guard or tackle. File this away as we move towards the fall and from what I could gather, this is how Moore sees his two-deep right now (let me know if I got this wrong, I was in a hurry this morning):

Left Tackle: Brandon Carter and Terry McDaniel
Left Guard: Lonnie Edwards and Chris Olson
Center: Shawn Byrnes and Justin Keown
Right Guard: Mickey Okafor and Deveric Gallington
Right Tackle: Marlon Winn and Joe King

Defensive Line Shuffle

LAJ's Don Williams writes that the Red Raiders will experiment with the defensive line. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill says that he wants some versatility along the line:

"It adds more depth when a guy can play two positions and can handle it,’’ McNeill said. "We know what (Sesay) can do at tackle and we know what Ra’Jon can do at tackle, so let’s experiment with those guys at defensive end at different times during the spring.’’
Snip

"We still have five or six guys we can rotate inside,’’ McNeill said. "We want to find five guys we can rotate outside, too.

"By analyzing film, we found out when we were alternating guys up front and keeping them fresh — facing the spread offenses that we do — it helped us late in games. It’s helped us in each game in the fourth quarter.’’

This will be something that I'll be watching very closely. If Henley moves to end and Perry and Wade are able to step-up their game, then having a rotation of Henley, McKinner Dixon and Sesay at defensive end is a pretty good rotation.

Filling Positions

FWST's Dwain Price takes a look at Texas Tech this spring and all of the positions to be filled. Captain Mike Leach doesn't seem at all worried about replacing Graham Harrell:

"The thing is, I think it’s going to be very hard to replace him individually," Leach said. "But I think the overall unit of receivers will be stronger, because we have everybody back except [Crabtree] and Eric [Morris]. We’ve got a bunch of guys that are a year older, and we have a bigger receiver corps than we typically have around here. I just think the collective improvement of the unit could easily make for a better unit than we had last year."

At the end of the article, Leach says this about the quarterback battle:

"My whole thing is to say that we’ll do the best we can," Leach said. "So if we do the best we can, I think it’s pretty successful."
Still, most of Tech’s success will hinge on the play of Potts, a rifle-armed 6-foot-5, 215-pound junior to-be. Or will it?

"I think going into the spring the question is: who is the backup quarterback?" Leach said. "But if it turns out that development is farther along and it turns out that a guy is ready to go and plays better [in the spring than Potts], then maybe it becomes: who’s the starter?

"That’s ultimately what I hope happens. I hope it is a 'who’s the starter?’ situation."

This doesn't surprise me. Leach wants competition at every position, quarterback included, and it would probably be best for everyone if Potts is pushed by Stefan Loucks, Seth Doege, or anyone else on the roster.

And Ruffin McNeill is excited to see how players have progressed:

"I’m looking forward to seeing how the guys have improved individually ... there’s always some changes in each player from year to year," defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. "I’m anxious to see how each player goes to the next level.
"We hope we’re in a position where we just reload instead of trying to rebuild."

Graham Harrell Honored by the Texas House of Representatives

Pretty cool. Texas Tech Quarterback Graham Harrell was recognized by the Texas House of Representatives, which passed a resolution honoring his "stellar career that distinguished him as one of the top quarterbacks in the college ranks."

"Mr. Harrell hails from a family with a strong gridiron tradition and he drew on the knowledge passed down by his father and grandfather, both of whom have been high school coaches," the two-page resolution partly reads.
"Mr. Harrell chose to don the Red Raiders uniform for his college career and first took the field in 2005. By the following season he was emerging as a top-flight quarterback, throwing for more than 4,500 yards and 38 touchdowns," the document goes on. "In his senior year Mr. Harrell helped engineer Tech’s bid for the national title and its dramatic victory over the number one-ranked University of Texas team at season’s end."

Red Raiders Take on Bobcats

Date	Start Time	Texas Tech Starting Pitcher	Texas State Starting Pitcher	Result
3/25/2009	6:30 p.m.	Colt Farrar (1-3, 3.00)	Matt Steiner (0-1, 7.71)	-

*Click on the score for boxscore.

The Red Raiders travel to San Marcos to take on the Texas State Bobcats to get ready for the weekend series against the Texas Longhorns starting Friday. DT's Mike Graham previews the game and notes that the team is looking to get a win on the road:

"We're trying to establish some consistency," Spencer said. "We haven't won enough on the road to say that we can do that."

LAJ's George Watson also has a short preview (pdf).