BY DON WILLIAMS l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Leach suspends DE Dixon

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said he suspended defensive end McKinner Dixon indefinitely on Monday for not taking care of his schoolwork responsibilities.

Dixon

Asked how likely it is that Dixon will be with the team next season, Leach said, “I don’t think it’s very high.’’

If Dixon’s not back next season, the Red Raiders would be losing 22 sacks from 2008 — defensive end Brandon Williams left early for the NFL draft after recording 13 sacks, and Dixon had nine.

But the senior from Lufkin has been a source of consternation for Leach throughout his career.

“We’ve got 130 people out there,’’ Leach said. “I’m getting sick and tired of wasting time on a handful of people who can’t do what they’re told. It’s like the 95-5 (idea): You spend 95 percent of your time on 5 percent of your players. Baloney. I’m not doing that.’’

Better day

Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts bounced back on Monday from a three-interception team period during Friday’s spring practice.

In the team’s daily 11-on-11 session at the end of workouts, Potts was good on 13 of 19 passes for 117 yards. There were no pickoffs, and three of the incomplete passes were balls that could have been caught.

Potts flipped a screen pass to Baron Batch, and Batch turned it into a 15-yard touchdown, running in behind a tenacious block from receiver Edward Britton.

“I thought Potts was real solid,’’ Tech coach Mike Leach said. “I thought Potts had a very good day. (Steven) Sheffield and (Seth) Doege both did some good things, but then they get impatient and try to make too much happen.’’

Sheffield went 3-for-8 for 22 yards. Cornerback Nathan Stone from Roosevelt intercepted him on a play in which there was a miscommunication between Sheffield and intended receiver Rashad Hawk.

Doege, after a 2-for-7 showing in 7-on-7, hit 5-of-7 for 59 yards in the team period. Three of Doege’s last five plays were whistled dead because pass rushers got pressure on him. He and Sheffield each had a pass dropped.

Key cog returns

Offensive tackle Brandon Carter suited up and returned to practice on a limited basis. Carter had missed the previous four practices with a knee injury he suffered April 1.

Tracking the Hawk

Rashad Hawk worked out Monday at flanker after spending the first eight practices at split end. Alex Torres, one of the team’s top two flankers, got hurt at the end of Friday’s practice and sat out Monday’s.

Wide receivers coach Dennis Simmons is still trying to go slowly teaching freshman flanker Eric Ward, so there was a need for another body.

“Rashad’s a guy that can do both (split end and flanker), so we allowed him to get out there and get some work in today,’’ Simmons said.

Hawk was down the depth chart last week, when Simmons said the sophomore was in the doghouse, but he’s taking steps to get back in good graces.

“Yeah, he really is,’’ Simmons said. “He had a good day today.’’

Carona: Promise as a punter

Sophomore Donnie Carona is showing the same leg strength for punting that he displayed in the fall when kickoffs and placements were his role.

Special teams coach Eric Russell said it’s possible Carona could challenge two-year incumbent Jonathan LaCour for the punting job at some point.

“Oh yeah. Without question,’’ Russell said. “That’s why he’s been working with the ones right now.’’

Though Carona has worked with the first-unit punt team, Russell said it shouldn’t be presumed that he’s overtaken LaCour.

“I wouldn’t say that yet,’’ the Red Raiders’ new special teams coach said. “That’s what I told them today: ‘Don’t worry about it. There is no depth chart right now for you guys. We’re just getting different mixes, and you’re competing against yourself, not the next guy and the next guy.’ ’’

Russell said he thinks Carona could be “a pretty good threat’’ at both kicking and punting. He also wants to be solid two-deep.

“You’ve got Jonathan, but then what do you have around him and behind him?’’ Russell said. “That’s why I’m trying to give Donnie a lot of reps this spring, not to take away from his field goals, but the more he can do for us, the more valuable he’ll end up being.’’

Events surround spring game

The annual Red-Black Game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium. Tech announced that the game will be preceded by a free kids clinic with Tech players from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday and an alumni game from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

Inflatable games will be set up in the Raider Alley area next to the Frazier Alumni Pavilion beginning at 11 a.m., and Tech officials are encouraging fans to tailgate in the stadium’s west parking lots.

An on-field autograph signing will take place after the game.
More information on the kids clinic and alumni game are available from the Tech external relations office at (806) 742-1195.

In brief

FL Jacoby Franks caught consecutive passes for 17 and 21 yards in team period. … DT Richard Jones had a quarterback pressure and threw RB Harrison Jeffers for a loss on second-and-goal from the 1, continuing what’s been a strong spring for Jones. … At the end of practice, Donnie Carona made 4 of 4 kicks from varying distances and Matt Williams made 3 of 4. Special teams coach Eric Russell called it a good day for the kickers. “They all hit it well,’’ he said. “The one (miss), I think, was a snap and hold deal. I don’t think it was even on the kicker. They both struck it well today.’’ … CB De’Shon Sanders and SLB Tyrone Sonier returned to practice. … New S Julius Howard picked off Steven Sheffield in 7-on-7. In the team period, he put a hard hit on IR Austin Zouzalik, but Zouzalik held on to the pass for a 12-yard reception. Howard is working with Texas State transfer Andre McCorkle in the safeties rotation. … IR Tramain Swindall took a crunching hit from CB Brent Nickerson during 7-on-7. But seven plays later, Swindall plucked a pass out of the air smoothly on a deep turn-in route.