Not pretty, but latest win keeps Raiders rolling
By Don Williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
If Texas Tech’s season turns out to be as special as the Red Raiders hope, Saturday’s 37-31 overtime victory against Nebraska will be a significant chapter in the story. After playing patiently but trailing all afternoon, the Cornhuskers sneaked up to tie in the final minute of regulation and almost win it in the end.
Almost.
At the heart of Nebraska’s upset bid was playing a nearly mistake-free game of running the football and throwing effective play-action passes. Though their big plays were few, the Cornhuskers made 29 first downs and ate up clock.
Wall
“It can definitely get a little nerve-wracking when you’re sitting out there and they’re playing keepaway,” Tech running back Baron Batch said. “But (the defense) got the stop when they needed to and we won. I’m real happy about the fact we got the win.”
In overtime, Batch’s 24-yard run with a screen pass positioned the Raiders for Eric Morris’ 1-yard touchdown. Two plays later, Tech pass rusher McKinner Dixon got quarterback Joe Ganz in his grasp, and Ganz threw an ill-advised pass that cornerback Jamar Wall intercepted to end the game.
Before that, Ganz had been a thorn in Tech’s side, hitting 82 percent of his passes and skillfully piloting an offense that averaged 6.6 yards on first down.
“They were coming off the ball hard,” Wall said. “Everything they did, we had practiced. They just came off the ball hard, ready to play. We didn’t play to our best ability, and it showed.”
Batch
Nebraska, a three-touchdown underdog, succeeded in making Tech look bad – bad enough, at least, to again raise the question of whether the Raiders are worthy of their lofty ranking.
On Sunday, Tech advanced to No. 5 in the USA Today coaches poll, matching the program’s all-time high ranking from 1976. However, Tech remained at No. 7 in the Associated Press and Harris polls. Even though three teams in front of the Raiders lost on Saturday, one-loss teams Southern Cal and Florida leapfrogged Tech and former No. 1 Oklahoma took only a small drop in the coaches and Harris polls after losing to new No. 1 Texas.
“I thought we played against a really good team who did some really good things,” Tech coach Mike Leach said. “I thought we had a really good week of preparation. Now, did we miss some opportunities and should some things have been different? Absolutely.
“But the thing about it is, we’ve just got to pinpoint some little things. There isn’t anybody not trying. We’ve got everybody motivated. We’ve got everybody focused. We’ve got everybody trying hard. We’ve got to get rid of the temptation to try to do a little too much.”
Leach characterized Saturday’s game as one of the strangest he’s ever been part of.
Nebraska trailed 17-7 at halftime and 24-10 after three quarters, but was still fulfilling an objective to shorten the game. Tech had only 48 plays, two more than the school record low. That included 25 pass attempts from Graham Harrell, his fewest in 32 career starts.
“At one point, I looked up and the first half was over and we had had the ball maybe four times,” split end Edward Britton said. “I was like, We’ve got to score close to every time we get the ball because they are really trying to run the clock and not put the ball in our hands.”
Nebraska finished with 471 yards. With 238 coming on first down, the Huskers never had to deviate from their approach.
“Their coaches came in with a great game plan and they stuck to it,” said Harrell, who completed 20 of his 25 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. “Even when they’re down by 14, they’re still trying to use clock. Then they come back, tie it up and send it to overtime and have a chance to win it.”
Tech was bedeviled by mid-October slumps in both 2006 and 2007. Each of the last two years, the Raiders lost back-to-back games to Colorado and Missouri out of the Big 12 North Division, though Tech was favored to win three of the four.
Perhaps with that in the back of his mind, Leach wasn’t complaining about the way things worked out against Nebraska.
“I’m very proud of our group for rallying together and overcoming them andfinding a wa to win,” he said. “Sometimes it doesn’t happen that way.”
This story first appeared on our Web site at
10:16 p.m. Sunday.
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Lots of big plays in that game. Taylor Charbonet’s TD saving tackle on the big kickoff return just before half, was as big as any.
If he doesn’t make that tackle, it’s 17-14 at the half and Nebska has the momentum.
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I think this was a big win for Tech, one they would have lost in the past, and one they can and will learn from. I am still excited about the possibilities for this team. They have the schedule in their favor, and they have the ability to win the Big 12 South. I know they have disappointed in the past, but winnning this game may be a corner turned.
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Hey Don….The top teams will do what it do “to make it do what it do”….just a one liner to say …6-0 IS 6-0….Huskers played lights out ball..game plan was to keep Tech O off the field..Defense
was taken to task BUT got THE stop to ice the W..at the end of the day that is the ONLY thing that counts…my score is more than your score!!!!! I see some bloggers hatin’ on (my homeboy)McNeill and his boss(Leach)…unless you have a REAL football Background..
not Madden or sandlots..relax and enjoy the ride GUNS UP!!
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This is as good of a place as any to comment on the Report Card. I think it is pretty right on except for the QB play. You gave Graham a B because they didn’t have the ball enough. Tell my how the QB is responsible for that. GH made some huge plays, threw an 80% completion rate and didn’t turn the ball over. Sounds like an A to me.
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This is typical low expectations from fans who are scared. This team is very good, and can win every game. The coaches have to step up, and prepare for 25%-40% fewer possession. Ball distribution and personel, that is why you keep stats. ie kick-return team, production is lower than last year. And vertical plays, I hope we ( the coaches ) become more strategic in their game planning. NFL/T.O. Harris, and other marque receivers, hope that their QB knows how to look off pressure or soften the D, so that when needed they can help out. GH has shown some inprovement, but more is needed. “VERTICAL THREAT, AND KICK OFF WILL NEED TO PRODUCE AND CONTRIBUTE MORE” ok BRITTON NEEDS TO BE PUT BACK ON THE K.O. there I said it.
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Tech didn’t seem to be prepared for the fake FG with 8:00 minutes remaining in the game. The FG would have done Nebraska no good, they would still need two scores to tie. Your comments please.
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MIKE IN MID,
I AGREE WITH YOUR REPORT, BUT YOU DID NOT ADJUST AND GIVE AN F TO THE LINEBACKERS. DUNCAN SHOULD LEARN AS A “COMFORTABLE IN THE MIDDLE” LINEBACKER YOU MAKE PLAYS NOT WATCH THEM. I HOPE THIS IS ONLY A BAD GAME. IF NOT GET HUNTER IN MORE AT THE MLB SPOT. BYRD NEEDS TO STEP IT UP TOO THIS IS THE BIG 12. THE REASON TEAMS ARE STAYING AWAY FROM M.WILLIAMS IS HE IS THE ONLY HARDNOSED STARTING LB WE HAVE. RECRUIT-COACH-WIN. IF NOT WE WILL BE THE SAME OLD D.
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Popey, it was fourth and seven, with 12:37 left in the fourth quarter.
Not everybody thought it was going to be a fake.
I thought we looked pretty good Saturday, defense needs some work, but hey…Texas and OU’s defenses allowed alot of scoring themselves…shore up the special teams a little…We are right there in the mix…in the toughest conference division in the country!!
Wreck Em’ Tech
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Two Things I saw that need attention right away.
1. Secondary is marginal at best. Need better pass coverage.
2. Kicking game needs to be addressed before it is the reason we suffer a loss. That day almost came and can only foreshadow what’s ahead. Please find a field goal kicker!!! Carona can still do the kickoff if that makes everybody feel better.
last tidbit of advice: Stop looking at the rankings as they mean nothing at this time. They will mean something in 2 weeks.
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All I can say is that Tech better not take A&M lightly! We’ve embarassed them the last several years and if the Tech mentality is that ….hey Kansas State beat them 14 down there and we beat Kansas State 30 points up there, they better be prepared for A&M to sneak up on them. They would rather beat Tech than go to a Bowl! We just have to remember that these are 18-20 year old kids that have their mind on other than football 98% of the time.
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Go Dawgs! SEC tops the Big 12 easy!
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godawgs…. really? the big xii has 5 teams in the top 11, Georgia is number 10 with 1 loss…
but anyways…
“Popey, it was fourth and seven, with 12:37 left in the fourth quarter.
Not everybody thought it was going to be a fake.”
Are you serious? that was an obvious trick play situation, everyone knew it, EVERYONE!!! even the girl sitting next to me, who doesnt know a lot about football knew they were going to fake it, UT did it last year, and it worked, and now Nebraska did it and it worked… WHAT A SURPRISE!!!
just a bad defensive game. the offense did really well, if they would have gotten the ball more (if the defense did their job and stopped Nebraska) the Tech score would have been much higher…. get ready for A&M Tech, they will be dieing for a good upset of #7 Tech in college station. Any A&M fan would just love to stop tech’s big xii title hopes next week, just like Tech stopped OU’s national title hopes last year.
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Yes I am serious. Down by 14, with 12:37 left, on 4th and 7 from the 9 yard line is normally not the best time to fake a field goal…
The DUMB call of the game was when Nebraska didn’t go for two at the end of regulation….Nebraska had played keep away the whole game, and that’s what kept them in the game, but you can’t play keep away in overtime…that was their chance to steal a victory over a top ten team and salvage a season…
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All I really have to say is that McNeal and Leach better light this Tech defense up because they played sub-terrible on Saturday. If Tech’s defense ever performs like that again this season, we’re looking at losing the better half of the next six games.
Also, Donnie Carona is the worst kicker to ever been given a scholarship in all of collegiate football. It’s shameful and a disgrace to Trilica to do what Carona is doing. Leach surely cannot put his foot anywhere near the ball the rest of the season.
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Leach just announced Corey Fowler is taking over most of the kicking duties…heard it on coaches corner on FOX TALK.
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