Cotton Bowl scene shifts to Dallas
By Don Williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Texas Tech’s quest for a first Cotton Bowl victory resumes today when the Red Raiders move their preparation headquarters to Dallas.
There is no team charter. Tech players are to show up at the team hotel in Dallas by 2 p.m., then have a light practice beginning at 5 p.m. at Texas Stadium, where they will work out all week.
The Raiders last practiced in Lubbock on Tuesday, then had three days off around Christmas.
Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree brings down a pass in front of Baylor's Tim Atchison Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock. Crabtree damaged his ankle on the reception and was out for the rest of the game. (John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
“We need to do a really good job of being focused when we get back together,” Tech coach Mike Leach said. “I think everybody wants the same thing, but you kind of count on your older guys to set the example and have the discipline to do it, because as you go away, you do have to get right back at it and have good work. That’s part of the deal with bowl games.”
No. 7 Tech (11-1) takes on No. 25 Mississippi (8-4) at 1 p.m. Friday at the Cotton Bowl.
The Raiders are 5-1 in bowl games the last six years, so Tech’s coaching staff and players have gained confidence in the routine they use to get ready for postseason play.
“The intensity has been high,” junior defensive end Brandon Williams said this week. “We’re real focused.”
As a matter of fact, Williams said he thought the Raiders’ bowl preparation this December was better than during his redshirt freshman season, when they went to the Insight Bowl, and better than his sophomore year, when they went to the Gator Bowl.
He said defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill is the reason why.
McBath
“With coach Ruff, we have the mindset now that we’re going to go out and we’re going to play hard and play our assignments and execute,” Williams said. “We try to stay focused in meetings as well as practice.”
Safety Darcel McBath, a fifth-year senior, didn’t disagree with Williams’ opinion that the Raiders are as ready as ever.
“We know (the preparation routine) like the back of our hand,” McBath said. “It’s more of a mental game. We’re working hard in the weight room and getting back to full strength like we would at the beginning of the season, and we’re mentally prepared to play.”
The Big 12 Conference collects payouts from bowls its teams attend and then send the schools a fixed amount.
Tech will receive $1 million from the Big 12, plus a mileage allowance, giving the athletic department a Cotton Bowl budget of just under $1.2 million, according to Bobby Gleason, Tech deputy athletic director and chief financial officer.
Gleason said Tech went about $200,000 over budget on last year’s Gator Bowl trip, but he said a trip to Dallas instead of Jacksonville, Fla., should make it fiscally easier this time.
“It’s just a shorter distance,” Gleason said, “and overall you don’t spend as much money on the travel for a bowl that’s located in Texas.”
In addition, Gleason said the Big 12 raised the allocation this year from $925,000 to $1 million for member schools going to the Cotton, Holiday, Gator and Alamo bowls and raised the allocation from $675,000 to $750,000 for its teams going to the Insight, Independence and Texas bowls.
“There were a lot of (schools) just like us that their expenses were greater than the allowance,” Gleason said.
Tech’s six-night stay in Dallas is a contractual minimum required by the Cotton Bowl, and Gleason said Tech has tried to be prudent about limiting the number of people on its tab.
“I think we’ve pretty much gotten our official party down to where it’s probably one of the smallest (compared to) other Big 12 travel parties,” he said. “With trying to stay within that budgeted number, we’ve continued to keep it pretty basic with administration, (media relations) and ticket office and their people. Really just a very limited number of senior staff.”
Tech Cotton Bowl itinerary
• Highlights of the Red Raiders’ week in Dallas
Today
• p.m., practice; 7:30 p.m., FOX Sports Welcome with special guest Frank Caliendo, Hilton Anatole
Sunday
• Noon, practice
Monday
• Noon, practice; 2:30 p.m., Children’s Medical Center visit; 7:30 p.m., Dallas Stars-San Jose Sharks game
Tuesday
• Noon, practice; 4:45 p.m., Lawry’s Beef Bowl
Wednesday
• 11:30 a.m., AT&T Big Play luncheon, Hyatt Regency; 3 p.m., practice; 8 p.m., Chairman’s New Year’s Eve Ball, Hyatt Regency
Thursday
• 2:30 p.m., New Year’s Day Parade, downtown Dallas; 4 p.m., Tech pep rally, American Airlines Center
Friday
• 1 p.m., 73rd Cotton Bowl, Tech vs. Ole Miss
To comment on this story:
don.williams@lubbockonline.com 766-8734
jeff.walker@lubbockonline.com 766-8735
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
Subscribe to this author
Houston Nutt will have Ole Miss ready too, . . . . don’t take them lightly.
Report this comment
Got good seats….just cannot wait to see Harrell to Crabtree one last time!
Kick’em Tech
Guns Up!!!
Report this comment
I think TTU and the players are looking to take advantage of a ‘home’ field. There are many players who have family near Dallas, and more who are Texan. That can come into play as a confidence builder that they are defending home.
I hope the TTU fans come in great numbers, excited and loud, they can make a difference in the game.
Report this comment
I hope that the Ole Miss Defensive Line & Linebackers can keep enough pressure on Harrell to keep him from completing 70% of his passes & only allow him complete about 45-50% because the Ole Miss Corners can not matchup with Crabtree and the other TT receivers. The quick dump passes by TT is their key to victory. I for one, will be delighted if the Rebels can keep the score differential under 6 points. GO REBELS…HOTTY TODDY !
Report this comment
Can fans or students go to the Tech Pep Rally at the American Airlines Center on New Years Day?!?! Is it free?!
How do I find out about this? I never got tickets to the game but i wouldn’t mind settling for the pep rally at the AAC
Report this comment
I wonder if Jerry Jones and Co. will take this opportunity to check out Crabs, Harrell, the O-line, and (cough) Mike Leach? You heard it here first, folks. Leach to coach the Dallas Cowboys!
In all seriousness, is the practice open for fans?
Report this comment
they had better be ready because trust me nutt will have ole miss ready. the last 2 years leach did not have his team ready till after half. this year i wanna see him kick butt from the begining rather than wait till everyone but the raider faithful writes them off. that is way to nerve-racking. we HAVE to detroy the rebels to get any respect. lose this game and we’ll be ranked 15th. win and we’ll be ranked 5th
Report this comment
Mike, the Tech fans will be there in force, and WILL out number the Miss fans, but it might not be as big of an advantage as you think. I was there for the last Cotton Bowl and its amazing how much noise 15-20 thousand opponent fans can make. Miss will have at least that many if not more. Tech should have 55-60 thousand. Hopefully we will have a lot to cheer about! I love being very vocal, getting behind the “D” and causing false starts, etc.
WRECK ‘EM TECH!
Report this comment
ANYONE WHO SAYS WE NEED TO BLOW OUT ANYONE IS NOT A TRUE TECH FAN, WE NEED TO WIN FIRST BEFORE ANYTHING. WHEN IT COMES TO A BOWL GAME A WIN IS A WIN BECAUSE YOUR NOT PLAYING ANY SCRUB TEAMS IN A BOWL. BESIDES THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD GOOD LUCK IN THE COTTON BOWL SO I WILL JUST TAKE A WIN, WE HAVE A GOOD CHANCE TO AND WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, THIS SEASON HAS BEEN AMAZING AND I THANK ALL OF THE PLAYERS AND COACHING STAFF FOR ALL OF THE GREAT MEMORIES LOVE ALL OF THEM AND THEY WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOREVER, ESPECIALLY FOR GIVING ME THE RIGHT TO TALK CRAP TO TEXAS FANS FOR A YEAR
SO GET YOUR GUNS UP AND WRECKEM TECH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report this comment
Will Hance and Meyers recend the offer if Leach looses? Mikes big gamble. I know he like to gamble, but this is not a wise bet. He’s loosing the kids and the respect of some of the Red Raider fans.
Report this comment
Dear John:
While you certainly are entitled to your opinion, don’t be too quick to make judgments about who is or is not “A TRUE TECH FAN”.
I’m a season ticket holder living in Houston, and a past Red Raider Club board member, and I agree that any type of win in the Cotton Bowl would not only be a welcome first time win, but also a fitting end to this great season.
NEVERTHELESS, as long as we’re going to root for a victory in this bowl game, we need to shoot for a blowout win while we’re at it in order to improve our stock in the final BCS Poll. Like it or not, you should know by now (ie. see Bob Stoops and Oklahoma) how impressed the BCS voters are with point differential in the final outcome of these games.
I’m sure that even a true Tech fan such as yourself would not mind having the Raiders move up in the final rankings following the conclusion of the bowl season, and their first ever Cotton Bowl win.
So on behalf of all of us rooting for a big victory against Ole Miss this coming Friday, GO TECH !!!
Report this comment
A blowout would be nice. But we need to focus and start playing our best football. IF the offense executes and the defense plays like it did against Texas and OSU we don’t have anything to worry about.
Report this comment
well tech did play a good game but you will have to say that ole miss beat them in every part of the game teams west of the mississippi just have a hard time with the great sec will see a couple of tech players playing on sunday congrats to them and the nice season tech had go rebs and the sec
Report this comment