Red Raiders Football Notebook 10-21-2008

By jamesfelts on October 21st, 2008 View Comments Printer-Friendly

Compiled by Don Williams
Still scrambling

Texas Tech’s switch at placekicker from Cory Fowler to Donnie Carona apparently will last just one game. Fowler had two extra points blocked in Saturday’s 43-25 victory at Texas A&M.

“We’re not going to keep Cory in there,” Tech coach Mike Leach said on Monday. “We haven’t decided what we’re going to do.”

Leach didn’t say emphatically that Carona will be back on extra points and field goals for this week’s game at Kansas, at one point saying, “We’re going to have to kick some balls and figure it out.”

But he doesn’t have many choices, which he later acknowledged.

“Quite honestly, I think that Donnie’s going to just be fine,” Leach said. “He needs to relax. I mean, it’s not like anything’s changed. The guy (he was) in high school would be more than satisfactory. As a matter of fact, he might lead the league around here. So all he needs to be is the guy (he was) in high school.”

Leach says now that going for two-point conversions could be a solution.

“Might,” he said. “I’ve never completely ruled that out to begin with.”

Carona was benched last week after failing on eight extra points and field goals – five of them blocked – in the first six games.

The Red Raiders had no better luck with Fowler. He made a 25-yard field goal, but had two PATs blocked. Aggies defensive back Arkeith Brown took one the length of the field for two points.

At times this season, Leach has cited operation time and poor protection as a reason for some of the blocks, but not this time.

“They were struck way low,” Leach said. “We almost missed another one besides. We hit the middle of the ball.”

The predicament might be wearing on Leach. At least, having to answer questions about it is.

Leach finally got testy about the subject on Monday. After answering several questions about the kicking game, the subject came up again a few minutes later.

This time, Leach took issue when asked how much longer the Raiders could go before the special-teams breakdowns cost them.

“We have to straighten out the kicking,” Leach said. “Do you really feel like that’s a good question? They already have hurt us. We’ve missed six extra points. It’s cost us six points. You think I have a crystal ball? Next question.”

Tech-UT game time set

Tech’s Nov. 1 home game against top-ranked Texas will be a 7 p.m. kickoff before a national television audience. The game will be carried by either ABC or ESPN.

Other games chosen for television that day are Kansas State at Kansas (11:30 a.m., FSN), Iowa State at Oklahoma State (2:30 p.m., ABC) and Nebraska at Oklahoma (7 p.m., ESPN or ABC).

Booted up

Flanker Mike Crabtree was wearing a protective boot on his left foot Monday, Tech players’ weekly day off. Crabtree injured an ankle returning a kickoff Saturday. He wasn’t hurt to the extent that he couldn’t return, but he did play only in spots during the fourth quarter.

They don’t know losing

Besides winning Saturday’s game, Tech’s seniors have the satisfaction of having never lost to Texas A&M. The last time A&M won in the series was in 2004 when Tech’s current fifth-year seniors were freshmen who were being redshirted.

“One thing I’m proud of is, in the four years I’ve been here, I’ve never lost to an Aggie,” offensive tackle Rylan Reed said. “That was kind of a big deal for me.”

“It’s one of our biggest rivals,” safety Darcel McBath said. “I’m 4-0 against them. They can never take that away from me.”

  • Sleepless In Plainview

    I LOVE IT!! The Pirate swings his sword at the brood of vipors before him! Yeah, he’s got a little pirate in him.

    Wreck Em’ Leach!!

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  • http://www.redraiders.com/?p=2777 Joseph

    I like the pirate comment, maybe we can have Dwayne Slay come back with some of his downhill hitting and knock a few folks out. I think the 2pt conversion is the answer for PAT. But we still need someone to kick a field goal above the players heads, which is what it may come down to in the next four possibly five weeks.
    GO TECH WRECK EM PIRATES.

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  • Bill in Brenham

    Surely we can make one out of two 2 pt conversions. As I have said before one out of two gets us back even with making all single pt kick pats.

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  • Danny in McKinney, TX

    Hope Mike Crabtree doesn’t have one of those dreaded high ankle sprains. Hope he gets better and even if he has to miss Saturday’s game (which I doubt) we need him ready for the Texas game. He shredded Texas last year and you need all the fire power you can get for that game. Hopefully we play very well this week. Just keep focusing and win each game.

    Go Red Raiders!

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  • Paul Murray

    Just get the defense ready. I would much rather have our secondary and linebackers playing better than our kicking game. The offense will score points but Ruffin needs some help getting those 2 areas much better in the next 4 games. Secondary is worst I’ve seen in long time.

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  • http://www.redraiders.com/?p=2777 Joseph

    Its not just our secondary, in the first half a&m went up the middle all day long, over and over again. The defense just needs to play to its potential like it did second half. And I agree with the defense needing to be ready, but games are often lost or won by special teams. Alex trilica won it for us more than once.
    GO TECH!

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  • DD

    Too bad evryone doesn’t have a coaching job, maybe then we would understand pressure. Those guys spend endless hours preparing for a single game. These are the same people that have spent their entire lives dedicated to football, they coach the players to be prepared and then something different happens and they have to make a decision in the blink of an eye. Then we watch the replay and become critics of the coaches and players instead of fans. I guarantee each one of the coaches and players want to do the right thing,they want to win. NOT ONE PERSON WINS OR LOSES A FOOTBALL GAME, whether he passes, catches,kicks or tackles. This group of individuals wins as a team,and so far hasn’t lost. Stop being anything but what you are,THE BEST DAMN FANS ANY TEAM COULD WANT. GO TECH!!!!!!!

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  • LKP

    Right on, DD. There are two other Tech exes at my work. Both are so negative and critical it is rediculous. I remain optimistic regardless of what others say. But they bend to the hype or the negatives in the media. This year’s team deserves our backing through thick or thin. They have paid dues and are trying to perform at a high level each game. Being human means mistakes are made, tackles missed, balls dropped. But they are OUR Raiders, so “Rah,Rah, Ziff Boom Bah” them on to victory.
    GUNS UP!

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  • Sleepless In Plainview

    Ditto DD and LKP(except the rah rah ziff boom bah part)

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  • CSUNhoops1

    Perhaps TTU should go for two-point conversions instead of the XP from now on. Now that would be a rebel thing to do and with the running game doing well, why not.?

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  • Brandon

    I don’t know if the two-point thing is the way to go, but man would that be perfect to go along with Leach’s reputation of going against the “norm” in college football. I think it would be fun and exciting, and that’s what this offense has been all about since Leach got to Tech. Having said that, I’d be just as happy to see Tech get the kicking game ironed out and for us to get back to the never-miss days of Trilica. I’m sick of getting more excited about the converted extra points than the touchdowns.

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  • Ryan J

    Has anyone noticed that on third down Tech has been placing Victor Hunter in at middle linebacker and every time they do the other team notice this and converts over the middle. Brian Duncan has been a staple at MLB. Teams have been staying away from him and the middle of the field. He has 1 int to prove it, so why not give him more opportunity to create and cause turnovers in the middle. I suspect Vs.Texas He will have a break out game. Go TECH!

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