Red Raiders Football Notebook 11-20-2008
Compiled by Don Williams
Stadium funding met
Texas Tech announced Wednesday that ground-breaking for the next Jones AT&T Stadium expansion will come on Nov. 29, before the Red Raiders’ regular-season finale against Baylor.
Tech Chancellor Kent Hance said $2.3 million received over the last two weeks pushed Tech past its goal of $25 million needed to fund an east-side building with suites and club seats.
Hance revealed that an anonymous donor who pledged two weeks ago to match remaining contributions was Larry Anders, a member of the Tech Board of Regents.
Tech subsequently attracted $1.3 million in donations, to which Anders added $1 million, Hance said.
“His matching offer,” Hance said, “motivated a lot of people to step up and helped us exceed our target.”
Truly a wide receiver
Tech will have to defend a highly regarded tight end this week for the second game in a row. Oklahoma junior Jermaine Gresham has 21 career touchdown catches – 20 since the beginning of last season.
His nine touchdowns this season have come from an average of 25 yards. Not bad for a guy listed at 6-foot-6 and 261 pounds.
“Any route that you may see a wide receiver run, Gresham runs – and can run the same route,” Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. “He’s that good. He’s an athlete.”
In two games against Tech, Gresham has only two catches for 29 yards. Two weeks ago, Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew caught seven for 72 against Tech.
“The Big 12, to me, has the top three tight ends in the country,” McNeill said, “in (Missouri’s Chase) Coffman and Gresham and Pettigrew.”
Pre-game plans
The Tech Alumni Association and the Red Raider Club plan to host a pre-game party for Tech fans before Saturday’s game at Oklahoma.
The event is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at On the Border restaurant located at 3000 William Pereira in Norman, Okla. (From Interstate 35, take the Main Street exit and turn left on the Interstate Avenue access road.)
For more information, contact the Tech Alumni Association at (806) 742-3641.
More from this category
- You don’t know Darko: Texas Tech forward Cohadarevic talks soccer, Serbia
- Tech loses 83-64 to K-State
- Tech men lose heartbreaker to A&M
- Linehan: Tech’s new look starts at lectern
- Tech coaching plans for Saturday
- Red Raiders back at No. 23 in AP poll
- Baylor Depth Chart
- Baylor Facts
More from this author
- Tech football prepares to take field for spring practice
- Tech moves football opener to a Sunday
- Osaghae takes third in hurdles at NCAA indoor championships
- Tech women’s relay, Lamb earn all-America honors at NCAA indoor
- Top five is Tech men’s goal at NCAA indoor meet
Subscribe to this author
The A-J writers pic’s are sad. I could come up with 100 reasons why TT will win. I think its akind to treason. Have they not heard about loyalty, moral support, what a joke. Guns UP#27 Raider Nation get your guns out and gettum UP!
Report this comment
Mr. Britton Sr…. no need to worry ’bout them media folk, especially the A-J and ESPN. We have proven them wrong all season and nothing will change come Sat. The coverage they have provided and the criticisms that have loomed over the Red Raiders in previous weeks or years will finally come to an end.
It’s amazing that even the local Lubbock media would not endorse their own team 100%.
Keep the faith, as you have in all your blogs. I’m pulling for #27 to make a few key plays on sat… I feel the time has come.
The Raider Nation is alive and guns are up everywhere.
Report this comment
The local media wants to be big time. They are big losers. The biggest game in the history of TTU and they pick against them – just so they can be the pick’em king. Idiots all of them….maybe thats why non of the local media can get an interview with the Leach and his team. Wreck em Tech….
Report this comment
The best coverage of Tech is on http://texastech.rivals.com/. They don’t sacrafice loyalty for stupid office pools. They have better coverage and get more in depth in their articles.
Sr., you of all people deserve writers with more integrity than what you read here. Hell, even the OU writers all picked their team to win. And they don’t even know how to write!!!
I will be in Norman and you can bet your red and black bleeding butts that my guns will be up!!
Let’s shock the world. Again!!
Tech…A force to be Wreck ‘Emd with!!!
Report this comment
the local media has picked ok to beat ttu. i hope all of you are band from post game locker interviews. tx tech biggest game ever and no local support from the a-j. i hope leach dosen’t hold this against tx tech and decide to leave. leash and all his staff and players are winners,no matter what happens on sat.
WRECK’EM TECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report this comment
I think it speaks to more than just down right local fan base, there is a disconnect. This program is riding a 12 game win streak, On the cusp of history and 80% of the beat writers go against the home team. With every fiber in my being!!!, For the life of me I don’t get it!!!, Don Williams of all people? they must be superstitious or closet Sooners. There is no coolaid drinking here, OU size is no match for the spead and the conditioning of TT will prove to be better. I will not allow myself to think about a lost not because it can not happen but for the mere fact that when you work for and exspect an out come there is a better than 50/50 shot, Tech has improved everyweek and they are healthy, the A-J writers had all the cover they needed to pick thier boys. Oh I get it, they want to inspire and create an underdog uproar. Thanks Avalanche it worked. Guns UP#27 Raiders Everywhere Get Your Guns UP!
Report this comment
Aaargh!
Ye scalewags Williams, Watson, Walker, Zuvanich, and Pelen OFF our pirate ship! Walk the plank and to Davey Jones locker with ye!
Wreck’em Tech! Beat OU!
Report this comment
Sr., you said it!! I live in Kansas for crying out loud and although I may not toot my own horn very often, I damn sure don’t dis my team!!
Bottom line…It’s time to put the doubters to bed!! Tech and history have a date and there is no denying the kwan!!
Tech rolls to a win with Eddie B. catching 10 balls for 130 and 2 td’s!!! Sounds so good!!
Wreck ‘em!!
Report this comment
He owes me a Kick Return for a touch Down or a Killer Block to spring Walls. I’ve always told him that the job is to win, and when you make a block to spring a big play or punt return blocking, keeping the team calm. Last year there was a lot of that on the sidelines, this year none at all. Guns UP#27 Lock and Load Raiders its time to ride.
Report this comment
Caos-confusion
Report this comment
You bring up and area that I think our team can exploit this weekend in our return game. Their special teams has allowed 3 kick/punt returns for touchdowns this year so far and the experts I’ve been reading have pointed out the opportunity we have to use their weak coverages to our advantage.
So tell your boy to knock someones block off every chance he gets because it may mean the difference in the game! I think if Tech does well early, our fans can create a visiting/home field environment.
This truly is the year of the RAIDER!!!
Report this comment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAOkxgvboPk
Report this comment
“I will be in Norman and you can bet your red and black bleeding butts that my guns will be up!!”
good call chris n
Report this comment
The reason the local writers mainly picked OU is because of the series record and the game is in Norman. No big deal. Welcome to the Snake Pit! Boomer Sooner! Go Big Red!
Report this comment
Britton Sr, just wanted to say I always enjoy reading your comments!
Wreck ‘em Tech!
Report this comment
Good grief! Do any of you people know a thing about journalism? They’re not writers trying to aspire to big time as I see it.
But they’re not cheerleaders with pon pons, either! That’s their opinion! I mean, we are 7 pt underdogs after all!
It’s not altogether, even with our success, that we could lose it!
I certainly hope we win, and think we can. I can’t say I’m certain that we will win, or lose, but I hope for a W up there!
But writers are not obligated to be PR mouthpieces or shills for the school! Just keep that in mind.
Report this comment
Mr Britton,
I wouldn’t worry too much about Don Williams’s comments. Half of Lubbock residents that read the A-J sports think he is an idiot that should have been replace years ago. I am one of that number.
Report this comment
Ralph, College towns and schools with good college teams generate a large portion of the revenues. the local newspapers are one of those tools. I could come up with a hundres reasons why TT has a good chance to win, (cut and paste the traveling teams roster and coaches, along with what Pat Forde said) I think he’s been reading my post on this blog. Confidence, 12 game win streak. But you know what, it is time to change the toon of this baby. less than 48 hours, the bully on the block is going to be waiting at the corner and your dad knows, it time to walk to school. As I told my boy, you know whats out there, if you let him get in your face and punch you first, your going to get your but kicked twice, by the bully and by me when you get home. My boy was more afraid of me them him. Benny has been given permission by all the parents who sent their young men to TT, Make them better men. I said it weeks ago OU is the bully of the big 12 and its time to send them home with a bloody nose for once. We are 3 steps from history, now its time to take it. Play like its yours. confidence is worth 7 points. Skill 7 points and Will power and determination priceless. Guns UP#27 Raiders in the alley get your Guns UP!
Report this comment
My problem with the pics is not that the writers should be homers for Lubbock, it is that they are so poor at evaluating this game!! I don’t care what the line is on the game or what any national media figure says about the game. A reminder of the line and national media predictions over the past month is in order:
They had the Kansas game as a close call-IT WAS A BLOWOUT.
They had Texas winning and Tech having real trouble on defense against McCoy – While the score ended up close, TECH DOMINATED ON DEFENSE — AND TECH WON.
They had Tech being flat and losing to OSU – IT WAS A COMPLETE BLOWOUT.
They have Tech losing to OU – ________ (you insert the next line!)
Look, if either team does not bring its “A” game, that team will lose. However, if they both bring their “A” game, Tech is better on Defense and our Offense has not been stopped (Not by better defenses like Texas and OSU) OU is a fantastic team but an honest evaluation of this game by someone who knows college football should lead to a different conclusion than the one from our local media.
OU rarely loses at home. However, most of those games were by other OU teams and almost all of them were games that OU was ranked higher and expected to win. Please remember that the one game in the last 5-6 years that OU had with a team ranked close to them is Texas…and it is in Dallas. OU has great tradition but the field is still 100 yards long and the game is played by the same rules there as it is here. (AND we never get home cooking from the refs here, so we should have come to expect hostile officiating)
It is time to change the tradition. It is time to realize the dream. It is time for TEXAS TECH!!!!!!!
GO TECH! WRECK EM!!
Report this comment
I see alot of big talk here and you guys are really proud of your team. Thats great. But make no mistake………you will be playing in our house and NO ONE takes our home field advantage from US. We don’t spit on our fans or put mustard on their backs like some chickens in Lubbock. We’ll meet you face to face like we did Kingsbury and Simmons, and when harrell leaves, he’ll leave his heisaman hopes in norman just like they did. Get ready for the taste of defeat cause your first loss this year is coming this weekend.
Report this comment
Hey brumby, I just thought of it, your second loss will be coming this weekend.
Report this comment
hey No big surprise with their picking OU to win because this piece of crap newspaper has actually referred to Tech fans as trailer park trash and classless. And Burle Petit (sp?)even trashed Mike Leach in a column in 2002 and STILL refuses to be a man and apologize for his immature and hateful trash talk. This is the epitome of this paper– they trash Tech whenever they get the chance.
My point is that this newspaper has a hidden anti-Tech slant.
It is a joke for coverage. Maybe they are trying to improve their Oklahoma circulation by picking OU to win. LOL
You can count me out as a future reader of your paper, or as a visitor to your website.
Report this comment
Let’s get it on.” Brumby in Norman”. The Thriller in Manilla, The Battle at Water Loo. Show Down at the Frozen Tundra. You get my drift. The talking is over now lets see what you got. Lock and Load! Guns UP#27 All The Tech Fans In The House Say Yea!
Report this comment
yeah SR!!!!!!
SOONER FAN,
bring your best shot, that’s what we want and what we are used TO. TECH is always underrated and treated like a red-headed step child
NOW we are all grown up and the two bullys that have picked on us are getting pay back!!!!!!!
SOONER FAN,
WIN OR LOSE you will know you were in a
HELL OF A FIGHT and will be wounded going into the okie light game…….
SOONER FAN,
GOOD LUCK TO YOU, COME BACK TO OUR BLOG AFTER THE GAME AND LET’S TALK………one way or the other i will be here and be at the baylor game next week and never ever give up on the RED RAIDERS!!!!!!!!!
GUNS UP!!!!!!!!
GO RED RAIDERS
Report this comment
I will be here, don’t chicken out Brumby. Guns UP#27 Raiders Everywhere get your Guns UP!
Report this comment