Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Win :: Nebraska Cornhuskers Edition
by Seth C on Oct 15, 2009 12:00 PM CDT
in Texas Tech Football
15 comments
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 :: Nebraska Cornhuskers Edition.
Reason #1 :: Force Turnovers: This will be a difficult task for Texas Tech as Nebraska has only turned the ball over 5 times the entire season. Winning on the road is invariably easier when you can force a turnover and create a drive where Nebraska cannot eat up the clock and also create a potential score. QB Zac Lee has been incredibly careful with the ball thus far and he's a big part of the reason why Nebraska is winning games. The defense should be at full-strength on Saturday and I think the fact that so many players had to play while other players were recovering from injuries should help out as there's the expectation that the Nebraska offense will look to dominate the 4th quarter. I have no doubt that this defense is capable, especially when you have senior leaders like CB Jamar Wall, and DE Daniel Howard leading the way. I also wouldn't be at all surprised by an appearance by the relatively quiet DT Colby Whitlock, who seems to show up for big games.
Reason #2 :: Prepare for Suh: The play where Texas DE Sergio Kindle flat-out beat RT Marlon Winn to level QB Taylor Potts is still burned in my brain, and I hope like hell it's burned in Winn's brain as well. Winn took that play off, and to give credit to Kindle, Winn just couldn't keep pace with him on that play either. Earlier this week, OL coach Moore stated that RG Brandon Carter will see 95% of Ndamukong Suh and I too think that because the wide-splits, it's tougher to double-team an interior defender rather than an outside rusher. No matter who has who, all I really want out of this offensive line is for players to not take one play off the entire game. I'm not sure they can afford to do so, but to the running backs who chip to the linemen themselves, I think this is going to have to be a complete game for this unit and I think they're more than capable.
Reason #3 :: Take What's There, Unless You Feel Like You Need to Take a Chance: This is really up to QB Steven Sheffield and Mike Leach. As I watched last week's game with my brother-in-law, we both thought that there were a couple of pass plays that had the defensive backs played better angles or been better athletes, that Sheffield could have been in danger of throwing a few extra picks. Conversely, this might be a credit to Sheffield, who had a bead on the defenders and knew exactly what he was doing. There's a fine balance between a quarterback that takes unnecessary chances and a quarterback that takes what the defense gives him. Finding that balance can be tough, and Leach and his Red Raiders have typically prided themselves on being able to take chances and live with the consequences, but I'd like for Leach and Sheffield to keep it simple. Check down to the run, even if it doesn't net 8 yards a carry. If Nebraska is playing a cover-2 then get underneath and get the receivers to block the hell out of the defensive backs.
Reason #4 :: Play-Makers Make Plays: Last year I found myself in a bit of a rut as I wrote this series, mainly because I could have said each week, "Because Texas Tech Has Mr. Crabtree." There were plenty of questions as to whether or not Texas Tech would be able to duplicate last year's results and I'd say that with the 2nd ranked offense in the country, the Red Raiders seem fine. We've talked about this for a few weeks now, but the list of potential play-makers continues to grow each week. Early in the season, some were convinced that Eric Stephens would supplant Harrison Jeffers. Now those roles are reversed. Some thought that Detron Lewis would be the Crabtree-Replacement, but it's been Tramain Swindall, Lyle Leong, Jacoby Franks, Alexander Torres, etc. There's quite a few targets out there and I'm extremely interested to see if and who Nebraska decides to double-team. If that happens, there's going to be a man advantage and as stated above, I think Texas Tech might have the best blocking receivers in football.
Reason #5 :: Coaching to Win: I've wondered this since the Houston game, where Leach was faced with the proposition of taking the points or going for the gusto. Initially, Leach said that he should have gone for the points, but in retrospect, he later said that he would go for the gusto, but call a different play. I'm perfectly comfortable living with a guy like Leach playing unconventionally. After I've thought about it, it's almost like going for a 2-point conversion for a win at the end of the game. Sometimes you just have to put yourselves out there and that one play can be a tremendous measuring stick of where your team sits. Despite the gusto, I hope that Leach has learned somewhat of a lesson in that sometimes, it's okay to take the points. I don't want Leach to out-smart himself here, but sometimes taking the points isn't such a bad thing and I want to think that Leach is okay with taking the points in certain situations.
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I was really busy last night and I think this devolved into a keys to the game rather than 5 reasons. Apologies, but at least this is something to talk about.
Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation
5 x reasons Tech will win
1. No one expects us to win. The media likes Bo Pelini and the NE C-Huskers. They are the traditional favorites. They have the crowd. It’s their house. NE had a furious game against Mizzou last week and its still – a hangover. IMO. Raiders are overdue – this season for a road win. (Really stretching it here friends.)
2. The O line will stone the NE defenders. Running backs might just give the NE defense some fits. Jeffers and Stephens are faster than any NE LBs or safeties and this bodes well for some off tackle chips and sweeps past NE defense. By Pelini’s own admission hasn’t seen this type of offense yet. Meaning the Air Raid version of the spread. On the other hand they had an extra couple of practice sessions to prepare and the NE Head coach and his brother are very good defensive coaches. Hmm.
3.Sheffild won’t be sacked. Roll out, scramble, run to the sidelines avoid any contact with Mr. Suh. More realistically the O line will perform okay because they will be loose and having fun. Not so many holding penalties and zero offside’s or illegal procedures. Okay it’s Tech we will still end up with over 70 yards of penalties .Just hoping that these penalties do not stall a drive.
4. The Raider secondary gets 7 x pass break ups and a critical red zone interception. Carlos Mainord is really smiling. This snaps the Red Zone efficiency streak the Huskers have going BTW. Actually this factoid displayed by the Huskers is pretty telling i.e. the Red Zone efficiency. Guess they have not been turned away with zero points in Red Zone once this year? True or false? If so this statistic just goes to the whole ball control, manage the game Parcellian clock gobbler methodology adopted by Coach Pelini. R. McNeill says- during a Tech Talk interview – that Nebraska installed this run outside, throw short, run up the middle ball control strategy for us last year and have stuck with it ever since. Aren’t you glad we can influence our Big 12 opponents in positive way? I know I am.
5.No one knew Matt Williams could kick 6 field goals in a game. Matt W for Heisman !A tremendous stretch here folks.The head Pirate despises FG’s so if we are inside the 30 yard line and stalled with 4th and 2 what do you think he’s’ going to do? Let me see… does the word tendencies pop up?
"do routine things routinely"
tech can win...
but they must stay focused and play their best game. It’s another road game folks and we all know how well tech has performed to date on the road. This is the transition game where tech decides if they want to be in the south title race. My biggest fear in this game is being too impatient and forcing plays. That usually leads to fumbles and interceptions. I say watch those penalties and be sure you have a good grip on the ball because the NU defense will take the ball from you if you’re loose with it – Eric Stephens. I like our defense in this game as I think we can hold our own if we contain the run. Our DB’s will also be tested all day long. NU will do their absolute best to control the game clock and burn time with short yardage first downs. Our D line and linebackers need to obviously stop the run but also watch Lee(QB) as he is very mobile. Lastly, Leach needs to play his best game also and be much more conservative with the time outs and play calling. Another bad call on 4th down could result in the same way UH game did. Let you offense defense earn and take away play time and concentrate on effective play calling. Get the running game going early and stick with it, if it works! SS will be much better in this game if we can run the ball as well as open the passing game. This is a must win to be relevant this season so motivate those players. I think Tech pulls a win in the 4th with minutes left. SS reminds of all of Harrell before the day ends.
Tech can win this game.
I believe that UT could beat NE at any location and we held our own with UT and had opportunities to win that game on the road with a hostile crowd over 100k. I think Sticks will step up and throw the ball well and since it seems the offense is gellin better now than when we went to Austin. I believe we have a solid chance at wining this game. Batch and remembered how to hit the hole with a full head of steam, and I bet he could run over Suh the way he has been running over everyone on the opposing defenses(at least once I would love for Batch to hit Suh like he has hit some of the other DE’s, DT’s, and LB’s this year. (ok mancrush on Batch) but I have not seen any other RB’s on any team including Helu that have ran as hard a Batch.
If you not having fun....then your not playing the game right.
I’m not feeling it this week, boys. I think this one slips away from us…defense will cave at the worst possible moment. Will be a game we look back on and say ‘woulda-coulda-shoulda’.
Precdiction whenever Seth puts that thread up…don’t hate on me…just calling what I think will happen, not want to happen.
Tale of two teams
I dont think we can compare the team with Potts against the team with Sticks. The Texas game we were motivated but both before and after than it was quite flat against really poor competition. From the very moment Sticks entered the NM game, the line blocked better, the D even was more excited to play. The excitement on the field just feels right. Then that spilled right over into the K-State game, hopefully has done nothing but build during another week of practice.
Breaking Leach tradition
Leach has a poor record on the road against ranked teams, but we can win this if we do the following:
1. Brandon Carter has to control Suh like he did in last years game. If this one on one battle is won by us, it taked the wind out of the NE defense sails.
2. Playcalling by Leach. You got outcoached last year by Pelini so don’t let it happen this year.
3. Our DTs and middle LB must stop their run up the middle. If this happens it forces NE to pass.
4. Unlike last year our DBs are a lot faster and I think more talented. If NE is forced to pass we can shut that down or get picks from it.
5. Get the defense off the field and get the ball back to the offense. We should grind them down like their game plan was for us last yea, and I bet is the same for us this year.
I agree:
2. Playcalling by Leach. You got outcoached last year by Pelini so don’t let it happen this year.
I think this has to be more touches to Batch and Jeffers. I think that is the only way we beat them. Let our 3 extremely talented RB’s carry our offense, they can and we know they can, but can leach give a break to pushing the pass?
If you not having fun....then your not playing the game right.
Wish List:
1. 35 carries for 150+ yards
2. No sacks
3. 14+ points from takeaways
4. Less than 50 penalty yards
5. Leach out-coaching Pelini
1. The offense has demonstrated ability to play a good tempo. They showed that they can play a game in which they played in sync, the O-line played well, rb’s, ran the football well, the receivers got open, and the qb found them.
2. The qb finds open receivers, he looks at a lot of recievers quickly, even as he rolls.
3. The passing game has a strong downfield component. Last week, there were at least three td’s off of passes that were 25 to 30 yards downfield.
4. The O-line can do a very good job blocking, either for pass or for run.
5. The defense has played well with key people not being available to play, there is depth, more than we imagine. They can play the run well and they can play the short and intermediate routes well.
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