Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 09.01.09

Odds and Ends

  I Can Smell Football:  The calendar has rolled into September and that means we're getting really close.   So excited for an actual game.  Lots of links to get to this morning.

  Tech-Knight Photos:  Totally Texas Tech with some good photos from the Knights of Columbus Tech Knight event.  Lots of old-timers including ten former quarterbacks from Texas Tech.

Texas Tech Football

  Ready to Start:  LAJ's Don Williams writes that the players are ready to start the season and LG Brandon Carter needs a release:

"We’re kind of like a caged animal right now,’’ senior guard Brandon Carter said. "Everybody’s ready to be released. I think we’re the most excited team in the country right now. But when it comes time, we have to control that rage. We have to play disciplined and make sure we don’t have any penalties.’’

And Captain Mike Leach likes the cohesiveness of this group:

Asked what surprising him in August, Leach said, "The overall cohesiveness of the group, which I expected, but that’s further along than I thought. I’d say the level of play of our young class overall, our incoming class, they’re playing at a high level. The biggest thing is they’re not intimidated by anybody, which is impressive for a group that age.’’

  Texas Monthly Q&A with Leach:  Hat-tip to BON's DimeCoverage, here's three videos (one, two and three) of Leach answering questions during his Q&A session with Texas Monthly.

  Finally, Someone Gets It:  FWST's Dwain Price has a short notebook this morning, but for once, a mainstream media member understands that the offense is going to be just fine.  Seriously, we're not worried in the least.  Here's Price and QB Taylor Potts:

In the previous five quarterbacks’ first season as the starter, they each enjoyed success. How much? Cody Hodges in 2005 had the fewest completions with 353, and Kliff Kingsbury in 2000 threw for the fewest yards (3,418) and touchdowns (21).

Potts is confident he can be as prolific as predecessor Graham Harrell, who was 412-of-617 for 4,555 yards and 38 touchdowns in his first season running the offense. He added that holding back the excitement of finally becoming the starter is one of the challenges he’s facing.

"I can’t wait to start," Potts said. "I’ll try to be on an even keel throughout the whole game and not get too up and not too down."

  Batch Leads the Way:  DT's Alex Ybarra talked with RB Baron Batch, who is still hoping for that seemingly difficult to achieve 1,000 rushing season:

"I definitely think that’s a possibility," Batch said of reaching the elusive number. "At the same time I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’m just gonna take it one game at a time. At the same time, it’s always good to have personal goals, and that’s definitely one of them."

And backup RB Aaron Crawford is ready to hit the field:

"Great learning experience," he said. "Life isn’t perfect. You have your ups and you have your downs, but it’s not what happens for that moment. It’s on how you respond to it. Are you gonna take it in a negative light? Or are you gonna take it in a positive? Fortunately for me, it was positive."

  Riveting Big 12 Teleconference:  The Big 12 football coaches had their media teleconference yesterday, including Captain Leach discussed the following:  1) not getting nervous before games, but anxious; 2) ,a lengthy question by some guy at the Oklahoman asking about how college football has changed, and Leach's initial response was, "Well, what about it?"  Leach did go on to answer the question; 3) replacing Crabtree and Harrell (again); 4) how QB Taylor Potts has developed; 5) who will emerge for Texas Tech (i.e., he hopes it's a collective effort, although Leach seems to forget names of his players).

  Getting Excited About Winning:  If Coach Leach gets a little excited about a win, he wears a cowboy hat, if Oklahoma St. happens to do well this year then T. Boone Pickens just might wet his pants.

  2010 Recruit Tidbits:  Nice article about DB Urell Johnson, who is the #10 rated player in Louisiana:

"You could see the love of the game," Powell said. "He plays with a lot of passion. When you look at Urell on film, he jumps out because of the athleticism and speed.

 

"He’s extremely athletic. You’re looking at a kid that has won the state long jump and the triple jump. He’s a hell of an athlete to be honest with you. He runs extremely fast. He’s a combination of great size and speed."

. . . a Q&A with RB Delans Griffin . . . if you haven't already heard, QB Scotty Young had a pretty good first half:

"The line was blocking real good, Scotty [Young] was on point, and everybody had a great game," Alexander said. "I’m loving this right now. It’s a great honor to be a part of what’s going on here with Scotty and Bud [Sasser] and [Ismail Evans] and all the guys."

But in what was just 24 minutes of action, Young was able to spread the ball around to all of his weapons. All three of his completions to Sasser went for touchdowns. They connected for touchdowns from 20, 13 and 9 yards out.

Young finished his night at halftime, racking up 265 yards through the air on 13-of-18 passing with six touchdowns.

  Big 12 Links:  Rock M Nation with the BTBS preseason rankings and despite not being able to add more than four digits at any one time, my initial BlogPoll was on par with the numbers in that Texas Tech is, right now, the #22 team in the nation . . . CT's Dave Matter with a Big 12 football notebook . . . BON's Billy Zane with a post that has nothing to do with Texas Tech, it's just really well-written and a joy to read . . . Per ESPN's Tim Griffin Oklahoma Sooners former TE Brody Eldridge is now the starting center . . .  Oklahoma St. Cowboys CB Perrish Cox was arrested for driving on a suspended license . . .