The Red Raiders have much at stake, but they must take A&M seriously
What could be more embarrassing than losing by 48 points to a team that lost by 52 the week before?
Texas Tech doesn’t want to find out. Tech players know Texas A&M is in a tailspin, but Tech assistant coach Dennis Simmons said he doesn’t think the Red Raiders will be vulnerable to a letdown when they host the Aggies at 6 p.m. today.
“We’re not a program that carries that mentality,’’ Simmons said this week, “and to be quite honest, we’re not a program at that level yet. We haven’t done anything to where we can take anybody for granted. We’re a group that has to work hard every day.’’
Colorado at Texas A&M, Nov 1, 2008
That includes against A&M, which is on a three-game losing streak and hasn’t won in Lubbock since 1993. The Aggies’ 62-14 loss last week at Kansas State was all the more stunning considering Tech walloped K-State 66-14 the week before.
That’s what the Aggies have to overcome — and not just their legion of young players who are being force-fed playing time. The team’s psyche is a concern, to say the least.
“I don’t think it affects just younger guys; it affects everybody — coaches, players alike,’’ A&M coach Mike Sherman said this week. “When you get your butt kicked like we did, I do worry about that part of it.’’
If the Aggies could somehow turn it around and upset Tech, they’d mess up a lot of possibilities. Here’s what a win tonight means to Tech: a 13th straight home victory that would break a record set from 1939-41, and an 82nd career win for Mike Leach that would tie Spike Dykes’ school record. Not to mention it would preserve their new No. 21 ranking and keep them in the Big 12 South Division race.
While they’re trying to make all that come to fruition, the Raiders are likely to be cheered by a record crowd. Today marks the opening of 6,100 new seats on the northeast and northwest corners of Jones AT&T Stadium.
“I’m pretty excited,’’ Tech tackle Marlon Winn said. “All that concrete we saw them working with and the poles actually turned into something, and I’m excited to see what it looks like with the fans screaming.’’
A&M is in a transition year. On the Aggies’ two-deep, 13 of 24 players on offense and 15 of 22 on defense are freshmen or sophomores.
Tech has won three in a row and looked good doing so, but things aren’t perfect for the Raiders. Quarterback Steven Sheffield, superb for the last 10-plus quarters, will miss at least the next two games with a broken foot.
Taylor Potts will go back in, but the Raiders don’t know for sure what they’re getting. It will be Potts’ first game action since he suffered a concussion Oct. 3.
The Raiders are feeling good about themselves nonetheless.
“We have a lot of momentum behind us,’’ Winn said, “and everyone is buying into the ‘Don’t look at the scoreboard; just play the next play.’ We are a very confident team right now, and we’re going to keep stepping up and proving ourselves each week.’’
The Aggies are capable of stirring something up offensively. Their total offense average of 477 yards ranks fifth in the nation, though the numbers aren’t as good the last three weeks as they were in September wins over New Mexico, Utah State and Alabama-Birmingham.
Quarterback Jerrod Johnson was no better than his teammates in last week’s debacle, but he does have an A&M record four 300-yard passing performances this season.
“He’s so mobile,’’ Tech linebacker Bront Bird said. “They like to spread people out, get our linebackers out of the box and run the ball inside and do little shovel passes and screens.’’
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9 1/2 hours til the decision is made, wooohoooo Wreck Em Tech!!!!
How many Aggies does it take to win a football game?
Nobody knows yet!
Wow, that cheesy! Sorry!
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Here is an interesting question… Is Taylor Potts coming back as the first string starter, or is he coming in as backup for the injured Steven Sheffield? Admittedly, “Stix” walked in after the offense had gelled and the defense was coming into their own. However, there is no denying that his lively legs and mobility added some spark to Tech’s offensive repertoire and the players certainly rallied around him. Can Pott’s generate that same excitement against an A&M team that is looking for a win?
Aggie alums are grumbling about Sherman and are growing tired of the same old excuses week after week. There is a LOT of pressure for the Aggies to have a good showing tonight and they should not be taken lightly. One should not forget those years (seems so long ago) when Tech was in similar situations only to play spoiler to the Aggies’ hopes and dreams.
If the Tech defense plays the way they have the past few games, it is certain that Tech will walk away with a win. Most importantly, everyone’s eyes will be on Taylor Potts and his performance this evening. Will he offer the same excitement we have seen from “Stix”? Has he resolved his throwing from the back foot problem? Does he still have cobwebs? Tonight will tell.
Wreak ‘Em Tech!!!
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laugh now, this time tommorow you will be weeping….sabres up…charge, attack, maroon and white!!!
post game victory party stay tuned for details…..US 59 them 13
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Good point Red RaiderZ
If Potts starts his dancing around in the backfield it could be a long day.
The Aggies couldn’t score 59 points if they were on the field by themselves!
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aggie_power: are you serious? haha
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Tech had best take A.M. seriously, it doesnt matter what the records are for either team, they will be up for this game,that said, tonight will tell, hopefully the offensive line will protect Potts well and he makes good decisions and is over the ILLEGAL AS HELL HIT that he took in the Texas game and seemed to not get over, my prayers are with you Taylor and hope ypu and the rest of the team plays well and kicks A.M. BUTT, GUNS UP!!!!
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WHOOP!!!!!! Nothin sweeter than winning (BIG) in Lubbock!!!
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Don’t count your chickens until they hatch?
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52-30, wow Tech loses to the Aggies
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How sweet it is!! Gig ‘em!!!
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May not have scored 59 but 52 is pretty damn close…. Whoop!
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Enjoyed the new addition stadium…and all the Blackout shirts. Gig ‘em!
Don’t see any posts from bbsski, guns up or especially Pejay66
See you next year at Kyle Field!!
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The Aggies came out and did what everyone feared–they pulled a Texas Tech on us. How often do you remember Texas Tech ruining the Aggies’ chance of having a great season? At a time when Tech’s season was not yet lost, the Aggies quietly roll into Jones Stadium and steamrolled over the Red Raiders subsequently ruining ANY hopes of a shot, though remote, for a tie in the Big XII South race and a decent bowl game.
Of course, much of the damage was self-inflected. Coach Leach gambled that Taylor Potts (starter or reliever?) would be ready to play. Little did he know what damage he would cause until it was too late. Potts neither exhibited the confidence at QB, nor the leadership, and this translated into lackluster play on both sides of the ball. Potts never generated the spark, nor energy needed to get the Red Raiders rolling. Moreover, extensive penalties, costly turnovers, and the inability to capitalize on key field position began to sound the death knell for Tech. It’s a shame that Doege (3rd stringer) will share in the loss as he did the best he could do under the circumstances. And the defense? It seems that after two spectacular defensive showings on the road (Texas and Nebraska), Tech’s defense was a no-show the games that followed the very next week (Houston and Texas A&M). It must be humbling for Coach Ruffin McNeil to have such a “great” defense implode as they did…TWICE. This is somewhat reminiscent of what happened last season after Tech beat No. 1 Texas and then traveled to Norman only for Red Raider defense to be a no-show. Obviously, Coach Ruff needs to stop drinking his own Kool-Aid.
Fans are constantly reminded by coaching and media that Tech is in a rebuilding year. However, Coach Leach has set the bar pretty high for Tech fans and the worm can turn quickly in Lubbock. A loss to the Aggies who got blown out by Kansas St., a team Tech embarrassed the week prior, just doesn’t add up. Tech and Coach Leach need to get this train back on track. Kansas is no pushover and Raider fans could easily see a repeat of what happened Saturday evening.
I hate being right all the time. However, there is a ray of sunshine that comes from this ridiculous loss. At least Raider fans can say that Tech helped the unemployment situation, because this Aggie win certainly saved Mike Sherman’s (Texas A&M head coach) job.
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RedRaiderZ,
A win is a win. Give credit where it is due. The Ags finally got hungry to beat a Tech team and did it convincingly.
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