West Texas feels like home turf to ‘Horns’ McCoy
By Adam Zuvanich | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Colt McCoy plays football for Texas, but Texas Tech feels like home to a certain degree.
The junior quarterback is a West Texas native, for starters, having played his high school ball just south of Abilene at Tuscola Jim Ned. McCoy played his last high school game at Lubbock’s Lowrey Field, and several of his hometown friends are now students at Texas Tech.
So as he talked this week about returning to Lubbock for Saturday’s showdown between the unbeaten Longhorns and unbeaten Red Raiders, McCoy almost sounded giddy.
“It is exciting to go back home,” said McCoy, who was born in Hobbs, N.M., and has family in Shallowater. “Half my high school goes to school there, so I have a lot of ties there. It’s going to be fun.”
Fun would be a fitting way to describe McCoy’s previous matchups with the Red Raiders, especially the one at Jones AT&T Stadium two years ago. The Longhorns fell behind by 21 points in the first quarter, thanks in part to an interception thrown by McCoy, but the wide-eyed redshirt freshman wasn’t discouraged.
He engineered the second-largest comeback in UT history, completing 21 of 31 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-31 victory. McCoy also accounted for 68 of the Longhorns’ 227 rushing yards, twice scrambling for third-down conversions in the second half.
McCoy said he’ll draw from that experience, and how he persevered in a hostile environment, as he prepares for Saturday’s game.
It was a performance that still resonates in the Tech camp as well.
“We gave them our best shot, but those guys – being the guys that they are, led by Colt – they rallied and came back,” said Tech safety Darcel McBath, a sophomore at the time. “That’s exactly what kind of leader Colt is. He’s never going to give up.”
McCoy turned a similar trick in Austin last year as the Red Raiders scored 43 points and lost by 16. He had almost identical passing numbers – 21 of 30 for 268 yards with one interception and four TDs, including three in the second half – while adding two rushing TDs including a tough, 22-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a great quarterback,” said Tech defensive end Jake Ratliff, who added that McCoy is harder to prepare for than former UT quarterback Vince Young, who led the team to the 2005 national championship. “He can beat you with his arm or he can beat you running. He proved that against us last year. Containing him is going to be a tough task.”
Especially now that McCoy is playing even better than he did the last two years. He leads the nation in completion percentage (81.8) and ranks second in passer efficiency (186.5), and he’s thrown for 2,285 yards and 21 touchdowns with only four interceptions. McCoy also is the Longhorns’ leading rusher with 412 yards and seven TDs, and he’s averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Texas coach Mack Brown said the 6-foot-3, 210-pound McCoy has become bigger, stronger, faster and tougher, and that he’s “just in a zone right now.” Most importantly, Brown said, McCoy has emerged as the team’s unquestioned leader.
Tech coach Mike Leach also has taken notice of McCoy’s maturation this year.
“I thought he was good last year,” Leach said, “but I think he’s improved.”
Whether McCoy can play any better against the Red Raiders remains to be seen, but it’s hard to imagine that he could. McCoy said he just wants to help the Longhorns win again.
“It’s going to be an exciting game,” he said. “Tech’s a great football team, and we’re looking forward to it.”
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Should be a good game… Tech hasn’t really played anyone yet; I think UT will win 41-28
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I agree with Joe Anderson. UT wins 42-30
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Not so fast you primitives, Tech wins 56-42 holla
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I agree with joe and local boy except they chose the wrong winner….the score is the Same. Raiders by a dozen
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I disagree with both of you. Tech has the experience on the offense line which will be the factor in this game. Tech 35 UT 28
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Tech has to watch out for those trick plays, including fake punts and onside kicks
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No you fools, Texas is gonna stomp on tech and then run over the remaining teams and then start getting ready for the BCS Championship game against Penn State or Alabama.
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Tech will hit Texas with something they haven’t witnessed yet this year.
A big FAT L lies in the near future for Texas.
UT D hasn’t been up against an O line like ours.
Tech by 14.
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I think Tech is a great team and this is going to be a great game. I bleed burnt orange and will be rooting for the horns all the way. I hope the longhorns play at there best because I am sure Tech will be playing there best at home. You are very tough at home and I would feel so much better about this game if it were in Austin. Tech does scare me a bit, but I do believe that if the Longhorns play at there best, there is no team that can beat them. Playing this schedule is giving me grey hairs. I hope the Raiders don’t add a few more. Take care all you Tech fans. The eyes of the nation will be upon you saturday. May the best team win. hook-em
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Rick,
The only thing “scary” is this dude. He looks like an oversized drag queen. I’m serious the dude looks like a lady. Check it out…
http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=869891
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Colt McCoy looks like a Furby.
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Thanks for the classy post, Rick. Tornado could learn a thing or two from you.
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Has history taught you Raiders nothing? It will be a good game, but the Horns are running the same path we ran in ‘05, the one that leads to a perfect season and a national championship. There’s no shame in being second best Raiders.
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Des,
Ouch!!! You said, “There’s no shame in being second best Raiders.” Ooohhh…. That one must of stung raider fans. Hey, brother, high five. HOOK’EM HORNS!!! …second best…that was good
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God, I’ll be glad when this game is over and all these Texas windbags will be gone! They are in for a rude awakening on Saturday, they’re just too delusional to realize it. Kiss goodbye to that unbeaten record!
GO RAIDERS, WRECK ‘EM TECH!
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Joey,
Furby, like the one you sleep with every night. Ahhh…how sweet…a pretty pink furby. Grow-up and be a man!
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LOL, ok as soon as you come clean and admit that you’re neither a Ut grad nor a medical student!
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More delusions with the “second best” nonsense. In case you hadn’t noticed, we are at the top of the conference standings with an 8-0, 4-0 record soon to be 9-0, 5-0. At worst, we are tied with Texas, but after this weekend we’ll be alone at the top of the standings!
GO RAIDERS, WRECK ‘EM TECH!
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GO TECH!! IT IS ON THIS WEEKEND BABE!!!!!
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Yeah you better watch out for Brandon Carter, he will rip you guys apart!!
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Hey…Hey…Hey Montoya,
Who asked you? No girls allowed here, except for my Texas Girl. So, unless you want to join my harem. Andale! Vamanos! Git! Why don’t you go watch Oprah or Rachel Ray instead and see if you learn how to cook. Cabrona!
Joey,
I got you laughing. Alright little bro., sabes que, you can join us for a beer too. You are old enough, right vato? Just leave furby behind ok?
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Texas Tornado sure has a lot of time on his hands!
Wreck ‘Em Tech!
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Cortny,
Just curious, are u a babe with blond hair?
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Texas Tornado has more than time in his hands and it looks like a pencil ! Hey, Texas tornado your mother called and she still doesn’t know who you Daddy is but he paid her 20 bucks! All she knows is that he lives in Lubbock! He played for Tech but there were too many numbers for her to remember and they all scored!
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Hey Texas Tornado! Johns Hopkins called it’s time for your AIDS treatment.
Hey Texas Tornado! You mother called again and she thought she had an abortion but she wants to meet you she needs the welfare check!
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Harrell looks great, but everyone said that UT’s defense couldn’t get to Bradford because OU had the best line in the nation. Texas got to him and though he had a remarkable 3 quarters he look very ordinary in the 4th after getting knock around all game. It was then said the Daniels had such a quick release and good decision making that UT couldn’t touch him. They rattled him early and often and Mizzou got smoked. Then OSU had too many weapons. Zac could run and throw and Okie State had a great running game. Zac had only been sacked 4 times all year. UT sacked him 5 times and knocked him down 12 more.
UT wins this one on the speed of Orakpo, Kindle and Melton with the power of Miller. TTU will score but the D-line only needs a few stops and Colt will do the rest!!!
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Where did you go Texas tornado? Are you studying for your midterm in Astronomy? Trying to find Uranus?
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Is Orackpoo a Muslim? The Tech Defense is going to ride Colt like a pony! He’s going to be a little horse after the game!
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Robert,
Normally, I would hit you back with a “mama” joke, but I just can’t right now. You see bro, I lost my mother 14 months ago to cancer. But, you didn’t know. Hey, I bet that you’re usually a comical guy. If it’s any consolation, the pencil part was funny. Try again if you wish.
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Orakpo is a 6′4″ 260 lb. d-lineman who runs a 4.5 40. He was just nomimated as Lott award finalist b/c he just spent the last 3 weeks putting three Heisman trophy candidates out of the running. This week he’ll take care of the fourth and final one that UT faces this season.
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My wife’s a Longhorn, I’m a Red Raider. 2 years ago sucked. I was in her face, hootin & hollerin, being as obnoxious as I could possibly be, then Tech kicked a field goal to go up by 17 instead of 21, and I said “uh oh”, because I knew the stinkin Longhorns could score 3 touchdowns in no time, and sure enough we got beat by 4.
I hate how she hates the Red Raiders. Why? Because she’s a Longhorn snob. Personally I like other Texas teams and wish them well (just not against Tech). I think it makes us all look good, so I cheer for them.
However her snobby elitist Longhornism apparently does not allow her to return the same respect. She makes fun of our fight song, our “guns up” (she goes “pow, pow, pow” – like a little kid), our offense (says we have to be all tricky, can’t just play regular football), our little white guys (Welker, Amendola, Morris), our ever changing uniforms, and just our general lack of sophistication (in her opinion)
She thinks the Longhorns are superior in every way: uniforms, school colors, “hook ‘em”, school song, fight song, academics, national prestige, their advertising campaign (”Whut sturts hur changes the wurld)
I’m probably a little jealous, but it still makes me want to puke. And it will be oh so sweet when we kick their boo-tays all over the field and back to Austin, and when she’s all depressed and on the verge of tears, I will go “Awww, wut da ma dur? U sad? Red Raiders kick yo po little Longhorn boo-tay? Huhhh?” It will be so sweet.
We both love the Cowboys, though.
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I don’t understand how any of you fellas out at Tech can write about Longhorns being dumb or “primitive.” You do realize that UT far surpasses Tech in all areas of academics, don’t you?? I hate to burst your bubble, but you guys aren’t exactly an ivy league school.
Oh and by the way, keep talking about how you guys are gonna cream us on Saturday…..everybody’s been saying that about our Horns ALL YEAR LONG, and look at where that got them!!! Tech hasn’t played anybody worth a damn. We’ve beaten OU, Mizzou, and OSU. When you’ve got wins like that under your belt, then you can talk trash!!! Until then, keep our name out of your mouth.
My Prediction: Horns win an amazing offensive show 52-45
And Tech finishes out the season with loses to UT, OU, and OSU.
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When Tech beats UT, then you can bend over and kiss your BOO-TAY.
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Texas Tornado I know how it is I lost my mom to cancer too and my dad died of cancer a week after my mom. At least I knew my dad and my mom but how were you to know. My mom wasn’t a whore like your mom but how were you to know. Unlike you I knew my dad. I am not a bastard like you are but how were you to know your just an orphan UT bastard who likes to lie about your self on these blogs and make fun of Tech fans like all of your bastrd friends at UT who quote facts about their team after they google all of that information because they don’t really know anything about football except for what they hear on TV before and during the game because all they do is smoke weed and crack. but how were you to know. Your just a bullshitting bastard who has a UT tshirt. Thats what I know.
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As usual, the horns win in a rout. Let’s call it 59 – 32! But really, just name your sore. Texas will play the TTU defense like a pinball machine! Ka Ching!!!
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Mattack I can tell your a brain surgeon but Texas doesn’t have a medical school. Texas Tech has a medical school. Texas Tech has a Dental School too. Texas has neither. Texas Tech’s law school has a higher percentage of law students that pass the bar exam the first time than Texas. Tech has a lot less assholes because all of them go to Texas. Take your self for instance. You think you know what your talking about but you don’t. Tech isn’t Ivy League but neither is Texas.
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Hey Texas Tornado did you find Uranus? I bet your boy friend did!
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This thread has gotten out of control.
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Sorry Joe! Just sick of that Tornado and his ilk!
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I would like to apologize to everyone on this blog. I got carried away. Please excuse my behavior! I apologize to the Avalanche Journal for all of the terrible things I have written on this blog. I will not be posting anymore. Please accept my apology.
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Colt McCoy is not from Lubbock and Tuscola is nowhere close to being as nice a place as Lubbock. The Tuscola area is filled with inbreeding meth heads who walk around drunk and try their hardest to underachieve. I can understand why Colt would want to go to UT.
Now he can join the ranks of other famous UT alum, and go smoke pot with Cedric Bongson and Ricky “I am on my 5th reinstatement for smoking pot” Williams.
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Wow Mr. Wire, you must be one of the most ignorant of all the hillbillies out at Tech. Texas does have a medical school and a dental school. And they are both HIGHLY regarded across the country and the world. It just so happens that UT is so bad ass, that we have campuses across the state. The med school’s in Galveston, the dental school in San Antonio. So do a little more research up in that shit hole town of Lubbock. As far as Law grads passing the bar, I’m not aware of those stats. But I do know that any law firm in the country would take a UT Law grad over a Tech Law grad any day of the week. Our law school is ranked light years ahead of yours. Please try and give up the bashing of UT’s academia when you go to a school that accepts anyone that applies. I’m sure your were probably in the top 75% of your class and were proud as hell for it. Good luck with your worthless future.
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