Tech notes: Fewer seats, better atmosphere
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said he likes his recent decision to provide less bench seating for his players on the sideline. The Red Raiders’ benches have been marked “For Starters Only,” so it’s been construed by some as a snub of the backups, but Leach said that’s not the idea behind it.
“You want a good sideline atmosphere,’’ he said Monday. “You want them cheering for their teammates. For nine years, I provided so much seating for everybody, it was kind of contrary to what I was telling them to do. You know, ‘Here, sit down.’ No, I want you to stand up.
“So now we give (the benches) to the visitors. The visitors have a lot of places to sit here at Jones Stadium.’’
Leach decided to do it after the first game and said he sees no reason to change.
“I like it quite a lot,’’ he said. “Heck, I stand the whole game. God forbid that an 18- to 22-year-old athlete should have to go stand and cheer his teammates out there. I think we all like it.
“We’ve got a little more seating than is necessary, but between series as you’re trying to make corrections, it provides a good gathering point whether anybody sits in or not.’’
Revisiting the sneak
No surprise, Tech’s failed quarterback sneak Saturday on fourth-and-goal from the Houston 1-yard line was put under the microscope again at Mike Leach’s Monday news conference.
Just like after the game, when Leach said he should have sent out the field-goal team, he second-guessed himself again.
He said, “After the timeout, I should have changed the set and I would have rethought some of the plays I did leading up to it. We should have made it. We didn’t. You’ve got to move them half a yard; move them half a yard, you know?’’
Tech has run eight plays this season from an opponent’s 1- or 2-yard lines and has scored only twice. Tech has tried the sneak on six of those occasions, and Potts has come up short four times.
On Saturday, Potts was stacked up in the middle, and line judge Walt Coleman ruled his forward progress was stopped before two teammates shoved Potts across the goal line.
“It’s a frustrating play,’’ center Shawn Byrnes said. “Especially as the center and being the lead blocker on that play, you want it to work, but there’s times they put up good fronts in front of you. They had it stacked pretty good in the middle right there. We couldn’t get the push that we needed, and we got stopped.’’
In plays anywhere on the field this season in which the Raiders need 1 yard for a first down, they are 15 for 25, including four of seven on designed runs by Potts.
Young runners
Byrnes
Tech saw some more flashes of promise Saturday from freshmen running backs Harrison Jeffers, who had runs of 8, 35 and 13 yards, and Eric Stephens, who had another run in which he broke free from a cluster of would-be tacklers.
Tech coach Mike Leach said seeing their highlight plays is easy; the hard part is predicting their consistency and preparedness for situations.
“Just bringing it all together and (deciding) who is going to play the best right now and most often is what we are battling,’’ Leach said. “Gauging all of it — are they ready for this? Are they ready for that.’’
Stephens, who made waves in preseason practice with his determined running style and leg drive, has carried it over into the regular season.
Against Houston, he broke through a scrum of tacklers to gain 4 yards on a second-and-4 play.
“You never know what that kid’s going to do,’’ center Shawn Byrnes said. “That kid was wrapped up by eight people, and he got out and he got the first down. He’s real explosive and real fun to block for.’’
Confidence issue
Tech had 12 players in Saturday’s starting lineup who were not regular starters before this season.
With that, Tech coach Mike Leach said, comes a shortage of confidence.
“Right now, we are a team that our potential is here,’’ Leach said, holding his hand high, “and our confidence is here (lower). We just have to raise the confidence level.
“We have a bunch of young guys playing that are better than they think they are, and their abilities are at a higher level than some of them think.’’
No TV for Kansas State game
Texas Tech’s Oct. 10 game against Kansas State has been set for a 6 p.m. kickoff and won’t be televised.
The Big 12 Conference, using its 12-day advance policy, on Monday announced the Oct. 10 schedule of its television partners. That day’s TV games will be Iowa State at Kansas, 11:30 a.m. on Versus; Oklahoma State at Texas A&M, 11:30 a.m. on FSN; Baylor at Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m. on ABC; and Colorado at Texas, 6:15 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2.
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I want to get that Kansas coach to arm wrestle coach mcneil sometime.
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“Tech has run eight plays this season from an opponent’s 1- or 2-yard lines and has scored only twice. Tech has tried the sneak on six of those occasions, and Potts has come up short four times.”
I think this says more about our offensive line than about our coach.
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It says it to you & me, but coach Leach doesn’t get it,….yet.
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I think it says a lot about both. From the 2 yard line – as in the Rice game, it’s just plain stupid.
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TTU has not played a defense yet that the O-line could not have moved the d-line a yard for a qb sneak.
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“could” – so that means they failed the “would” part??
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Tech is really sucking right now…
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Did ya see the way we rushed into the field after our Cougars spanked Tech? It was a glorious site. I even hit Tech’s QB and he fumbled again. I was accused of hitting head to helmet.
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Hey proud Coug fan, congrats on the win. That was one of the best games of seen in quite awhile. People will be talking about it for a long time. You guys really deserve to be in the Big 12 Conference. Best of luck on the rest of the season. Oh yeah, and I wonder who you guys will end up playing in your Bowl game after you are crowned Conference USA champions. And congrats on your high ranking as well.
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Proud Coug fan:
I am not too sure of what you are talking about……. Houston spanked Tech?!?!?! Kinda makes me say HMMM…… The first time yall have beat us in like 30 years and you want to come on OUR website bragging about how yall “Spanked” us. 28-29 is hardly a “Spanking”. Nevermind the fact that your Conf USA officials called a horrible game. I am not going to blame the officials but they were horrible. So many calls that didn’t need to be made. Especially the call for a TD when it was clear that your receiver never at any point possessed the ball.
Get off our site and go post somewhere else……… LOSER!!!
Scarlet and Black FOREVER
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scarlett & black forever.
protect the jones.
wreck ‘em tech.
guns up!
raider power!
i’d rather have something to cheer about than all the neat words.
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Hey proud Coug fan, looks like the tech fans are whining again and blaming the refs for their loss. They did the same thing after we spanked them. Oh yea, and they were saying that Sergio’s hit was illegal. Can you believe that? What wimps. They forget it is a contact sport. What sore losers. It would be great if UNM spanked them as well. But then, they would blame the refs again. Anyway, congrats on spanking the dead raiders.
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Thanks bro, yeah typical tech fans. They won’t admit it when they know they were spanked twice. By the way, I think you guys should be ranked # 1. You guys are playing Colorado next week, right?
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ProudCoog
Houston spanked Tech? Might want to watch the replay of the game again Chief. You were lucky to escape with the win. And you even left Tech :49 ticks to try and win it.
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I agree that this game wasn’t a spanking. But part of succeeding is taking advantage of mistakes, which Houston did.
And a comment about the “glorious sight (I corrected the misspelling) of rushing the field”…How come it was glorious for Houston to do that over an UNranked team but Tech gets criticized for beating the #1 team in the country and doing it?
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Yeah, we will be spanking Colorado next week. Coach Mack will be playing pretty much 2nd team and 3rd team after the first half. Actually, I can’t wait to play OU after that. Our defense will be brutal on their QB, whoever it happens to be. I think our biggest challenger will be OSU since we’re playing them there, but we’ll spanked them the way you guys did. By the way, that was a great win for you guys.
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Yeah, you guys will spank them.
Hey, raider red, yes it was a “glorious sight”. Glad you see that way too.
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Hey Horn Fan:
Dude you really need to grow up. You come to our site and post things just to get ppl upset. I am not going to address the officiating in the UT game, but since you brought it up, YEA it was horrible, as USUAL. The only way you guys ever beat us is by paying off the officials in Austin. If you had watched the game, the HOUSTON game, you would have seen that there were many, many bad calls. I did not say that it was only bad calls on Tech. I thought there were bad calls for Houston as well. It was obvious that the officials had no idea what was going on on that field. They were not ready for the caliber teams that were playing. However, you are a UT fan and that is kinda like talking to a BOX OF ROCKS. You will never understand because you are blinded by your love for the BURNED orange.
Its all good though. Hope you live up this slim victory that you got in Austin because next year when you bring Bevo to Lubbock its going to be a different story. We will have a ALL SENIOR team and you will get stomped at THE JONES!!!!!
Scarelet and Black FOREVER!!!!
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Hey tech whiner fan 4 life, Bla…bla…bla…bla… You just can’t stand it that we spanked you fools and that Sergio knocked your QB’s head off. And we’ll spank you again next year in your pathetic 10,000 seat stadium.
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And, what the hell is “scarelet”? Learn to spell. Oh, I forgot, it’s the poor education you get there.
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“scarlett & black forever” – : what profound meaning and words.
makes me tear-up & want to blubber!
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My grandad told me to never wrestle with pigs because you both get muddy and they like it.
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Here we go again, another idiot that can’t spell their own school color. It is spelled scarlet, not scarlett. Duh!!!!!
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That bench thing is a good idea. Unless there’s a chance some of the players might get a little tired towards the end of a 4 hour game in Houston’s heat and humidity. Not that you’d want fresh legs to punch it in the end zone or maybe stop a game winning drive.
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hey longhorns & coogs:
when Potts was stood up at the goal line & the whistle never blew, the refs woulda let Houston pop the ball out & run with it. but they wouldn’t let Potts keep struggling & make a touchdown.
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frankly Scarlett, I don’t give a dam (sic).
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Ah… good try, but you spelled dam incorrectly. It is spelled “damn”, like in, damn can’t you spell.
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Ha-ha-ha…. Hook’em Horns!!!!
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Here we go again with the same guy posting as different people. Check out the times between posts. Kinda sad that you have to post messages and then reply to your own posts. Get a life.
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I can’t wait until the Oklahoma Sooners take the Longhorn’s lunch money away from them and beats them in a couple of weeks. Then we’ll see who will be whining. Sure wont be OU or Tech. See last year for those who whined all of November and December. This is exactly why I root against Texas unless it is to help Tech’s cause. I will be rooting of OU as usual against UT.
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As for Coach Leach removing seats on the sideline: he should add to his statement about him standing the whole game that he is not playing in the heat and humidity. The announcers on the TV even said he cut back on team water at Texas and Houston. That was apparent when Tech players started cramping up fourth quarter! They quoted him as saying he told them to drink plenty before the game. He is starting to look like a pirate captain more each day! Arg I say walk the plank young man!!!
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Mike, right again, it’s me Sergio Suarez. Just having a little fun.
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Sergio, you got us again. You sure are sneaky, but funny as well. You make me laugh. What are you studying at Tech?
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Here the new oracle from the Football Prophet
The warriors from the plains will prevail on Saturday, but your joy will last for a short season. There is much agony and despair coming in the horizon my children. The words are true…heed them
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Tell me wise one, who will lose to next?
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Oh son of the plain, thou shall lose to the children of the corn from the fields of Nebraska. The corn shall turn to scorn. Enjoy your victory Saturday, for it shall be as ice that shall melt away…
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Burnt Orange
Burned Orange
Who really cares
Enough Said
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To Sergio aka Whorn fan,
Go troll on other sites!
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Sergio, please stay.
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Tweeter me this Batboy, why can’t the Raiders, Longhorns, and Cougars get along?
A. Because sore winners and losers just can’t let it go!
B. They all need to get a life
C. This is football
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
Congrats Horns! Congrats Cougars!
As for us Raiders don’t let them bait you.
Now to add some humor let me paraphrase our guru:
Let’s focus on ourselves and play on Saturday the way we do on Wednesdays and everything will workout. Of course if it doesnt’ pan out it’s because you tried to hard,. Remember you don’t have to be a superhero. Stay within yourselves and we’ll be okay. Or we could ask our opponents D and O to play like ours does on Wednesdays. Maybe we could ask them to stop being superheros and stay within there prescribed parameters.
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Let’s focus on ourselves and play on Saturday the way we do on Wednesdays and everything will workout. Of course if it doesnt’ pan out it’s because you tried to hard,. Remember you don’t have to be a superhero. Stay within yourselves and we’ll be okay. Or we could ask our opponent’s D and O to play like ours does on Wednesdays. Maybe we could ask them to stop being superheros and stay within their prescribed parameters.
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I have not seen any comments on the rushing the field activity, but I have to laugh about the “largest crowd in Houston’s stadium” including their conference championship game. Could it be because half the crowd, at least, was supporters of the Red Raiders including the band. By the way, did Houston bring a band? I never heard them. And it was laughable when a couple of hundred fans rushed on the field. Same old Cougar High with no support, no history and no big 12. Now please go back to your insignificant season where you will be out of sight and out of mind. Truly the best quote of all times is “Half the Houston fans are eating at the 7-11 and the other half are working there! The worst part of it is after the Tech game, Houston fans woke up Sunday morning and still had to be cougar fans. Enjoy your 15,000 attendance the rest of the way each gameday.
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I used to enjoy reading the comments. They actually had substance. Now it’s deteriorated into a bunch of name calling, taunting, and petty arguments.
Tech’s record is bad, but our team has played well on the whole. If we continue to improve, I think we could still have a great season.
I hope Houston wins every game they play from here on out. I doubt they will, but I’m rooting for them.
I can’t root for UT because of the arrogance of people like those who have posted on this message board. If there are such posts from Red Raider fans on UT sites, please forgive us!
I think we’ve got a good shot at beating Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, AND Oklahoma State. I think we’ll at least win 3 of the 4.
Should win all the other games, too. 9-3 wouldn’t be bad, would it?
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O ye of little faith in my words, have you not read my oracles? Tech will lose several more games this season. They will lose to Nebraska, Kansas, OU, and OSU. My oracles have always proven true and this will also occur. The Football Prophet has spoken…
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Prophet…. you are a fool.
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Lee, I am but a messenger. Why dost thou hate me because I tell you the fate of the ones from the plains?
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“Did ya see the way we rushed into the field after our Cougars spanked Tech? It was a glorious site. I even hit Tech’s QB and he fumbled again. I was accused of hitting head to helmet.”
Hey Proud Coog Fan,
It must have been the greatest moment in UH football history huh. Wow, you beat an unranked team. I bet you felt the same way we did when we rushed the field after beating the top ranked Longhorns, and blowing their NC aspirations. Of course we had about 3 tines the number of fans, but who,s counting. Friggin incredible. How did you ever do it. UH has really fallen from their glory days, Though short they were. Probably before you were born.
As for the run by thumpin of the QB, sounds like you are a resident of the 3rd ward. Right?
New entry in to the webster’s dictionary: Spank – spanked, spanking. To take it on the toosh from your mommy, or your daddy. To beat another sports team by 1 point.
See you in Lubbock next year. It will be fun.
Wreckem Tech
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the Football Prophet said:
O ye of little faith in my words, have you not read my oracles? Tech will lose several more games this season. They will lose to Nebraska, Kansas, OU, and OSU. My oracles have always proven true and this will also occur. The Football Prophet has spoken…
I believith thou hast lost thou oracles. This wilth be proventh with forth hast. I must now part as i have not partaken of a good ail in a fortnight, and must quinch my parched soul.
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Football Prophet
Thou oracles likely refer to Kansas State who dost also liveth on the plains.
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It was a touchdown…
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Poor, Poor Dead Raiders.
If you can’t beat Cougar High it will be a long season until the Weedeater Bowl picks Baylor over TTU.
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Hey proud Coog fan and Horn fan, The only thing either one of you have spanked is each other’s monkeys. You two are pathetic. Go get some counseling to figure out how to be heterosexual and have a life. As for you Bob, I wonder what you are going to say after we beat Baylor by half a hundred in Dallas. You forget that last year after we shook off the OU game hangover at halftime that we smashed Baylor’s butts to beat them down where they belong. You sure talk big for a team that hasn’t won a conference game since Napoleon was exiled. Oh by the way how’s your star QB?
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