SB Nation User Blog: NM99

OU @ Texas Tech Post Game Thread

NM99 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:09:05 -0000

A good win to make sure we are eligible for a bowl, and a big one for Leach. Feel free to revel here.

[Note by Seth C, 11/21/09 3:11 PM CST ] This is a bell-ringer sort of win. Git Your Guns Up!

OU @ Texas Tech 2nd half thread

NM99 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:16:29 -0000

Keys to the Game - OU Edition

NM99 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:42:43 -0000

Oklahoma's OK

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If there's one Big XII fight song I can't stand, it's that of the University of Oklahoma. It's bad enough that Rogers and Hammerstein had to write a musical about the state. I don't need to here Boomer Sooner 487 times on Saturday. And the only way to keep the band quiet is to make sure OU doesn't score, doesn't make any first downs, and is generally embarrassed during the game. Here are my thoughts on how the Red Raiders save my ears the pain.

OU has had similar problems to Tech this year on offense. Struggles along the line, losing Sam Bradford to injury, and the loss of Jermaine Gresham. The scary thing is they have a bunch of young talented guys who have been going through growing pains, and no one knows when they might break out. Our job is to make sure that it isn't this weekend. Other than that, I think the offenses are pretty evenly matched.

Our problem comes with the defense. One thing that OU has done, perhaps better (or at least more consistently) that any other team we have played in the Leach era is to thwart the Air Raid. OU has one of the most effective schemes for making the Tech offense stall.

The first thing they do is coach their defensive line to fill the passing lanes and get their hands in the air. This makes passes to the middle of the field more difficult and encourages the QB to look outside. The next thing they do is line up soft at the corner and invite the screen or pass to the flat, but close hard as soon as the ball is snapped. So now the Tech QB is forced to make a decision to either force a throw across the middle, throw a screen that is going to get blown up, or hope he can pick up a few yards in the flat. The throw to the flat is likely to have help from the safety, and is therefore prone to being picked off.

The third thing OU does defensively is key. As everyone here knows, the Tech receivers are taught to adjust their routes based on how the defense is playing them. OU knows this. They adjust the depth at which their LBs are playing to force the Tech receivers to go where they want them to. By playing zone across the middle at just a couple of steps deeper,than normal the LBs entice the crossing receivers to run more shallow routes. It allows the LBs to play down hill, make quick tackles and keep the play in front of them versus trying to run with a receiver. The alternative for the Tech receivers is to try to get behind the LB's, which makes for a more difficult throw that the QB must wait on to develop. Meanwhile, the OU front four is continuing to push, collapse the pocket, and get pressure.

In doing these things, Oklahoma is better able to anticipate the play that the QB wlll go to, and make sure they have men in the right spots to play down hill and make quick tackles.

The last option for Tech is to check to the run.

Offensive keys

1) Match the tempo. Tempo has been a problem for the Red Raider offense this season. We have seen inconsistency at nearly every skill position. Consider a new QB, injuries, and an unsettled QB situation on top of a green offensive line that has gone through a lot of shuffling and sustained a lot of injuries and you can start to see why things have never really gelled. OU likes to play up-tempo and keep the opposing defense on its heals. We need to get into a rhythm and match the intensity.

2) Find the play makers. By this I mean Baron Batch, Eric Stephens and Harrison Jeffers. We don't win this game if Batch doesn't have at least 150 all purpose yards, with a healthy contribution from whichever of the other two isn't in the dog house this week. I don't foresee the shuffle pass or outlet screen picking up a lot of yards against this OU defense, but I think we may have some opportunity on the ground and in the flat if the corner is otherwise occupied. If we can make the OU LBs have to account for our running backs, it will open things up in the middle of the field.

3) Control the Line of Scrimmage. As Seth mentioned yesterday, OU is one of the best at getting pressure on the QB, and we have struggled in providing protection. Brandon Carter has another chance this week to improve his NFL draft stock against McCoy. We also need our tackles to get their footwork figured out and their heads in the game on every play, and OU is pretty quick off the edge, too. This is another area in which inconsistency has been killing us. We can't have that and come out with a W.

Defensive Keys

1) Stop the run. OU's play calling is almost exactly 50% pass/50% run for the season. The important thing is that, they have lost every game this year when they have had less than 160 yards on the ground. 160. That is significant when you consider it includes sacks and TFLs. We need to keep them close to 100 yards rushing. Put 8 men in the box and make Jones beat you through the air.

2) Force Turnovers. I really never imagined I would say this in the Leach era, but this game could end up being a defensive battle. We are going to need as many opportunities as we can get to put points on the board. A couple of OU drives stopped short by turnovers would go a long way in providing those extra opportunities and keeping OU's offense off the field. The more OU is on the field, the better chance they will have to get their run game working. We don't want our defense to have to grind it out against an OU team that is running the ball well (see above) as it will only get better later in the game.

3) Let the pocket collapse. As mentioned above, the OU line has struggled, and so has Landry Jones. He has thrown for less than a 50% completion rate 4 times this year, including the last 2 weeks. If we keep the OU run game in check, I don't think we are going to have to manufacture a lot of pressure for the OU passing game to struggle. Just play solid fundamentals up front and let it happen. We'll get our sacks in this game.

Special Teams

Penalties have been hurting here the past 2 weeks. I like that we are being more aggressive, but lets find a happy medium and quit roughing the kicker.

Keys to the Game - OSU Edition

NM99 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:47:45 -0000

by David J. Phillip - AP

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What would you think if I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.

I get by with a little help from my friends,
I get high with a little help from my friends,
Going to try with a little help from my friends.

-- John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Win as a team, lose as a team. Or as the Beatles put it, "get by with a little help." OSU may not be the world beaters people thought they might be at the beginning of the year, but the Cowboys are still a solid football team. This game is very winnable for Texas Tech, but if the Red Raiders are to go in and pull off the upset on the road is going to take everyone chipping in and helping each other out.

This is a game in which Texas Tech will have to be especially patient and wait for opportunities to present themselves. OSU has the capacity to be explosive...in both the good and bad way. They can put points on the board in a hurry, but they are also prone to complete self-destruction. Defensively, the Cowboys are giving up a lot of yards through the air. This bodes well for Tech offensively. If we play our cards right, Tech could be a couple of TD's up some time in the 3rd quarter and OSU will have to start playing from behind. This is where we want them to be. If OSU is forced to start playing from more than 10 points behind, I think the meltdown will begin. OSU is without Dez Bryant and Brandon Pettigrew is now in the NFL. Kendall Hunter is recovering from injury. I won't go so far as to say the OSU offense has lost it's teeth, but the big play threat is certainly diminished. But if the game is close or OSU is ahead, they can stick to their running game, and it could be a long night for the Red Raiders.

Offensive Keys

1. Don't give up on the run. On paper, OSU is actually pretty good against the run. The temptation here would be to give up on running the ball after it gets stuffed twice. Especially since OSU is not so hot against the pass. Some early completions will force OSU to drop an extra man into coverage and open up things up for us on the ground, if Taylor Potts continues to be willing to check down when they do. We don't have to pick up 8 yards a play, but we have to run the ball enough to keep the Cowboy defense from pinning it's ears back every play. I see the end around to Jeffers being successful.

2. Don't force things. My biggest concern with Potts at the helm is his tendency to try and force plays, rely on his arm and to do too much on his own. Against Kansas, he seemed to have gotten over this a little. Just because he has the gun to hit his receiver 60 yards down field with a frozen rope doesn't mean he needs to/has the opportunity to every play. Work the field, let things open up, and the next thing you know Baron Batch will break one for 20 yards and a TD.

3. Tackle play. We're apparently going to roll with Marlon Winn at LT and LaAdrian Waddle at RT. These two guys have to pull it together and Winn can't take every 3rd play off. If he needs to take a breather, Olson can fill in very nicely. Work the rotation Matt. We have to win the battle of the trenches, and this battle starts on the left flank.

Defensive Keys

1. Force Robinson to beat us with his arm. OSU is a run-first team. They average 43 rushing attempts per game compared to 26 passing attempts. Zac Robinson is not a bad running QB, and they have a stable full of running backs. Tech has shown vulnerability to a team that is willing to put a hand on the ground and drive block. Our front 7 has to play the run honest and watch for OSU to tray and go left behind Okung and then bounce it outside. Force OSU to go to the pass, and Robinson will make some mistakes.

2. Look out for the kitchen sink. Gundy will try and throw a lot of different looks Tech's way to try and confuse the defense. The idea is that if the defense is confused, they will react more slowly and the offense can take advantage of them trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Ironically, I think this will be especially true if the game is close or turns into a shoot-out. Be prepared for anything.

3. Don't overlook Hunter. Kendall Hunter is a quality running back that can make defenses look silly of they don't account for him. An injury forced him to sit out most of 6 games, but he saw limited action last week. He may or may not be 100%, but either way, he is a guy that can be dangerous. I expect that he will split time with Keith Totson, but we can't look on those as snaps to relax against the run.

Special Teams

Force OSU to play the long field. That means deep kicks and good coverage. Bryant isn't returning for them, so we should be able to pin them deep and let them beat themselves on the long field.

Eric Stephens is on the verge of breaking one. With the way Zoo has been blocking for him, this could be the game.

Keys to the Game, A&M Revisited and Kansas

NM99 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:36:47 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

Gigged.

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Q: What do fat little girlfriends and the 2009 Texas Tech - A&M game have in common?

A) Ugly.

B) Both are accompanied by a hangover the next morning.

C) You really just want to forget it ever happened.

D) All of the above.

Join me after the jump for a deeper look into the A&M game and what we must take from it to win against Kansas.

Trick question. The answer is

E) None of the above.

While the Tech-A&M game was ugly and some fat little girl friends may be ugly, we cannot assume all fat little girlfriends are ugly. Similarly, we have no evidence to support the hangover theory. And while the easy thing would be to forget the whole experience, we must learn from it or it will come back to haunt us.

So what did we learn this weekend? Let's start with the QB's, since that is the hot topic. Some would say that we learned that Potts is not the QB for Tech and that Doege is a better option. I did not attend the game, so I have not seen any evidence other than their stat lines. These indicate that, while Potts did throw 2 INTs, Their completion rate was comparable (Potts 69.4%, Doege 72%) and Potts was significantly better in yds/attempt (8.6) than Deoge (5.8). Does Potts always make the best decisions? Nope. Is he comparable to every other first year QB in Leach's tenure? Yes. Neither INT resulted in Aggie points.

And what about Doege? Hard to say. He did get some meaningful snaps in, but it was after A&M was up by 24 points. Again having not seen the game, it is hard to say if they were bringing as much pressure or playing as tight as they were earlier in the game. He certainly did not check to the run any more often (4 rushing plays, though both TDs were runs), and as mentioned above his productivity was not that great. The first TD came on a very short field.

Does something need to be done to get the offense firing on all cylinders? Yes. Is Doege it? I can't say. Our offensive line went through what I believe is it's 6th different group of starters and gave up 3 sacks. Not bad, but not great. We learned that Adrian Waddle will be solid for the next 3 years. We learned that we cannot just show up and score points to win football games. We learned that, contrary to what many would have us think, it takes more than a pulse to pilot this offense. From what I can tell, neither QB lit it up out there. Both led the team to 2 TDs. Many people were excited to see Doege, but I have to question if some of the excitement isn't just the excitement that comes from something new and support of the under-dog? As the saying goes, the 2nd string QB is always the most popular guy on the UT campus. He has done nothing wrong. Let's reserve judgment and not fall into that trap.

As much as Potts has drawn the ire of fans and Leach for allowing him to start, I want to point out one very important statistic: 52 points allowed. The Tech offense may not have won this game, but they certainly didn't lose it.

On defense, I believe that we were exposed by a coaching staff that watched just a little bit of film. In last week's recap, I noted that Nebraska was able to push us around and run the ball when they committed to drive blocking. Further, I noted that the routes across the middle were open, and that we were burned several times due to lack of containment. The Aggie game plan took advantage of every single one of these aspects. I have to believe that we were overconfident having beaten NU on the road. Nobody checked the scoreboard prior to the A&M game to find out they had just lost to Iowa State at home as well.

Two weeks ago following Kansas State, I noted that the Wildcats beat themselves in many ways, which allowed Tech to play almost exclusively pass defense against a team that does not like to pass. Yet we were lulled into complacency by the non-existent transitive property of football, which would have had us believe that we would beat the Aggies by 100 points.

For the past 2 years many people have harped about playing soft on the corner. This week, A&M picked on LaRon Moore both in the air and on the ground, running sweeps to his side of the field. When the DE loses containment and the corner is 10 yards off the line, that's a lot of green space.

This week we learned that we have gotten some lucky breaks and have been a one-trick-pony of sorts on defense - good at pass rush, not good at containment and run defense. We learned that statistics and rankings tell you what you want to read, which may not be the truth. Our run D looked good on paper because we played games in which teams opted to throw the ball.

On to Kansas.

There's no place like the Jones....

Mangino and Leach know each other well. They know the other's tendencies and strategies. They do many things similarly. This game is not about outwitting the other guy. This is almost always true, but more so in this game than most, the winner will be the one that executes better.

Offensive Keys

1) Run the ball. Last week the key was to stick to basic play calling, which we did with moderate success. Though Leach thought that the offense looked contrived. I am assuming Doege starts, based on "sources" (though Leach claims this is another game time decision). Based on his numbers last week and against KSU, Doege is going to have to rely on the other skill guys to make the plays, as he doesn't seem to be a threat to really stretch the field. Our success passing will be predicated on the fear that Batch, Jeffers, or Stephens may rip off a 20 yard run at any moment. I hope for at least 3 of these.

2) O-line: play as a unit. I am done trying to figure out who is going to start and play where on the line this year. Just keep the QB of the week clean and create a few holes for Batch. To do this, you have to work together. Guys are in new spots all the time this year - watch out for each other and make sure everyone is clear on their assignments.

3) Get the ball in space. Once again, this is the key principle of the Tech offense. If Potts has a fatal flaw it is that he will try to force the ball into a tight spot. Whoever starts needs to learn from this mistake. In space, we have skill players that will occasionally make a guy miss and that is what creates the big play. If that space comes on the ground because the defense drops 8 guys, take it.

Defensive Keys

1) Cover like a blanket. This is a repeat. Even though A&M did most of their damage on the ground, we certainly weren't generating a lot of highlight material here. Kansas will run the crossing route all day long if we let them. We struggled to cover it for two weeks in a row. Fix this. Please.

2) ~~Reisling~~ Reesing. This guy is absolutely the key to the KU offense. As he goes, so do they. He has the ability to extend plays with his feet and to scramble for yards. Last year we harassed him and kept him from finding a rhythm. We need to do this again. As Seth said earlier, we need to contain. This is another problem that must be remedied. Let the pocket collapse, and when this happens, we need a spy ready for when he rolls out. We don't have to get sacks, we just need to keep someone in his face, use the sideline, and not let him run for 7 yards and slide.

3) 3rd downs. Kansas is really good at converting 3rd downs. We can't sit back on 3rd and long and try to keep it in front of us. Our guys have ot know where the sticks are and not let their receivers get to them. Bronte Bird needs to settle down a little as the Joker on third down and not bounce around so much. Keep 'em guessing, but don't be in hopping around and in mid air when the ball is snapped.

Special Teams

This is another of those weeks where we don't need any miracles in this aspect of the game, just don't let anything bad happen. No muffed punts or kickoffs, no big returns allowed. Just solid play.

WRECK 'EM TECH

Keys to the Game - Texas A&M Edition

NM99 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:39:14 -0000

It's that time of year again. The wind starts blowing from the north, all of the ranchers make sure their sheep are pinned up, and the old army starts clambering for another new coach. The toy soldiers are coming to town. There was once a time when winning this game would ensure a Tech football coach another year on the job. Those days are gone, but that doesn't mean this game should be taken lightly. Our first week in the rankings this season, and you can be sure that most Aggies don't think we deserve it. Let's take a look at how we make sure to prove them wrong.

I have many Aggie friends, and they know I jest about sheep and toy soldiers. The coach thing is a fact of life in College Station, and you better have think skin if you're going to sign a contract to lead that team. They have a lot of pride at that school, a huge alumni base, and they still draw a lot of excellent players to their program. All reasons to make sure and ignore any recent history and prior games this season and remember that they do have guys who can make things happen. Here are my thoughts on what we do to keep them in check.

Offensive Keys

1) Continue the base play calling. We've seen the success that can happen when the Tech offense keeps it simple for the QB. Leach needs to continue with a steady diet of passes to the flat, designed runs, and play calls that allow Taylor Potts to go with his pre-snap read. Especially at the start of the game when he is seeing live action for the first time that he remembers since the Kindel hit. Now that our receivers and the O-line have worked out the wrinkles from the beginning of the year let's let these guys play together and see what can happen.

2) Keep Von Miller out of the backfield. Similar to last week, A&M has a guy on the defensive line that we need to game plan for. Though given the trouble we have had in previous games in protecting the QB from the edge, this may be a bigger challenge than containing the boy named Suh. Play calling (above) will help. If we can give him a reason to stay home instead of just making a b-line for Potts every snap, it will give our committee of OTs a chance to get in front of him.

3) No stupid penalties. This is a ~~rivalry~~ really important game to the Tech fans and players, but of marginal consequence to the aggies. If guys come in wound up too tight then false starts, late hits, extra-curricular activities after the play, and ramming the goal post into the stands might ensue. The next thing you know the aggies are fighting among themselves and there is laundry on the field. We have had two pretty clean games in a row in this department. This trend needs to continue. Play with intensity, but keep it under control.

Defensive Keys

1) Cover like a blanket. As already mentioned, Texas A&M has two quality receivers in WRs Nwachukwu and Tannehill. They also have a couple of qulity possession guys in WR Howard Morrow and TE Jamie McCoy. Each of these guys needs to be wearing a Red Raider DB as a shirt for 3 seconds after the snap. That will give our defensive front time to generate some pressure and Jerrod Johnson will get happy feet.

2) Watch for Johnson to tuck and run. Aggie QB Jerrod Johnson is a big guy (lists at 6-5, 243), and he is good for 10 carries a game, not counting sacks. When he opts to run, he generally picks up positive yards. Last week, Howard and Henley did a great job with containment. We need that effort again and we need some of the same from Sharpe, who pretty much just pinned his ears back and went for sacks the entire game against Nebraska.

3) No stupid penalties. See Above.

Special Teams

Ryan Erxleben saw way too much time last week. This week, I hope he's board. Corona has got to find some consistency in his kicking.

Who needs the corps?

GO TECH!

Keys to the Game, Revisited - Nebraska Edition

NM99 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:43:54 -0000

More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

2 months ago: Texas Tech's Daniel Howard (53) scores a touchdown after he picked up a loose ball, as Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5), gives chase, in the first half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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I don't need to say it, but this was a good win for Texas Tech, though it came differently than I would have thought. The defense carried the day for the Red Raiders, who were actually out gained offensively by Nebraska, though about half of NU's yardage came late in the 4th quarter. In my opinion, the way this game played out hinged on 3 plays in the first quarter: 1) Lyle Leong's acrobatic catch on 3rd and 13 followed by 2) A long completion to Detron Lewis on 3rd and 17 in the first series. 3) is obvious: the loose ball recovered for a Touchdown by Daniel Howard. These 3 plays allowed Tech to jump to an early 14 point lead, put Tech in control of the game, and once the momentum swung in Tech's favor, the Cornhuskers were not able to get it back.

It is interesting to me how many teams seem to get nervous when Tech scores on the first series of the game. Similar to KSU last week, Nebraska, a running team, tried to beat Tech through the air, and actually threw more passes than did the Red Raiders. Similar to last week, this was a function of Nebraska getting behind early and either the NU coaching staff or QB Lee feeling that they needed to push things to get back into the game. This played into Tech's hands defensively, set the tone for the rest of the game, and set the stage for Tech's success. Let's take a closer look.

Rewatching the game, it seemed to me that coaching - on both sides of the ball for Tech, and offensively for Nebraska had - had a larger bearing on the outcome of the game than did the performance of any individual or unit. The game play was far from perfect. The Tech offense clicked when Steven Sheffield was not forced to progress beyond his pre-snap read and the play call did not require the receivers to get deep.

On the designed plays to the flat, and throws to the sideline, Sheffield excelled. This is a function of the play call. Sheffield sees 1 on 1 coverage on the outside, knows his receiver is running an out route, it is a no-brainer spot throw. On the first TD throw to Baron Batch, the receivers on the left side drew the DBs across the field, leaving te LB 1 on 1 with Batch. Get the ball to him in stride and it's a race to the corner, which Batch won. In these plays, Sheffield is able to get the ball out and does not have to progress through his receivers.

Plays in which Sheffield held the ball longer than 3 seconds resulted in sacks (5 of them for 42 yards...almost 6 with the reversed intentional grounding call) and an apparent broken bone is his foot. Running backwards seems to be a skill taught in Pirate QB school. Leach himself commented that Sheffield should have gotten rid of the ball on several occasions. Much of the 3rd quarter was dominated by offensive ineptness (when is ineptness not offensive?) as the Cornhuskers made adjustments at halftime and switched to a nickle/dime defense and allowed their front 4 to control the line of scrimmage and get pressure. The bright side is that, despite pressure, there were no interceptions or fumbles, and Sheffield was able to extend a couple of plays by rolling out of the pocket, and even scrambled for 7 yards on one play.

Offensive Keys

1. Protect the rock. Pretty good job here. As I mentioned above, Sheffield did a good job of pulling the ball down when being sacked and not throwing picks under pressure. The tipped ball to himself by Leong (# 1 key play above) had me really nervous as there was a CB and a Safety on top of him, but he made a great play. +2 in turnovers this game brings us almost back to even for the year,

2. Make sure life ain't easy for a boy named Suh. Suh moved around a lot more in this game than I expected, and the NU front really abused the left side of our o-line. We did just enough on the quick plays to keep Suh and co. occupied for 3 seconds, but on any play that took longer to develop, he was in the backfield. Our running game was pretty much held in check.

3. Work the clock. I think this is one of the best games Tech has played with regards to clock management. In the first half, we ran the hurry up offense and kept Nebraska on their heels. We were content in the second half to use the entire play clock, use more slow developing plays, and not force things on 3rd down. I think this has much to do with trusting the punt. Baron Batch and Harrison Jeffers combined for 24 touches in limited ground action.

On defense, Tech was able to focus on pass rush once they realized that Nebraska was going to try and put the game on Lee's arm. Most of the Husker pass plays were deep routes, which allowed Brandon Sharpe to use his speed to get around the tackle and have a field day. When they were allowed to line up and drive block, the Nebraska offensive line pushed around the Tech front 4 like they were 90 lb weaklings. Fortunately, they can't pass block and the pass heavy game plan exposed them. I felt that if NU ever committed to the run during this game, they would have worn down the Tech defense and kept the game within reach. I also don't understand changing QB back and forth mid game. It just exudes lack of confidence and the players feed off of that. The combination of poor coaching by Nebraska (pass dominant game plan, switching QBs) and solid play calling by Tech defensively made Nebraska look a lot worse than they really are on offense.

Defensive Keys

1. Contain. Howard did an excellent job of containment and made several plays, including the TD, as a result. Sharpe was obviously not concerned about containment. I think this was the play call from Ruff, and it seemed to work out well. Though on runs to his side and on QB reads, Sharpe was burned several times for big gains. Why NU didn't take advantage of this more, I don't know.

2. Cover the tight ends. McNeill only had 2 catches on the day. The underneath routes seemed open to me for NU, but that was not the play Lee was looking for, so McNeill didn't get many opportunities.

3. Win first down. Another area where I felt Tech did a great job. I wonder if Ruffin either spent a lot of extra time in the film room or stole a copy of the Nebrasla playbook, because we seemed to know exactly what was coming and played it accordingly.

Special Teams

The punt team got a lot of work this week. There were a couple of uncharacteristic short punts by Ryan Erxleben. Carona put one out of the endzone, and pooched a couple. I guess the inconsistency keeps the other guys guessing, but I don't think that was the plan.

Proposition 4 = $$$ for Tier 1 status

NM99 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:42:01 -0000

Proposition 4 = $$$ for Tier 1 status

This is not a political blog, but on November 3rd a measure will be on the ballot with implications for Texas Tech. Proposition 4 will grant access to funds for research at emerging (not yet Tier 1) universities. Regardless of whether you are for or against it, get out and vote.

Keys to the Game - Nebraska Edition

NM99 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:20:09 -0000

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For those who may have ~~repressed the memory of~~ forgotten the 2008 University of Nebraska @ Texas Tech game, here is a quick recap: Texas Tech scores first and leads the Corn Huskers at halftime 17-7. Nebraska's lone score of the half came on an 8 minute drive, and back-to-back holding penalties killed what looked to be another long scoring drive for NU, forcing a missed 53 yard field goal attempt.

Nebraska leads off the second half with 7 minute drive for a field goal, and Tech responds with a touchdown in 2 minutes. NU follows with another 7:37 drive and a TD. Tech: 2 minute drive, punt . Nebraska: 4 minutes, TD, Score is tied at 24. Tech, 3:45 drive, TD. NU 2:02 drive, TD. Tie game. Overtime.

Tech gets the ball first and scores a TD, but the extra point is blocked. Nebraska ball. Ganz throws an incomplete pass followed by an interception to Jamar Wall. Game Over. Tech 37, NU 31. Over 40 minutes TOP for NU resulted in 21 points in the 4th quarter against a tired Tech defense.

Last week, the Huskers score 28 4th quarter points to beat Mizzou, after being shut out for the first 3 quarters.

Last year, we played in the Jones. This weekend, we play in their house. Join me after the jump for this week's Keys to the Game.

There are several things to take away from these two games. 1) Nebraska will NOT give up and roll over. 2) As we have talked about all week, they will continue to hammer away with long drives until their opponent breaks. my impression is that the Nebraska offense is adequate, but not great, and that they have struggled a little against teams with a pulse. They have almost even play distribution (run vs. pass), though given the opportunity, they will run first if they can. And they play a little defense. So how does Tech take advantage of this situation?

Offensive Keys

1. Protect the rock. I am sure I am starting to sound like a broken record on this one, but it is for a different reason this week. The children of the corn are pretty good at forcing fumbles. This is not a team where we can afford to make mistakes and get bailed out by simply scoring faster than they do. Possessions will be limited. We have to make the most of each one. And we are still negative on the year in turnover margin.

2. Make sure life ain't easy for a boy named Suh. I started to try to incorporate as many Johnny Cash lyrics into this as possible, but time wasn't exactly draggin' on this week. Brandon Carter's draft position will either move into the first 3 rounds after this game, or he'll drop to the 6th. I think we'll be best served if we only double team Mr Suh on runs and let Carter work him in pass protection. If he can't give Sheffield 3 seconds by himself, his draft stock deserves to fall. If Byrnes/Keown are having to help out a lot for pass protection, look for Pelini to bring the blitz more.

the other man in black

3. Work the clock. We have the luxury of some depth at DT, and we know because of injuries that we can rotate guys around on the DL to provide depth at tackle. But I don't think this group can hang for 40 minutes. Certainly it will be on them to get some stops and get off the field, but answering a drive that takes half of the quarter (an eighth) with a 3 and out is a recipe for disaster. With the way our running backs have been playing, we should have some opportunities to put together some sustained drives of our own. We just need to make sure they continue to get at least 20 combined touches.

Defensive Keys

1. Contain. Lee can run the ball, and I expect Helu to play, despite rumors of a hurt shoulder. If his shoulder truly is hurt, up the middle is not where he is going to want to run the ball, so we need to watch for it to come outside. Stretch out the option and use the sideline. Don't let these guys get turned north and south.

2. Cover the tight ends. McNeill (not our DC) is big target and a touchdown machine. Helu catches quite a few passes, and they have a couple of solid WR's but Tech hasn't faced a good receiving TE this season. Bronte Bird matched up pretty well to Pettigrew is the OSU game last year. We need him to do the same against McNeill.

3. Win first down. As I said, Nebraska is a run-first kind of team. They are also very efficient in converting 3rd down. To get to 3rd and long, we need to win 1st down. We need our front 7 to limit the yards on first down carries to less than 3. Our tackles are doing a great job of keeping the LBs clean. If they continue to do this, we will be able to force Lee to throw the ball. Not that he can't, but it is not Nebraska's comfort zone and it gives us more opportunities to make plays on the ball and try to snag an interception or get a big hit from our DBs to knock one loose. Pasing downs also increase the likelihood of Ford being on the field, and this guy makes plays.

Special Teams

Change your latitude. Somebody besides Corona make a tackle.

Keys to the Game, Revisited - KSU Edition

NM99 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:51:22 -0000

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When you win a game by 52 points, it is hard to be critical of anything. Which is why I like to wait a couple of days before positing this article. It gives me time to digest the good and bad and make a more objective assessment of how Texas Tech performed.

In general, I think this was one of the better games that Tech has played. This is the first game this season in which we put together a complete 4 quarters of football. Not everything was perfect, but the guys seemed to be playing together as a team and to start to trust their abilities.

Before we all get ahead of ourselves, let's remember that this was K-State, not Alabama. We are starting to dial things in on offense, and this should serve as a big confidence booster going into the rest of conference play.

After watching the Texas game, I thought that this team had it in them, and they seemed to find it this week, what ever it is. Perhaps Steven Sheffield is the catalyst that this group needed. Though I think it is worth while to point out that the O-line did an excellent job of keeping his jersey clean. There were a number of plays where Sheffield had at least 8 seconds to find a receiver. Again part of this is due to the opponent, but it is also something that they should have been able to do against UNM and didn't. I think Matt Moore may have found his 5 guys that work together well and provide the best protection. If you are winning the battle in the trenches, you are probably going to win the game.

I have to admit that I started getting really nervous when, on the first drive we stalled on 2nd and short and decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from our own 38. But we did it right, bringing Jeffers in motion as we had done against U of H, theatening the end around, and forcing the KSU linebackers to not crowd the line. This allowed Sheffield to follow Brandon Carter and pick up the first down (Don't expect this to work this week against Suh and the Nebraska DL. If it's 4th and 1, we better punt or throw the quick slant to James.). After this near-miss, the offense quit sputtering and never looked back.

Defensively, we seemed to start a little slow as well. Luckily, though KSU was moving the ball well on their first drive, the Wildcats shot themselves in the foot with a hold and a false start that pushed them to 3rd and 16 and moved them out of field goal range. KSU's second drive didn't start out badly either, but a questionable play call, going deep on 3rd and 3 from your own 16 forced another punt. By the time they got the ball again, KSU was already down by 3 scores and had to shift their game to a more passing attack that did not fit their strengths. Read this carefully. The Tech defense got a lot of help, especially in the first series. Had KSU put even a field goal on the board, such that it was within 2 possessions, I think they would have stuck with grind it out tactics in hopes of wearing our defense down and coming back late. Bo Pelini knows this.

Offensive Keys

1. Avoid turnovers. Not bad. I can live with 1 INT a game, though it came on what Sheffield himself called a dumb decision. This will happen in your first game as the starting QB. Everyone else held on to the ball pretty well. I recall one drop by Leong on a deep pass that was just abouth perfectly placed, but other than that, pretty sure hands on the night.

2. Relax and play as a unit. As I alluded to above, the offense line finally seemed to get it together. I actually noticed them pointing to and calling out blocks on the line. Usually the center does this, but I noticed Brandon Carter taking the lead here. Maybe the suspension did him some good. Doing a little more to lead and playing with this kind of maturity rather than emotion and face paint is what will earn him a paycheck in the future.

3. Let Batch and Jeffers lead the charge. The first play of the game was a Baron Batch carry for 8 yards. This set the tone, and Batch managed to eek out a meager 86 yards on 9.6 yds/carry over the night, including a TD run. Even taking out his long run (33 yards) he still averaged over 6.5 yds/carry. What would normally be a good showing pales in comparison, as Harrison Jeffers only manged 7.9 yds/carry. Including receptions (our screen game looked good, too), these two combined for 200 yards on 25 touches. Yep. Your math is right. That's 8 yds/touch and was exactly what we needed from these two.

Defensive Keys

1. 3rd and long. After the first series, we were successful in this, in part because we knew they were passing and we were able to pin our ears back and bring pressure. Brandon Sharpe was playing like an MVP.

2. Stop the run. KSU actually had quite a bit of success on the ground, if you take out the sack yardage. Their running backs averaged 7.6 yds/carry, picked up 145 yards, and broke several long runs. Again, Tech dodged a bullet here in that KSU was forced to abandon their run game. I think the biggest issue here was losing containment. We did a decent job of stopping anything up the middle for short gains, save the first big run by Thomas. Our guys weren't used to anything that big running the football. Once they realized they couldn't arm tackle him, he was contained.

3. Contain Brandon Banks. 1 catch for 5 yards. I don't have anything else to say. I continue to be impressed by our young DB talent.

Special Teams

We kicked off 11 times, so obviously Kansas State got some return yards. The fact that Donnie Corona had 5 tackles should be concerning. I am certainly glad to have a physical kicker in the game who can make tackles, but the kicker is not the first guy down the field. We showed improvement, which is all I can really ask for, but we are not exactly pinning them deep following kick offs.

The story from this game is the offense. KSU is not stellar defensively, but we weren't making mistakes that killed drives, and when we did (offensive pass interference, illegal blocks) we came right back and made the next play. Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense...Is that kind of like sometimes a pirate can beat a soldier? Anyway, we were able to get KSU out of their game plan (or what I assume was their game plan) and control the game. Our defense isn't the best in the conference, but it is good enough to get at least one extra stop and break serve. It's who we are this year.