Red Raiders Football Notebook 11-14-2008
Compiled by Don Williams
Bowie blown away
Texas Tech football recruit Michael Bowie said he didn’t necessarily expect to commit to the Red Raiders when he visited Lubbock last weekend, but did so on Wednesday because of how impressed he was.
Bowie, a two-way lineman who is projected as an offensive lineman in college, was measured at 6-foot-4 and weighed in at 312 pounds during his visit.
“I think it’s a good place for me to grow as a man, not just as a football player,” Bowie said. “They’ve got a nice program out there. I feel like that’s where I need to be, especially because I’m trying to go further with my academics. That’s a good place to be.”
Bowie played two years of varsity football at Central High School in his native Tulsa, Okla., and the last two seasons at Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, Okla. His team is 6-4 and begins play in the Oklahoma Class 6A playoffs today.
In June, Bowie made a non-binding commitment to Kansas State. He reconsidered when it was announced last week that Ron Prince would not return as the Wildcats’ coach next season. He said Tech began recruiting him about a month ago.
“I was still committed to Kansas State at the time,” he said. “I thought I was going down (to Lubbock) for a regular visit. I didn’t know it would turn out the way it did. When I went there, I was impressed. I feel like they’ve got more to offer instead of K-State.”
Bowie said he also has been offered a scholarship by Oklahoma State.
Bowie said he needs work in the weight room to make the transition to Big 12 Conference football, but thinks he has some other skills.
“My strengths are, I like to be physical and I have good feet,” he said. “I’m quick to be a big guy.”
Part-time job
Texas Tech’s not having to punt in last week’s game against Oklahoma State was a first for the Red Raiders since last season’s non-conference game against Northwestern State.
However, it’s not as if punter Jonathan LaCour is getting a workout this season. He’s punted 17 times in 10 games, and last week was the fourth time in the last six games that he was called on no more than once.
“That’s just part of the deal here,” special teams coach Clay McGuire said. “He doesn’t get to have six or seven punts a game, so he has to be able to handle that. He did a good job of it last year. This year, we’re gradually getting better. It’s something we just need to continue to work on.”
Having punted only 18 times this season, Tech is on pace for its fewest punts in a season since at least 1959. Since then, the low total was in 2003, when the Raiders punted 29 times.
Chart climbers
Sophomore flanker Mike Crabtree is 98 yards away from breaking Wes Welker’s Tech record of 3,069 career receiving yards.
Crabtree, who has 2,972 yards, will make it a four-man club of Tech 3,000-yard pass catchers. In addition to Welker, he’s also right behind Lloyd Hill (1990-93), who had 3,059, and Carlos Francis (2000-03), who had 3,027.
Crabtree has 40 career touchdowns and senior running back Shannon Woods has 39, putting them fourth and fifth, respectively, on Tech’s career touchdowns list.
Both just passed Byron Hanspard (1994-96), who had 38. Both are within range of Ricky Williams (1997-2001), who scored 42.
The top two are Taurean Henderson (2002-05) with 69 and James Gray (1986-89) with 52.
More from this category
- Examiner.com: Coaching change hurting Tech in realignment talks
- USA Today: Craig James still expected to call Big 12 games
- DMN: Harrell still pursuing NFL career
- Texas Sports Day DFW: Tech’s Tuberville still has roots in defense
- Tech ex Cure climbing ladder among top steer wrestlers
- SI.com: Texas Tech ushers in a new era with coach Tommy Tuberville
- You don’t know Darko: Texas Tech forward Cohadarevic talks soccer, Serbia
- Tech loses 83-64 to K-State
More from this author
- Stoops, Brown: Pac-16 would have been good, but Big 12 still strong
- Big 12 media day notes: Tech QBs a rare sight
- Tuberville at “perfect place” with job at Tech, in Big 12
- Big 12 adjusts to Tech coaching change
- Virginia linebacker restarts with Tech
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QB ratings??? Just checked the stats on ESPN. I have never really understood the Passer rating system, but figured it was some formula that made sense to someone. But, this week Harrell is rated below Max Hall (BYU), and Harrell has better numbers in every category. Yardage, Completion %age, TDs, yards per attempt, fewer INTs and fewer sacks.
So, Don can you or any other expert out there help explain this???
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I am definitely am not an expert, but you might ask somebody at AtomicTooth.
The component for completion percentage, C, is calculated as: Comp/Att X 100
The component for yards per attempt, Y, is calculated as: Yds/Att X 8.4
The component for touchdowns per attempt, T, is calculated as: TD/Att X 330
The component for interceptions per attempt, I, is calculated as: Int/Att X (200
The four components are then added. Thus, the formula for passer rating can be given as: (C + Y + T + I)
Where he might fall off is TD/ Attempt.
I would think that Int/Attempt would decrease the rating, but this formula doesn’t look like it does.
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Any truth to the rumor that Leach is going to be on 60 Minutes?
I hope so.
Very interesting dude.
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WRECK’EM!!!
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“Any truth to the rumor that Leach is going to be on 60 Minutes?”
that would be a very interesting interview, i hope he’s on it
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“Any truth to the rumor that Leach is going to be on 60 Minutes?”
Supposedly, it airs just before New Years…per Matt Jansen >>graduate assistant.
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Over at the DoubleT-Nation, they are saying Leach will be on 60 Minutes.
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http://www.dallascowboys.com/multimedia/multimedia_center.cfm?id=93402BC4-C96A-FF2F-CA1FDF28E3AC1638
Roy Williams…Split Personality?
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wanna here something absolutley hilarious? I live in west TX, but I go to college in Knoxville. Listening to the local sports talk here is like getting a root canal, but I found some comic relief this week when all they could talk about is how good of a fit Leach would be coaching at Tennessee. They’ve spent days weighing the pros and cons as though Leach is just waiting by the phone for them to call. Hmmm, coaching th #2 team in the country in a city that loves you…yeah, I would drop that gig in a heartbeat to coach the WORST team in the SEC and constantly get grief from all the self-proclaimed football experts (aka rednecks) here in good-ole east TN.
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Right On Zach!…may God be with you thru this wilderness time in your life
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The signing of Bowie and a few others so far, since the UT game, has been a preview, I think, of better things to come. Mike Leach is going to be able to sign the exact type player who has the best of talent for all positions on the football team. The exposure we are getting across the country is attracting all players who are interested in playing in this type of offense AND defense. McNiel is getting into the flow of defensive playcalling in such a way as to be able to provide the best of opportunities for the offense. If God be willing and does not allow any injuries or disorder to occur, this team will be holding up a national championship trophy for this year, as well as many more down the road. The recruiting trail is getting a whole lot more appealing. Now, Gerald, make sure these two fine coaches go nowhere else and wind up retiring from the profession as Texas Tech football coaches in about 20 to 30 years.GO TECH!
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Sign Leach & McNeill longterm after the season so we dont have to listen to these idiots like Tennessee and Clemson.
BEAT OU !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Leach is his own man,leave him alone,he will sign an 5
year extension after that 14th game.What do you thank about????
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I think you have two too many grammar mistakes.
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Just some FYI from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Williams, your old writing buddy, Randy Rosetta did not learn very much when he worked with you in Lubbock. He is one reason the BCS is a mess. He thinks with his head, not what is played on the field. Sure he is bias to the SEC, but he has yet to give Texas Tech, Big 12 its dues. Earlier this year before Tech beat Texas, he still had Tech ranked number 12. His latest poll he says the national championship game will actually be played when Alabama and Florida play. He has Alabama and Florida ranked one & two, and says the Big 12 is no match to either defense of Alabama or Florida. Like I have always said, do not jump the gun, vote on now, not what you think will happen.
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Who cares what the QB rating is. The most important QB rating is wins/losses. Not many in that group. Leach has commented on the College QB rating system and he thinks it’s worthless as well as the NFL rating system.
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