Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe // 08.21.09
by Seth C on Aug 21, 2009 6:17 AM CDT
in Texas Tech News, Notes and Links
Email
Print
Texas Tech Football
Defense Controls Scrimmage: LAJ's Don Williams reports on scrimmage from yesterday where the defense absolutely dominated by not giving up a touchdown in 35 plays. And before anyone gets too excited, earlier in the week, the Texas Tech offense scored six touchdowns in a scrimmage, but last night was the defense's night:
After the defense got a series of stops followed by an interception, nose tackle Victor Hunter yelled, "We got ’em shook! We got ’em shook.’’ As the unit made one good play after another in the red zone, strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie yelled, "You get nothing, offense!’’
Go read the whole article for good detail of how the defense performed.
Texas Tech Football Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams reports that freshman CB D.J. Johnson continues to impress in practice as cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell has lots of praise for the freshman:
"Just pure athleticism,’’ Mitchell said after Thursday’s practice. "He’s making plays when he’s out there. He learns very well. The kid is not only a student on the field; he’s a student in the classroom. He’s doing everything above and beyond my expectations for a freshman.’’
. . . DE Sandy Riley has lost 20 pounds and is down to 228 pounds but hopes to play around 230 to 235 . . .
Gray is in Focus: RedRaiderSports.com's Paul Lowery talks with freshman LT Joel Gray and I like this about our staff:
DURING THE RECRUITING PROCESS, WHAT PARTS OF THE PROGRAM WERE YOU THE MOST IMPRESSED WITH?
"Well, it was my first offer so it was obviously really memorable but I remember right after I blew out my knee I had to call—my parents wanted me to call all of the colleges and let them know, and most colleges told me not to waste my time anymore, and Tech was like, ‘Well, just get better. We still want you. Just get better and we’ll still be around.’ That really gave me the home feeling and I felt that I was really accepted and that they really do want me to be here."
Checking in with Kickoff Club Luncheon: Check out The Broadcast Booth's recap of yesterday's event:
But the best part, as always, was when The Pirate himself stepped to the podium. Because he talked about the team and introduced the offensive and defensive lines as the "most important players on the team?" Nope. Because he shared his story about growing up in Wyoming where he says he saw an occasional tourist and had enough people come their thinking it was an oddity to prepare him for the barrage of attention, exposure, interviews and "brushes with greatness" during this offseason? Nope. Oh... because he went on to describe how this team is getting after it, kicking around the blood, sweat, and dirt while making the odd body sounds that go with it? Nope.
The best part, was snagging a copy of the new Texas Monthly on the newsstand at Love Field on my way out this morning, and asking Leach, the cover Pirate, to sign it! My guess, from his reaction, was that it was the first one he's inked so far (since it just hit the stand!).
Neglected Audio and Video: Fox34 confirms that QB Taylor Potts will be sporting the mustache all year, although we know it's more than a mustache:
FoxSports Preview: FoxSports has three videos and I've posted them as FanShots, but am linking them here. I think this is all from the FoxSports preview show:
Big 12 and College Football Links: In The Bleachers has an interesting roundtable on which defensive unit will have the most dominating performance in 2009 . . . I still find this hard to believe, but Florida St. turned in an Oklahoma Sooner player who had committed a similar violation to a Florida St. player . . . The Rivalry, Esq. with a look at the Big 12 Conference . . .
Scouting the Enemy: Corn Nation's 2009 Nebraska Cornhuskers preview . . . Rock Chalk Talk's 2009 Kansas Jayhawks preview . . . I Am The 12th Man's 2009 Texas A&M Aggies preview . . . Crimson and Cream Machine's 2009 Oklahoma Sooners preview . . . Burnt Orange Nation's 2009 Texas Longhorns preview . . . NYTimes The Quad with a preview of the Oklahoma St. Cowboys . . .
Alumni: The Mile High Report with a lengthy piece on now Denver Bronco S Darcel McBath . . .
16 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
That third video has the guy saying we will finish 5th in the south behind baylor. I want to start playing some football!
He's Joel Klatt played for Colorado
Sorry folks but FSN gets me riled up. Mr. Klatt has stated in at least 2 x forums that we slip behind Baylor. Because we (1) don’t have a good enough defense and (2) the QB will struggle along with along the receivers "you don’t just replace a M. Crabtree.." . Except for Emily Jones you just don’t find many FSN folks announcers commentator or analyst who seem to care whether anybody but UT or OU ever get air time. Because it appears to be slanted – I made a study of total air time on the post game show on FSN for 07. Suffice it to say it’s around 60 % UT/ OU centric. ) Fairness standard they were better in 08. Barely. There are 12 x schools sweating their behinds off in Big 12play. Not saying it has to be 1/12th per but at least even out the editing. Maybe over a week to week period. (can’t believe I’m wasting my time trying to help out a Media outlet with format). It’s just I can’t take listening to Mac followed by Colt followed by Stoops followed by Bradford for 12 of the 38 minutes of actual non advertising broadcast. Then we get a goofy PowerPoint chart with background voice over dribble to explain the rest o f the league schedule play etc. . (sorry for the Rant) .To defend Klatt he also bucked the system and said that OU wins the Big 12 over UT – ie1 x loss for UT in RRR.
by centexraider on Aug 21, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Reports of Baylor’s pending awesomeness abound here in Austin. I have only one question for everyone picking them to become so great (to Tech’s detriment). If we assume that Coach Leach will be able to coach up Potts (who has some time in the system already) as history has shown he will, which do you think will be more difficult to replace. A first round wide receiver (Crabtree – Texas Tech) or a #2 overall pick Left Tackle (Jason Smith – Baylor)?
Michael Crabtree was amazing, and he WILL be missed (all props to him). And Robert Griffin IS a talent and should get some respect, but I would point all Raider detractors to this quote from NFL.com’s analysis of Jason Smith:
With their left tackle hobbled in 2007, Baylor ranked 113th nationally with 77.83 yards per game rushing
You don’t lose a guy like that at Baylor and not feel it.
I haven’t followed Baylor much. Let’s analyze this way. What players on Baylor’s roster would start on Tech’s roster? Which position is there player better than ours? I guess QB is a toss up since they are completely different styles. Name another position where they are better.
Other than Robert Griffin,
Baylor remains a marginal talent DI school. Art Briles is an excellent recruiter, especially in Texas, but right now he’s doing the old Mike Leach thing of trying to poach underrated talent that will fit as position players in his spread option system. Baylor is getting a lot of hype behind their surprisingly mediocre ‘08 campaign, but beating the tar out of a down A&M and losing close to Tech does not equal a successful campaign in ’09. Griffin didn’t throw a lot of INT’s in ‘08, which people will point to as proof of his value as a passer, but the truth of the matter is that Briles purposefully limited his role as a passing QB, and when Baylor was put into clutch situations where a passer was needed, Griffin coughed up the ball (ex: Mizzou @ Baylor). Griffin is a stunning athlete, but he can’t go it alone.
by mojavereject on Aug 21, 2009 7:19 PM CDT up reply actions
to be fair...
…to Baylor, if you believe polls, they’re got at least these two:
LB Joe Pawelek, Baylor
DB Jordan Lake, Baylor
And considering our secondary, I might agree on Lake, and all reports say Pawelek IS a baller, so I’ll believe that too. But I’d put our LB corps collectively up against theirs, sure. And probably the same for our DBs. Besides, they had Lake last year (he was on the Thorpe award watch list) and we still won, so I don’t think either play puts them over the top. I think people under-estimate the impact Harrell’s injury had on that game, and again, I think people are under-estimating how much the loss of Jason Smith will hurt.
Baylor will be improved this year
BUT WAIT! ALL other Big-12 schools will improve, too, even Tech. So we lost some amazing talent. The fact is we have several good talents stepping into those vacancies. No one can replace Crabtree and Harrell’s experience and abilities are going to be difficult to replace as well. However, the new sheriff in town may actually be a better, more physically gifted athlete than Harrell. If anyone has payed attention over the last 9 years, they would surely have seen how well Tech’s replacement QB’s have done. Potts is a better QB prospect than any of his predecessors. That, to me, points to another outstanding year from our QB position, maybe even some Symons like numbers. Add in the expected improvement at the halfback position and there appears to be absolutely no chance for a dropoff in Tech offensive abilities, plus an anticipated improvement on defense. Having seen over 50 years of Tech football, I am convinced this year’s Red Raiders will not skip a beat and will surprise some unbelievers.
TTpilk
I don’t think this Joel Klatt guy has watched an ounce of Tech football. Tech has plenty of receivers and will do just fine without Mr. Crabtree. Will he be missed? Hell yeah, but the rest of the team actually did show up and kept scoring touchdowns and producing yards when Crabtree was hurt or not producing as much. Just a typical "journalist" that doesn’t do his homework, looks at a few stats, and starts making assumptions. Typical preseason bandwagons.
And really…how reasonable is it for one team who has just gone 11-2 that has been contiually rising (and not had a losing season since before the big 12 was created) to drop below a team that just went 4-8 the year before and has a very long history of losing? Although that would be a great story for Baylor, you gotta look at the facts and give some credit where its due. Until Tech proves (or at least shows one slight glimmer of horridity) that it belongs in a class between Baylor and AtM, I’m pretty sure Tech has earned at least an ounce of respect.
Texas media is a bit incredulous of a TTU success story
I grew up in Texas. Entire Mothers family is from Texas. Its just a Preston Smith West Texas – you’ve got to be kidding me.. right… no way to describe the shock of TTU resurgence. You can’t be for real… The entire Texas media planet rotates around an Austin city limits / College station axis. Look the outlying markets are not going to get much play here. Go to Wal-Mart it’s an atm ut t-shirt bonanza. Sense of fairness be damned. You just have to accept the underdog role. It’s kind a cool. I enjoy walking into a store or a meeting with my TTU belt buckle on. Its like that rocket scientist Jacques. C. something or other on the DMN sports staff stated last year and I quote " No way TTU is going to win the south(Big 12) " . Folks he doesn’t get invited to cocktail parties by TTU T-shirt fans. He gets free beers from ut sponsors who never went there. They also have little silver longhorns on the back of their Hondas or Toyotas’ too. So it’s okay. I like being under the radar. Just as much as I like the team knocking off the flagship university and its hoity toity tier one bunch of know it alls. Kick off is coming folks and I can’t wait. A couple more high profile wins and the media folks will begrudgingly acknowledge the Raiders have something going on and its very sweeet!
"do routine things routinely"
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
