BY DON WILLIAMS l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Between the quarterback and safety positions, Texas Tech had three seniors make a slew of key plays and garner all sorts of awards last season.

With spring practice winding toward its conclusion, Tech coaches at least have a better idea who will be replacing those seniors.

Steven Sheffield threw a go-ahead touchdown pass and Cody Davis returned an interception 100 yards for an insurance score as the White team beat the Red 19-7 Saturday in Texas Tech’s annual spring game at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Taylor Potts, in line to succeed two-time 5,000-yard passer Graham Harrell as Tech’s starting quarterback, completed 20 of 27 passes for 211 yards — and on a windy afternoon, no less.

If there were a real game this week, Potts and Sheffield would be 1-2 at quarterback, Tech coach Mike Leach said. Sheffield spent the last three weeks of workouts battling Seth Doege and Stefan Loucks for the backup role.

“I thought Potts played well. I thought Sheffield played well,’’ Leach said. “The other two guys, I thought they were too scared to make a mistake and they need to relax out there. Course, there were some people around them in the same boat.’’

Potts put the Red in front with a 6-yard touchdown pass to inside receiver Tramain Swindall, capping a nine-play, 74-yard drive after the opening kickoff. He had two semi-lengthy drives after that, but one stalled at the White 20-yard line. On the other, time expired in the first half with the Red at the White 46.

In years past, when Tech didn’t return its starting quarterback, Leach has often waited until August to name one. This time, he’s given no indication that Potts won’t be the choice.

“It’s really comforting knowing you have the support of your coach and the coach is behind you as well as the other coaches and your teammates,’’ Potts said. “It makes your job a little easier knowing that you’re backed by a lot of people on your team, so it’s nice.’’

The White narrowed the gap to 7-6 before halftime on a 7-yard run by Baron Batch, then took a 13-7 lead when Sheffield connected with Detron Lewis from 4 yards out, capping a 13-play, 80-yard drive.

Texas Tech running back Harrison Jeffers, right, evades linebacker Marlon Williams, left, during the Texas Tech red & black spring game Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium. (Geoffrey McAllister/Avalanche-Journal)

Davis added to the lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. Loucks, in to lead the Red, threw a pass that was tipped. It came right to Davis in the front of the end zone and the redshirt freshman weaved his way down the right sideline to the opposite end zone, picking up the last block he needed from end Daniel Howard.

“I knew there was a good chance of a slant (thrown) to the back side,’’ Davis said, “so I just tried to get over there and wait for the tip, and that’s what happened.’’

In trying to find replacements for all-Big 12 safeties Darcel McBath and Daniel Charbonnet, coaches have spent the spring looking at pairings of Brett Dewhurst and Jared Flannel, as well as Julius Howard and Andre McCorkle, but Davis and Franklin Mitchem have gotten the most work with the first team.

Davis, a redshirt freshman from Stephenville, has turned some heads with big hits. But the length-of-the-field interception return was a flashback to earlier days.

“In high school, I was more known for my interceptions,’’ he said. “I think big hits are what I tried to focus on my senior year and coming into college.’’

Sheffield finished 11 of 18 for 99 yards. He did throw an interception to linebacker Blake Collier, but Sheffield also drove the White 48 and 80 yards for touchdowns. To be second string is an achievement, considering the junior from Pflugerville joined the program as a walk-on.

“All the hard work pays off,’’ he said. “Just like I need to be consistent with my throws and my reads, I need to stay consistent in the weight room and gaining weight — just everything from every aspect you can think of.

“It feels good to finally get up on the depth chart where I’m getting those (first-team) and (second-team) reps. Hopefully, I can earn myself a scholarship here pretty soon, so I can make this a place I can stay here and play here.’’

Potts and Sheffield led their teams in the first half, and Potts quarterbacked the Red’s first series of the third quarter. Doege, Loucks and Riley didn’t get in until after halftime.

Doege, the Frenship graduate, led the White to three first downs on four series, but no more than one first down in each. Redshirt freshman Garrett Riley from Muleshoe was 4-of-5 on his one series, but was sacked twice.

The game was competitive throughout, largely because Tech coaches elected to divide the team down the middle, giving both Red and White an equal number of starters and top backups.

TEXAS TECH SPRING GAME
at Jones AT&T Stadium
WHITE 19, RED 7
White 6 7 0 6 — 19
Red 7 0 0 0 — 7

First Quarter
RED—Swindall 6 pass from Potts (Mat.Williams kick), 11:21
Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:39.
WHI—Batch 7 run (kick failed), 2:50
Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:05.

Second Quarter
WHI—Lewis 3 pass from Sheffield (Carona kick), 2:04
Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 8:13.

Fourth Quarter
WHI—Davis 100 interception return (kick failed), 14:47

TEAM STATISTICS
WHI RED
First downs 17 16
Rushes-yards 18-15 16-28
Passing yards 184 265
Comp.-att.-int. 20-34-1 26-41-1
Punts-avg. 3-28.0 2-32.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 2-7 4-55

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Note: Running backs and some receivers played for both teams.
RUSHING: White, Batch 7-29, Jeffers 1-14, Douglas 2-1, Sheffield 3-0, Doege 3-(-14), Riley 2-(-15); Red, Jeffers 8-21, Douglas 2-14, Batch 2-9, Morren 1-5, Potts 3-(-21).

PASSING: White, Sheffield 11-18-1—99, Doege 5-11-0—50, Riley 4-5-0—35; Red, Potts 20-27-0—211, Loucks 6-12-1—54, Riley 0-2-0—0.

RECEIVING: White, Lewis 4-53, Kelley 4-45, Douglas 3-37, Hawk 3-21, Franks 3-17, Batch 2-7, James 1-4; Red, Jeffers 7-45, Zouzalik 5-67, Britton 5-43, Swindall 3-23, James 2-37, Torres 2-28, Hoefer 1-15, Hale 1-7.

TACKLES: White, Dewhurst 7 solo, 0 assists, 7 total, Mar.Williams 5-1-6, Davis 5-0-5, Howard 4-0-4, Bird 4-0-4, Moore 3-1-4, Haliburton 2-0-2, Charbonnet 2-0-2, Jones 2-0-2, Stone 1-1-2; Red, Sonier 6-2-8, Sesay 3-0-3, Mitchem 2-1-3, Nickerson 2-1-3, Duncan 2-1-3, Sharpe 2-0-2, Henley 2-0-2, Riley 1-1-2.

SACKS: White, Howard 2, Jones 1; Red, Sesay 2, Sharpe 2, Sonier 1.

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