Williams: Tech can’t join elite — not when losing to C-USA teams
HOUSTON — It was just 10 months ago that Texas Tech was the toast of college football, getting arguably more press than any other team in America. As September comes to a close, there’s the realization that the Red Raiders could have kept it going, could have kept themselves closer to center stage.
In a rare tough stretch at the front of the season, Tech dropped close ones on the road back to back to No. 2 Texas and to No. 17 Houston, the latter a 29-28 decision that the Cougars won on a touchdown with 49 seconds left Saturday night. The first one, you can understand. The second had no business happening.
The Big 12 Conference South Division fancies itself the toughest collection of teams in college football. If true, there’s never a good reason to lose to a team from Conference USA.
That goes for Tech, too.
Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards (83) catches a pass good for a first down against Texas Tech during the second quarter of a college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
With the steps Tech has taken over the past year-plus to be a program rather than just a team, the Raiders should be able to go on the road and beat quality teams, especially those not from the BCS conferences.
“Definitely,’’ linebacker Bront Bird said as he and his teammates trudged out of the visitors’ locker room on a sweaty night at Robertson Stadium. “We weren’t very mentally tough today. We should have won this game. We had every opportunity to. We were up pretty much the entire game. We didn’t come through in the clutch situations. That’s something we’ve got to improve on as a team.
“It happened last week against Texas also. Third downs are killing us on both sides of the ball. We’ve got to get off the field (on defense), and we’ve got to convert on offense. We didn’t do that tonight. It really hurt us.’’
For teams who lose a lot from one year to the next, it’s common to say they’re not rebuilding; they’re reloading. That’s not true if, in Tech’s case, you keep losing at places such as New Mexico in 2004 and TCU in 2006 and Houston in 2009.
Now that Mike Leach is in year 10, and on the way to banking nearly $13 million, he’s got to put a stop to this. Say what you want about Houston being a worthy foe – agreed – but rarely do Tech and UH coaches tangle their recruiting lines fishing in the same waters.
The Cougars shouldn’t have been in position for a last-minute touchdown to matter anyway. After a fourth-quarter interception by Will Ford, rather than add to a 28-23 lead or subtract from a clock that said 7:12, the Raiders turned out a four-play series that took only 85 seconds off the clock.
Houston quarterback Case Keenum (7) celebrates his game-winning touchdown with teammates Chaz Rodriguez (82) and Chris Thompson, left, during the fourth quarter of a college football game against Texas Tech Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 in Houston. Houston beat Texas Tech 29-28. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
That was one chance Tech missed to put the game out of reach. The other came around the 11-minute mark when Taylor Potts tried to sneak for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1, even though that’s hardly been a sure thing lately. Leach said he should have kicked the chip-shot field goal for a 31-23 lead.
Why not hand the ball to Baron Batch, who had been shouldering aside tacklers, knocking helmets off and generally running like his old self for much of the night? Maybe the sweep handoff to Harrison Jeffers that worked for 8 and 35 yards earlier. Or — take your pick — fake one, run the other.
For the record, Bird and other Red Raiders were sportsmen enough to compliment the still-unbeaten Cougars for doing what it took to win; that is, running their offense splendidly and never better than in the last 5:47 when they went 95 yards in 16 plays to send their amped-up fans into even more of a tizzy.
Sure, for anyone there Saturday night, it was apparent even before kickoff why Houston posed a serious threat. UH fans showed up hours ahead of time, then squeezed as large a crowd as they could into a small stadium, magnifying the effect of their 32,000 voices. For a program that once had terrific tradition that pretty much ground to a halt with the breakup of the Southwest Conference, this was not just another game. It was an opportunity.
When the Cougars trotted across the grass from their locker room to the home sideline, there stood famous alums Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, in the flesh. The heat, even after dark, it was a beast.
And old Big 12 assistants like Kevin Sumlin and Dana Holgorsen know there are too many good athletes in the state for Big 12 South teams to hoard them all. The Cougars have some, too – talented running backs and receivers and a quarterback in Case Keenum who whipped the Raiders, usually by passing but also by running at moments that made you groan.
“If you drop everyone into coverage or you rush too many people, all he has to do is find a seam and (the defense is) kind of out-leveraged as far as numbers go,’’ Bird said. “It definitely adds to their offense.’’
Not that those realities made the loss easier to digest over on Tech’s side. After all, if you want to be elite, you can’t be losing to Conference USA.
“I don’t think it was frustration; it was more fatigue than anything,’’ said cornerback LaRon Moore, discussing a final drive on which the Coogs converted two third downs and a fourth. “We were kind of pressing. We were in situations that we could have got out of. We just couldn’t find a way to make it happen. We’ve got to find a way to make those plays if we’re going to be a great team.’’
After the growth of the program the last few years, that’s what it should be about it anymore.
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It strikes me as a tad arrogant to say “you can’t be losing to Conference USA”.
In your opening paragraph you talked about Texas Tech: “the toast of college football” only a year ago. Do I have to remind you that in order to be toasted, you have to overlooked and underrated first? Houston had a good season last year and they are on their way to a great season this year.
Houston’s defense wasn’t strong, but you didn’t mention the intercept they almost pulled off or the way they stopped you 1 yard from the line. Field goals are no guarantee. Perhaps you underrated (there is that word again) Houston’s defense and thought an easy touch down was on the cards?
It’s irrelevant what conference the team is in – the Appalachian Mountaineers should have taught you that.
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Williams, your right, we can not afford to lose to minor conference teams. Cougar High and their fans are only legends in their own minds. Their 31,000 seat stadium sets their bar well. I understand their athletic department is losing 5 million a year.
They will lose their coach to Purdue at the end of the year.
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Backbone, it feels good to lose to Cougar High, doesn’t it? Son, you put the Pecker in Pecker Tech. Get some…
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Lets not forget that Houston beat Tech using Tech’s own offense. They ran it better and even let their QB take off (which won the game). I think air raid lives in Houston now. What really stinks about this is that Case will do well enough running Mike Leach’s offense (it is his) that he ends up being the 3rd QB in NY for the Heisman awards. He is #5 on the list right now with all of Houston’s real tough teams out of the way.
PS Don could you write a story about Tech’s top 5 or 10 best and worst 4th down plays? I think that goal line one ranks really high!
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You may want to check Kevin Sumlin’s recruiting this year and last. We’ve crossed paths on several recruits recently.
Oh and conference affiliation doesn’t mean a whole lot anymore. Just ask Oklahoma and Alabama. If you want to add Texas Tech and Oklahoma State to the list, then go right ahead.
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Maybe someone remind the Lubbock faithful that we’re 2-0 against the Big 12 South. And yes our offense is similar to the Tech offense but that’s about it. Similar.
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From a media standpoint, losing to a non-BCS team does look bad. Those from which Tech seeks respect from outside of the state of Texas isn’t going to pay much attention to anything but the score. However, Tech needs UH to do well the rest of their season and in their bowl game because this will turn out one of two ways. Either UH’s success thus far is a fluke and OSU and TTU are really that bad…. OR UH is worthy of their ranking this year and OSU and TTU simply lost to a better team. Hopefully, Tech lost to a better team and UH goes onto a storybook ending, but only time will tell. The good news is Tech & UH will not lose many people so the teams will be virtually unchanged when they meet again next year in Lubbock.
Tech’s nonconference schedule next year includes:
SMU
@UNM
TCU
UH
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Tech. fans…name calling is sour grapes! Don’t beat yourself up so much on this loss! Perhaps Houston is just that good! And, good teams are hard to beat! Conference affiliation dictates a certain predisposition; however, there is not that much difference in the top teams of the mid-major conferences and the lower half of the major conferences. So, Tech fans should recognize/respect their opponents and move on!
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Perhaps Don Williams is just a sports writer and not a very good football analyst. I saw much of the same this week as last. QB looks very inexperienced. Receivers are not as disciplined as before and are not on the same page as the QB. I thought saying Tech was an elite team/program was WAY OVER THE TOP after the Texas game. I am not sure that we are in as strong at any O-line position as last year. We just have a long way to go. The defense played its butt off this week against the best offensive team that we have and may encounter this year. Not team in the southwest has the speed of UofH and probably none nationally except for Florida can match them for speed. Still we held them to just 29 points. The offense is why we lost this week.
Go Tech
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Yes, the game was a disappointment. We gave the it away. But, being at the game, I can see that there are light years between the two athletic programs. UH plays in a crumbling, 32,000 seat stadium with no amenities. There is no central place to congregate before the game like we have at Raider Alley. The basketball arena near the stadium is a relic and wasn’t full even in the Phi Slama Jama days and hasn’t seen a star since then (which is why they trotted out Hakeem and Clyde with their walkers before the football game). Watching their fans rush the field after beating an unranked team made me laugh. That was ridiculous! Their band be could be marched off the field by most high school bands. The sirens, cougar growl sounds, and steam on the field are all laughable. Cougar High is alive and well. You can feel the lingering resentment about not being invited into the Big 12.
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lol… poor poor Jerry. That sting from Sat night still lingering huh? Enjoy it.
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Good game UH. You did what you do and TT layed an egg.
Run the table and everyone will be kissing your @$$ come bowl time.
Guns UP TT I feel sorry or UNM
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Not at all, JD, just being thankful that we’re not uh. We’ll get over it. uh will probably we undefeated this year and will have a nice trip to the Liberty Bowl. Enjoy.
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Well done, Don. Tech lost this game. UH did not win it. Loss ranks up there with TCU in 2004 and New Mexico in 2006 as you wrote.
Now we’ve got a little dissension. Tech comes together or this season can unravel in a hurry. The crazy Pirate is cool when he wins, a fool when he loses. He cost his team dearly at Texas and Houston!
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You guys are a joke. With all the advantages of the big12 and you can’t even beat little old us.
We have a better head coach
We can actually win our conference
We actually live in a real city where you can drink “alcohol”
Sucks to be you
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Jerry, how many SWC titles did Tech ever win ? I’ll give ya the answer …TWO….Houston won four. How many top ten finishes has Tech had..I’ll give that answer also…0… Houston has had 5…So check it babe. Scoreboard!!!!!!!!!
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Some of you TT fans are such drama queens and pre-madona. Why can’t you accept the FACT that you lost even though you had 60 minutes of game time to beat us. Maybe next year, NCAA needs to change the time rule to add 1 minute to the time clock when Big, errrrrrrr Small 12 plays a C-USA team.
As 10 Houstonians to point out in the map where Lubbock is and 9 out of 10 can’t get it right. That includes 2 TT alum.
If you can’t join theBig 12, well, beat them back-to-back.
And to Brandon Carter, thanks for destroying our visitor’s locker room. You deserve what you got!!!
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HOUSTON CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Now….Newcombomb go play run and shoot on the Cougar website. See ya next year!!!!!
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None of the coogs have addressed anything I said about facilities, conference affiliation, or ridiculous goings-on at their games. They won a great football game. There’s no doubt about that. Their players were fired up. Ours weren’t. But, now that the game is over, they’re still left with their decrepit facilities and low-rent conference affiliation. Can’t get away from that.
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coogahoopa loook here its obvious you are not up to date first of all lubbock is wet now if you didnt know and the only way you win in your conference is because theres nobody in it you dint have to play the ou and ut of the nation we play in the college division not the juco sorry we play real teams year in and year out uh can say whatever they want about the game we really dont care but if your gonna bump your gums atleast know what you are saying and on that note tech should have won that game you didnt blow us out you beat us by 1 which tells me you had your way with osu but not with tech good luck with the rest of your season and remember to not look over any of your opponents you are not unbeatable and you can be beat on any given saturday GO TECH
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Thrash is right on top of things
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Tech and OSU lost to Houston and Houston was very fortunate to win those games. Houston will come to earth soon! They are highly over rated………… especially on defense! I don’t care for the Horns or OU but both the sooners and shorthorns could easily score 60-70 points on the over rated cougar defense!~
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Tech has to understand UH is an upcoming team who has to be reckoned with. Tech needs to drop the eletist attitude and accept that Houston will not go away. Next year in Lubbock will most probably have the same results. UH is no longer a doormat. As a matter of fact bring on the crybabies from UT.
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I went to the game and most of the fans seemed very civil and polite. I am a Cougar fan but Harbour no ill will towards other schools. As far as the facilties go I would say their adequete thats only the second sell out I have seen in 15years. Its old and dated but the ticket prices are cheap. The U of H is a commuter school for the most part. The average student is 25 years old and allready working maybe with kids. Not your typical snot nossed frat brat spending dadies money. Most of these folks don’t have time or the resources to worry about football. The Cougars put on a good show Saturday and it is what it is. Upsets happen all the time deal with it.
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Backbone;
Your comments too closely resemble the UT trolls we endure. 100,000 or 59,000 or 31,000? It is not the fans in the stands that count. It is the product your team puts on the field.
What is the old adage?…”pride goeth before the fall”. Tech and its fans need to show some humility and do the work necessary to win the tough games. Only then will any pride be justified. Otherwise, it is just noise.
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Conference should not matter. Unless, of course, you think the deck is rightfully stacked against the smaller conferences. To call UH “cougar high” says a lot, like should you be “raider junior high’? Keep in mind you just lost to those you dismiss as blatently inferior. While UH and TT have the same number of Cotton Bowls, “Cougar High” has actually won two of those.
What should be a cause for concern for Tech in your desire to be an elite team was clear in the last 5 minutes of the game. Tech’s conditioning was miserable. Even if the Raiders had what it takes to stop the Cougars, their tanks were empty. Get ateam that can play 60 minutes in any conditions before you belittle a team.
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Cougar Ken,
I do respect what Houston did this year. My hat is off. But do you actually think that Houston would beat Tech again if they played tomorrow? You have a little bit of an eletist attitude yourself. UH did not spank Tech. You were very lucky to get out of there with a win. If Leach kicks the field goal, Tech probably wins. If the play actually stops when the refs whistle blows, then Tech had a touchdown instead of a UH goal line stand. That game could have gone either way. If Potts had played the way he did against UT it would have been a different game. UH is no UT. Trust me. The test will be maintaining the level UH played at on saturday. Lubbock will be a whole different ballpark, Literally. Just ask UT, OU, OSU, or A&M. Jones stadium is hell on other teams. Its not the same stadium UH is used to. We now have a winning program, and are very proud of the same. Again, CuDos to the Coogs, but dont get your cart before your horse.
Wreckem Tech
Go Coogs
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I think UH played a great game last weekend. But the UH fans seem as if they forgot TTU was winning for 99.9% of the game. UH was not that good enough to make a comeback in the last 4 minutes of the game. TTU imploded the last quarter and UH made the right moves to take advantage of that. That’s all there is to it. And UH travels to Lubbock next year–and while I’m not predicting a TTU win (which most likely will happen), UH fans need to realize that payback can be a female dog.
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