Tech DE Sharpe out for Texas game
Texas Tech’s Brandon Sharpe did not travel with the team to Austin on Friday and will miss Saturday’s game against Texas, yet another unwelcome development at the Red Raiders’ depleted defensive end position.
Tech spokesman Blayne Beal characterized it as “an internal issue,’’ but would not answer additional questions.
At one point Friday afternoon, Beal said, Sharpe’s status was uncertain and there was still a chance of him playing, but the A-J later learned separately that he had been ruled out for Saturday.
Tech coach Mike Leach did not immediately return calls placed to his cell phone.
Tech takes on No. 2 Texas at 7 p.m. Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The game is sold out, with a crowd of more than 100,000 anticipated.
Minus Sharpe, Tech is down three defensive ends since last week and seven defensive ends who had eligibility remaining at the end of last season. Starter Ra’Jon Henley suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of last week’s 55-10 win over Rice, and backup Ryan Haliburton suffered an injury on Wednesday, the nature and extent of which were not disclosed.
Now senior starter Daniel Howard is the only scholarship defensive end available above true freshman class.
Tech does not discuss injuries or how they impact the team, so how the Raiders might make up for the losses against Texas is uncertain.
The only other defensive end who has played in a game this season is junior squadman Jonathan Brydon, who got in for a few snaps against Rice and made a solo tackle.
Strong-side linebacker Bront Bird has been used in a standup position on the line during the first two games, but in sub packages and not the base defense.
There are eight defensive tackles on this week’s travel roster, though none have any significant college game time at end. The eight are starters Colby Whitlock and Richard Jones, second-teamers Victor Hunter and Chris Perry, and deeper depth of David Neill, Myles Wade, Pearlie Graves and Britton Barbee.
Graves has yet to play this season, keeping his redshirt option, but it remains to be seen if the losses will change that. Also, defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said recently he had scrapped the idea of using the 6-foot-1, 285-pound Graves outside.
True freshmen ends Aundrey Barr, Kerry Hyder and Chris Knighton are being redshirted and aren’t on the trip.
Hunter and backup linebackers Sam Fehoko and Tyrone Sonier were primarily defensive ends in high school, but have never played or practiced there for Tech.
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[chanting] texas… longhorns… Texas… Longhorns… TEXAS… LONGHORNS…. Now you know what it feels like to have a young and inexperienced backfield like we did last year. I say they did pretty good against your then offense. Let’s now see how your kids will do against our explosive offense.
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Maybe the ole Ruff dawg can stay in lovvock until saturday. in the mean time he can review the film of the students storming the field and find a 5 star rusher!!!
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Nothing like a little fear to bring out the whorn trolls.
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oh that’s right old fart, be afraid, be very afraid
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Thank you, it’s an honor to be compared to a longhorn.
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Hey Potts, tomorrow you will see why you weren’t worthy to wear the burnt orange. And that goes for all you rejects who weren’t good enough to play for UT. You had to settle for TT (trailer trash) University.
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t is a shame the t-shirt fans have to troll Lubbock websites just so they can badmouth Texas Tech. I work and live in Austin and it is a nice area, scenery wise. The Longhorn fans are still, almost a year later, hateful toward anything Texas Tech OR Lubbock. Of course, if pressed, they disclaim Tech as one of their REAL rivals. It kind of makes one wonder why they do not react nearly as strongly against fans for ANY other team. For me, it show overwhelming proof that Tech is their most hated RIVAL, whether they say it or not. Austinites in general dislike the Lubbock area—too dry, dusty, hicklike—whatever.
The unfortunate loss of all except one experienced DE for the UT game may well doom Tech to a loss, but I have a feeling someone will step up and lessen the burden. Still, it may not be enough to give Tech a win. Should the Raiders somehow pull this game out and win it, UT fans may hire an mercenary group to go in and obliterate Lubbock. They would simply go bonkers. THAT is why I hope and pray Tech does find the necessary oomph to eek out a win. GO TECH! And Longhorn fans, just try to bring it on….
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shut up idiot, your not worthy either
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Well, Don. It looks like a few lost Longhorn tea sippers have found and camped out on your blog. They obviously cannot locate a blog for their favorite team, the Aggies. Too bad, they have a lot in common with those field rats…just seem to go anywhere to find something to chew on. Now, I think Tech, DEs or not, just needs to plow the Horns under and place a tombstone on their graves. They are not worthy of reading your articles, much less making comment.
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Ah… Don is busy writing tomorrow’s headline: Texas beats Tech 45-10
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hey ttpilk645- how dare you state that the red rodents are worthy of rival status. you very well know that TTwho’ s rival is Iowa State. It is not that folks in Austin dislike you all in the South Plains, in fact you all are an after thought.
Oh yea, all you teckies coming down to the forty acres, do not siphon any gas on your way back to that dusty patch!!!
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I predict Mack Brown will be fired Monday after a humiliating home loss to Texas Tech Saturday.
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Well, it’s not good to here about Brandon Sharpe, on top of the other injuries…but let’s not use that as an excuse. I look forward to the game and hope we can catch them on a little bit of an off day. Neither team has played any top tier teams yet so this should lead to a good match up. Texas Tech is a big underdog so if we lose it shouldn’t be a big surprise. However, if Texas is flat for half the game like they were last week… well, it could be the third top 5 Big 12 team to be knocked off this year.
You have to admit that Texas Tech has alwasy had success moving the ball against pretty much everyone, including Texas. I imagine it comes down to special teams and turnovers…as usual.
All I know is that I will be rootin from my AIR RAID pirates tomorrow night!!!! WRECK ‘EM TECH!!!!
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Mr. Peeler
South Park obviously refers to your favorite show….enough said!
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I grew up in Lubbock, went to Tech. Live in Austin. Texas Tech is my team. I pull for Texas if theyre not playing Tech. Austin’s a neat place to live but so is Lubbock. Texas has a great team this year and it may be their year. Texas Tech probably had its year last year. I think that Tech will surprise people tomorrow. Maybe not a win but they will compete. Thin at DE is not as big a deal as you think . Athletes are on the team and someone will get their chance and do well. Everyone else will pick it up. As a former hs coach I know how it works. I respect UT and you can call Tech what you want but theyre a good program and they beat Texas last year and that can never change. Move on like your team has. A bunch of name calling pencil pushers don’t bother me. And in that dusty patch= It’s rained way more there than in Austin in the last two years……hmmmmmmm
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We can beat those Cal Berkley short horns!
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‘Methinks’ thou protesteth too much – a line from an author they don’t sell at Walmart, so the T-shirt fans won’t get the reference.
Funny how Tech is NOT a whorn rival, even though they’re expecting the largest crowd ever at their stadium. Who knows? Maybe Tech isn’t a rival after all, maybe it’s just free Obamachia day at DKR stadium.
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It is quite laughable that the “pro-UT” remarks get more brazen and boastful only after finding news of our situation. Hey Half-Horns! The only thing i want Sunday morning is your respect and NONE of your excuses. You WILL get what you wanted,but i dont think you are prepared for it.
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why do all those horn fans come on the redraiders site for if they hate tech that much then stay off their site
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Hey Southparkpeeler: Why would the Red Raiders stoop so low as to be rivals to a bunch of yuppie bong pipe toating wanabe Texans from the arm pit of America, Austin?Arrr wreck em tech…Beat the short horns!!!!
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what a bunch of burnt orange punks! proud of the best team red mccombs can BUY. too bad they can’t graduate players w/ the red and black. i guess the tail has always wagged the dog in wronghorn country.
keep austin queer!!! ;>)
WREC’EM!!!
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Internet tough guys, 12 year-olds on their Daddy’s computer, t-shirt wearin’ hillbillies who never set foot in a classroom at UT, much less have a degree… *Yawn*
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Texas Tech should never, ever beat Texas — we get the recruits they don’t want.
In Lubbock yesterday I counted 10 trailer park people wearing Longhorn T-shirts from Dollar General — not one of them had even been to Austin, much less, went to school there. Pathetic.
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My, my, so much trash talking. This must be the weekend Tech has contractually agreed to play the University of Texas at Austin.
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UT Fan: …”your” not worthy…
That says it all. Too bad UT Fan doesn’t get it…
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Well folks………what with COLLEGE GAMEDAY being held today on the Forty Acres, ‘ol Corso, Fowler….and MAYBE EVEN Kirk Herbstreit will indeed have the unwanted opportunity to witness what TU fans are truly like! Simply give the TU fans enough time, and many of those dips will insure that much of America…….maybe even much of the World, will learn a ‘thang or two about those goofs. We at Tech wonder why and how, indeedy, the ‘Horns & ‘Ags think so very highly of themselves. I’ve certainly never decided why……and never will, ‘reckon! AT LEAST we’re Red Raiders………that’s som’thin those dupes’ll never figure out either, ‘reckon! Fun ain’t it, how the World keeps on turnin’? GO TECH! P-o-o-r Aggies!!!! Ignore the ‘Horns! Wreck ‘em! nmredraider1 over in Albuquerque
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It’s a dog eat dog world and the dead ray duhs are going to be wearing Milkbone underwear tonight! Get your Horns Up! Texas 63, tceh 10. You heard it hear first. it is too bad Don Merediith will not be on the broadcast team tonight. He could sing “Turn Out the Lights, the Party’s Over!” halfway through the first quarter when UT goes up 21-0.
HOOK ‘EM HORNS!
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He didn’t travel because he was “suspended” for one game because of a blantant violation of NCAA rules in which Tech will consider an “internal issue”
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