Williams: October suddenly looks bright
LINCOLN, Neb. — The weatherman nailed it Saturday. Here in the Midwest, the day dawned dreary and gray, but the afternoon forecast called for the opposite. Sure enough, as the latest Texas Tech-Nebraska tussle unfolded, the sky broke into bright sunshine. And standing on the sideline at game’s end, I noted not a cloud in the sky.
Sort of like Texas Tech’s season.
For all the clouds early, the Red Raiders flew home from Lincoln Saturday night with a 31-10 win and their prospects for the stretch drive suddenly bright. September losses to Texas and Houston didn’t define the arc of their season. A quarterback exchange seems not to have divided the team. The Raiders got past Brandon Carter’s suspension.
Nebraska's Latravis Washington (15), tries to hold on to a pass against the defense of Texas Tech's Lyle Leong (19), in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. The pass was ruled incomplete, and Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)
Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield throws against Nebraska in the first half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Texas Tech's quarterback Steven Sheffield walks off the field following the NCAA college football game against Nebraska, in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
And Twitter ban, Schlitterban, as we say in Texas.
Crisis might be too strong a word for what Tech faced three weeks ago after a loss to Houston and a couple of team leaders getting in trouble, all in a 24-hour period. Mike Leach would be proud of his guys. They barely even acknowledge it.
“We’re a real tight-knit unit,’’ defensive end Daniel Howard said. “You saw us during camp. We’re all about having fun. Going out and getting wins is fun.’’
More should be on the way. Texas A&M is up next, and the Aggies at Jones Stadium are like pre-schoolers in the haunted house at fall carnival. That’s all the Aggie teams of late. And the latest one just got slaughtered by Kansas State.
That wasn’t the only favorable development to roll in Saturday for the Raiders.
Not to wish ill of Sam Bradford, but another shoulder injury to the Oklahoma quarterback assures he’ll be rusty once more, if available at all, when the Sooners come to Lubbock on Nov. 21. Kansas is the Halloween night opponent, and the Jayhawks were stunned by hapless Colorado.
Up next, the Raiders have two home games followed by an open date, but to make it pay off in a win Saturday was something they had to have. A lot of trends said no way. Nebraska coach Bo Pelini had lost once in two years to an unranked team. Tech hadn’t won away from Jones Stadium its last four times out.
The Raiders were blissfully unaware.
“I just found out after the game that Nebraska was the second defense in the country,’’ quarterback Steven Sheffield said, referring to the Cornhuskers’ usual 8-points-a-game yield. “I had no idea about that.’’
As for the four-game losing streak away from home, well, that’s nice to get off your back, right?
“I didn’t know that,’’ said receiver Detron Lewis, who had his second game in a row of exactly 100 yards receiving. “I guess you could say that.’’
Maybe the Raiders aren’t as in tune this year, because no one expected them to be in the race. But they lurk there — somehow, waiting for a Texas slipup — with a very different makeup than last year’s Big 12 South Division tri-champions. Just one for-instance: The front four, supposedly stripped of nearly all its pass rushers, was tied for the Big 12 lead in sacks going into Saturday and added five more.
They’re not doing it with big names.
“One night during fall camp,’’ defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said, “(running back) Baron Batch got up and he says, ‘We had some great players last year — Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, Louis Vasquez, Brandon Williams. This year, it’s more about the Double-T — what’s on our chest and not necessarily the names on our back. Nothing against those guys. We love those guys. But this team is more worried about not letting the other guy down.’’
The Raiders are working all the angles.
The last couple of weeks, they’ve voted on captains based on what have you done for me lately?
This week, you watch, they’re going to elect a sideline captain.
“If you participated in sports, having your teammates cheer for you is a big, big deal, and we make a big deal out of it,’’ McNeill said. “Our kids take pride in it. We travel some guys right now who, they know they’re not going to play one second. They know their job is to come, go through pre-game and cheer the team on.’’
So McNeill’s eyes lit up when I asked if that means he’s going to arrange a vote for a sideline captain.
“That’s a good idea,’’ he said. “I’m going to take it to the boss.’’
Who would be some leading candidates? McNeill mentioned players such as true freshmen Pearlie Graves and Jacob Karam and veteran backups such as Britton Barbee and Brik Brinker.
“There’s a bunch of guys we travel just for sideline purposes,’’ he said.
Call them the morale captains.
Not that morale needs much help right now. It looks sunny the rest of October.
To comment on this story:
don.williams@lubbockonline.com l 766-8734
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
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Sticks needs to grow his hair out. Could add 2, maybe 3 pounds.
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Great win over Nebraska and we get to kick the Aggies next Saturday at the Jones…life is good.
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Yessir, Don. Got to say I called this one. Tech was getting healthy physically and mentally. Husker nation with their heads in the clouds. Better team won. The team that should never have lost to Houston and could have won at Austin.
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How do you LOSE to K-State by half a hundred??? I wonder how many atm supporters are excited about this season any more. I like our chances at the Jones this weekend. GO TECH!!!
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Just hoping for no let down after two good butt kickings. This is cfb and ANYTHING can happen. A&m is clearly soft but the boys need to stay pumped! Great win, great day.
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This is a great win, one I anticipated while many Tech fans felt Tech would lose. But Tech used every opportunity to score despite going up against one of the top defensive teams in the country. Neither team did offensively what they had been doing, but Tech made the most of what was being given to them by the NU defense. It wasn’t the typical “pretty” game, but a hard fought, well played game in enemy territory that should be considered one of the best ever played by any Tech team. Should this team carry this type of play on in every remaining game, a big time BCS bowl game could be in the future.
NO ONE in the media or anywhere across the country was giving Tech a chance at winning 10 or 11 games. But, if they win out, that is exactly what they can do. If they do this, then everyone is going to have to see Tech a “reloading” after good years, not “rebuilding”. BIG DIFFERENCE!
The toughest remaining regular season game appears to be the one against Okie State. With Tech’s defense continuing this level of play throughout the rest of the season, there is no way Okie State will keep up, even in Stillwater. With the stumbling this week by OU, KU, Baylor and A&M, Texas Tech needs only to keep their heads on straight and play as hard the rest of the way as they have played so far. Doing so will enable them to have one more “DREAM SEASON”, just like last year’s. So, GO TECH! WRECK ‘EM!
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things that seriously need to be learned by TECH supporters is that when we are at the top, is to remain humble and cognizant of what it feels like being at the bottom. That is an indicator of a winning football program like the kind you see at penn state, usc, florida, Oklahoma, and others. They maintain their respect from other schools by doing things right year after year and not by gloating on the misfortunes of other schools. We want to be at the next level, well surprise, here we are. Now act like it.
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Once again a small-time sportswriter no one ever heard of is looking ahead for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech has no margin for error to be thinking about anything more than the Weedeater Bowl.
Take one game at a time and don’t listen or read press clippings like ones from the Williams-Hyatt junior high level journalism blogs.
Geez. Haven’t we learned one thing about Texas Tech football in the past 40 years?
Raiders can beat No. 1 Texas one week and lose to No. 144 Texas Southern the next week.
It is in the history of Texas Tech football.
BTW, Mack Brown makes me want to puke. What an annoying, nasal piece of PR crap he is.
Hey, Longhorn T-Shirt fans, Dollar General has ugly orange stuff on sale for $5 a shirt.
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What I want to know about Dollar General is whether the AUSTIN stores carry TEXAS TECH gear like the Lubbock ones do for the UT longhorns????
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poot we don’t give away OUR product!
bernie well said!
Hey where are all those husker fans?
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When we played Texas, it was clear who was the better quarterback on the field. And he didn’t win. When we played Houston, it was clear who was the better quarterback on the field and he won. But thing’s are changing Lubbock. Nothing against Taylor but one game ( and a losing one at that) doesn’t make a career. Sticks has the mojo behind him. I was glad Coach didn’t have a quick hook. After all, this was the 2nd rated defense in the country. We just need to stay grounded and do what we do, play TEXAS TECH STYLE FOOTBALL. GET YOUR GUNS UP. The season isn’t over and we have lot’s to prove.
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Ndickmong Whuh?
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My sincerest congratulations to the Raider’s football team! I have rarely been prouder of this program, because I can remember just a few short years ago when naysayers cackled that Tech would never become great because we had no DEFENSE! Well, guess what? Tech’s defense just held up against the once mighty ‘Huskers, and because of that great defense we beat them in their own backyard! I predicted that we would win, and we did. This team has pose and cohesion in ways that I have not seen in many years at Texas Tech. Harrell and Crabtree left behind a great legacy, but this is a TEAM. They play together and for each other. If they continue to stay grounded and focused on one game at a time, this will be one of the best teams in TTU history, and with a little luck and a UT misstep, Tech can tie or win the Conference. If not, they at least silence the critics who said TTU would not finish high in the conference or rankings. I love when “rebuilding” years become “reloading years”—and a reloading year means ending up in the top fifteen programs in the nation!!! WRECK”EM TECH!!!
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I think Coach Leach showed Bo unlike the attempt at ball control last year in Jones was a good try it doesn’t compare to game control in Lincoln. When needed we hit the gas, when not we controled the clock by offense/ defense strength. When they did score we matched it on the next drive……I don’t think that was an accident, it was to decisive, both times. I think NU is a good program and a solid win…..I love watching Raider Ball. GO TECH!!!!!!!!
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Well now, I am a little surprised to see the Raiders RANKED today. Only a little bit, mind you! Their TOUGH performance in Austin is now being acknowledged! And, the weather down in Houston was near being as bad as possible, even in September. The D was obviously “tanked”. I don;t WANT to use weather as an excuse…………not good. But, I would have dropped literally dead on that night. Way to go Raiders, you’ve got to be THANKFUL, not necessarily proud, of yourselves! GO TECH! nmredraider1
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TTU is unlucky not to be 7-0 and ranked in the Top 5. This is a VERY good team.
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I, like most , was down after the Houston game, not down on the players or coaches, but just down. I have wached Tech football since 1961 and the difference between the Tech program and UT or OU is closer than it has ever been. The pirate has brought Tech to a higher level with potential to go even higher.
Last year ended in disappointment, but this team has the opportunity to finish strong and end up in the top 5 and with a BCS opportunity. The early losses will be meaningless if we win out, besides the team effort in those two losses was outstanding. With this teams maturity, unselfishness and unity of purpose, the 2009 team can be the best ever and the 2008 year would provide happy but faded memories. Raiders, you are in a position to have an outstanding and memorable year.
Go Tech
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Great game Tech. I am a die hard Husker fan and have to give props to a team that came in and dominated us. People here are anxious to be back to the glory days but you did a huge favor in exposing our mediocre offense. Not to take anything away from your D but we have only moved the ball with any consistency against the Sun Belt. Can’t wait for the next two seasons to get over with so we can be back on each others schedules. Good luck in the fight for South supremecy.
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tech will never play in bcs
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I think Leach has the players on even keel from one game to the next, we will be ready for atm. No way our players look past them, its someone we love to beat!!!
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HuskerStu
I have always heard that the Husker nation is tops as far as sportsmanship is concerned and how well fans from the opposing teams are treated. Your message is further proof of this fact. I have cheered for the Huskers many times in the past and will continue to in the future. I wish you good luck in recapturing the glory days of the past several decades. Tom Osborne was and is a tough act to follow. I have the greatest respect for him. Class coach…..all the way.
Eric Crouch was one of my favorite Big 12 players…..another class act.
Techsans…..remember to treat our visitors with courtesy and respect this Saturday in Lubbock. Let’s take a page from the Huskers notebook…what do you say?
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