By Jon Garten | SPECIAL TO THE A-J

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Good luck getting Mike Leach to tell you why Lyle Leong had been demoted to the scout team earlier this season.

“What he did to get in (the doghouse) is highly classified. It’s deeply guarded in the bowels of Texas Tech, and it’s guarded by the dogs that you saw on Harry Potter. OK?” Leach said after Texas Tech beat Kansas State 58-28 Saturday at Snyder Family Stadium. “As far as what he did to get out, just made plays. He just focused on being a great team guy and made plays.”

It’s safe to say that Leong is out of the doghouse. The sophomore wide receiver from Abilene had three catches – all touchdowns – for 23 yards against the Wildcats.

Wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons indicated in mid-September that Leong had fallen out of the good graces of the coaching staff. Leong did not play against SMU.

“I’m just trying to make up for what I did and just show them that I have good character, and just come back and help the team,” Leong said.

Leong said this week’s practice was his most consistent. He used his demotion as motivation to get back on the field.

“I just tried to take it as a learning experience and just not try to get down on myself,” Leong said. “I know they were doing it for my best interests.”

Early in the game, the Wildcats focused extra attention on Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Crabtree. Leong made them pay, snagging two of his touchdowns before halftime.

Crabtree finished the game with nine catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s a great receiver,” Leong said of Crabtree. “A lot of time it takes a lot of pressure off, because they’ve got to keep an eye on him. It just opens up doors for me.”

Leong earned Texas Class 5A first-team All-State honors in 2005 and was also recruited by Baylor, Georgia Tech, SMU and TCU. Before Saturday’s game, Leong only had two catches for 41 yards on the season. As a freshman, he caught 15 passes for 174 yards and a score.

Simmons has been pleased with Leong’s progress. He said the sophomore adds something to Tech’s already deadly wide receiver unit.

“He got a chance to showcase his talents, which is catching downfield passes and catching the fade ball,” Simmons said. “He caught two corners and a fade today.”

While Leach won’t reveal why Leong ended up on the scout team earlier this year, he will admit what he likes about Leong.

“He really likes to have the ball,” Leach said. “Lyle and I agree on one thing, which is Lyle needs to have the ball in his hands. I thought he was real productive, and he kind of has a nose for the end zone.”