More subdued Batch ignites late surge
Baron Batch is one of the most vocal players on Texas Tech’s roster — in the locker room, in the huddle and on the sideline — and his teammates feed off his intensity and encouragement.
But in a key Big 12 Conference game against Kansas on Saturday afternoon, Batch said he took a much more subdued approach. Instead, he let his powerful legs do the talking.
The junior running back from Midland erupted for 106 rushing yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries in the fourth quarter, helping to turn a seven-point deficit into a 42-21 victory at Jones AT&T Stadium.
“Really good,” Tech coach Mike Leach said of Batch, who produced only 17 yards on nine carries in the first three quarters. “… He’s one of the most conscientious guys I’ve ever dealt with. He’s ambitious and wants things to go well. But as he settles down and just stays within the parameters of his job, he can be remarkably explosive.”
Texas Tech's Baron Batch (25) pushes past Kansas' Damond Patterson (15) during their game Oct, 31, 2009 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Merissa Ferguson/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Texas Tech's Baron Batch (25) celebrates a touchdown against Kansas during their game Oct, 31, 2009 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Merissa Ferguson/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Texas Tech's Baron Batch breaks loose for a first down during Saturday's 42-21 win over the Kansas Jayhawks at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Batch, who finished with a career-high four touchdown runs, got Tech’s stagnant offense untracked with a 44-yard burst on the second play of the fourth quarter. He later added runs of 19, 17, 15 and 11 yards, scoring on two of those plays.
“You saw the entire stadium switch,” center Shawn Byrnes said of the momentum Batch provided with his big runs. “… He’s always emotional and always trying to get everybody up, and when he plays hard, it makes the rest of us play hard.”
Batch deflected most of the credit, and for good reason. He bolted through gaping holes on each of the long fourth-quarter runs, and he wasn’t even touched on his last two scoring scampers.
All-American right guard Brandon Carter made a big block on the 44-yarder, while Byrnes and left guard Lonnie Edwards paved the way on the next two long gains.
“Those were some of the easiest touchdowns I’ve scored at Tech,” Batch said with a chuckle. “The offensive line did a great job just executing and just not hesitating. I think that was the biggest thing.”
Batch, Byrnes and Leach said quarterback Taylor Potts, who relieved first-time starter Seth Doege to begin the second half, was also key in getting the running game going. Tech had planned to pass on most of those long runs, but Potts saw creases in Kansas’ defense and switched to running plays at the line of scrimmage.
“I don’t think many of those, maybe two of the plays we scored on, were called in the huddle,” Batch said. “But every other run, pretty much, was checked into. That’s a great job by Potts just doing what he’s supposed to and recognizing what they’re giving us and being a smart player.”
The timely play-calling, lockdown blocking and explosive running by Batch added up to a productive fourth quarter by Tech’s offense, which had sputtered for most of the day. The Red Raiders produced only 14 points and 188 total yards while committing three turnovers to that point, but erupted for 28 points and 170 yards during the final 15 minutes.
The result was a much-needed win, which got the Raiders back above .500 in conference play and gave them some good vibes heading into the bye week.
“It feels good,” Batch said. “We’ve had some tough losses, and I think this is one of my favorite teams I’ve ever played on. We’ve got a lot of tough guys, a lot of guys that step up when we need to, and that’s what I love about this team.”
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Way to go Batch and congrates to Potts for making heads up plays…Carter is an animal!!! Hope his leg gets back to 100% over the bye week.
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Second that tech97.
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Maybe Leach should petition the NCAA for a Medical redshirt year for the entire team. It worked for Shipley. (Is he going to get a 7th year). With all these injuries, the talent isn’t even close to last year or maybe the previous 2 years but these guys have great fight and big hearts.
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You guys have heart and thats what it takes in football andlife, Great game, Raiders,hope you get well Carter..
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Hey Tech fans in Lubbock, great job of not showing up for the game!
I’m a former Tech student who grew up in Lubbock and our support for the team there is pitiful! Didn’t show up for A&M (lame) and didn’t show up for this key, nationally televised, Big 12 game. I’ve lived in Norman, OK for 5 years now and I can barely go to the grocery store on a game day here. This is what seperates us from the big boys in the country, lousy fans. Take a road trip some time to one of the perrenial powers and see what a real fan base looks like. They spent the money to add more seats, now fill up the damn stadium and support your team.
Hopefully this week off will allow everyone to rest and heal up. The QB situation is going to be interesting, especially if Sticks is healthy.
One more home game, show up and support your team!!! Don’t think that the players overlook all those empty seats. Oh yeah, don’t forget future prospects either!
Wreck ‘em Tech!
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i have to agree with the place not being filled up. but i also have to say t he price for the tickets is ridiculous! i paid 95 for the OU game coming up and for any other game they want 95? bring down the price some and im sure the fans will come.
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Baron Batch has been my favorite player since the day he signed his LOI. Great heart. Couldn’t have happened to a better student/athlete in Lubbock!
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BLT,BLT,BLT!!!!!= GREAT FOOD
BATCH,LEWIS,TORRES +DEFENSE= WINS
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SRO crowds are great, but, unlike the “big boys” elsewhere, a lot of the empty seats at the Jones represent farm families who, on beautiful days in October or November, are busy harvesting cotton. “Make hay while the sun shines” isn’t just a quaint expression.
Up to this point, farmers have had to spend money all year on their crops…just writing checks, not making any deposits. They get a few weeks each fall, weather permitting, to make that money back. They’ll live off whatever profit they make until the harvest next year, so cut them some slack for being in a tractor seat instead of the bleachers.
Add in Halloween carnivals/harvest festivals in outlying towns, plus the flu, and it’s not surprising Tech didn’t get a good showing this week. This doesn’t mean Tech has sorry fans, they just have a greater percentage of fans who work for themselves or are involved in their small communities and, therefore, don’t get weekends off.
So next time you see empty seats, just yell a little louder and longer for the fans who’d like to be there, but can’t.
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OK, then explain Nebraska? They’re even more tied to agriculture than Lubbock is. Population is almost identical, yet they fill 20,000 more seats EVERY game, not just against Texas and OU. And, they do it whether or not they’re in first or last place. Maybe ticket prices have a role in this, but that crowd yesterday was pitiful. All I’m saying is that if we want to continue getting better, our fans have to get more involved and show up to support our team.
Wreck ‘em Tech!
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They grow corn, not cotton, in Nebraska. This year, their corn harvest was slowed by early cool temps and slow dry-down, but the crops were 33% mature at the end of September. They also employ custom-cutters for their crops on a much larger scale than cotton farmers do on the South Plains, most of whom still strip their own. So their harvest is earlier and, generally speaking, corn harvesting is less challenging than cotton. (Also, cotton usually requires the extra step of defoliation before harvest.)
Look, I’m sure some people sat out the game after the aTm loss. With dry weather, calm and sunny days, and no “holiday” parties to compete with, I’m sure the crowd will be back to normal levels after the bye week.
(I’m not counting the new sections in “normal” levels. People have budgets and, with Christmas less than two months away, selling those at the prices posted might be tough. Airlines have learned: lower fares beat empty seats.)
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Austin, I stand corrected. A friend in Nebraska tells me they’re very LATE harvesting this year…latest they’ve been since ‘82.
Too much rain and even snow…combines can’t get in the fields…so he’s had plenty of time to go to the ‘Husker’s games, but hasn’t enjoyed many of them. ;)
Regardless…it’s strippin’ season around Lubbock, but with good weather the next two weeks, people may have more time and money to spend on game day. Let’s hope for a bumper crop (cotton and recruits) next year, and a full house for every game next season!
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austin,
what was your whining butt doing in ok? if you want to gripe about lack of fan support then show up! people in west texas love the raiders but they are not always a priority this time of year. i guees you understand that since you were not there.
jr sample
br549
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damn austin, you must be a smart fellow. i am impressed you know so much about farming two different crops in two different states. since you live in ok i am sure you will support the raiders in stillwater, assuming you are not busy.
jr sample
br549
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Sorry had to leave early to get back for my two kids trick-or-treat (2 hr drive). That only comes around once and for a few short years. Game should have been at noon.
I thought crowd was okay. If we didn’t have the new sections stadium would have been pretty packed. People were pretty much giving extra tickets away at gametime. Price shouldn’t have been an issue.
Great game defense! Get some rest this week and Wreck’Em Tech!
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The University of Nebraska is the only D-1 football program in the state, just like Missouri is. Kansas and Iowa have two D-1 schools, and Oklahoma and Colorado have three. Tech is competing with NINE other D-1 schools in the state and is the fartherest away from any metropolitan areas. I wish I could have been there the last two weeks, but we just moved into a new home in Fort Worth.
Speaking of lack of fans, TCU is having a fantastic season and is playing for a BCS bowl if they win out, but they average about 33,000 per game and they do not charge as much as Big 12 schools do for tickets. The last sell-out they enjoyed was when the Raiders came to Fort Worth (unfortunately, the Raiders did not come to play that year).
Big ticket items are hard to sell this year.
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I concur with MaverickMatador. You’ve got to realize that along with the NINE D-1 schools we have, we also have NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB teams here in the state for people to root for. ALL Nebraska has is Husker football. That’s why you’ll always see sellouts with states that only have 1 or 2 major college powers and little to no professional teams (i.e. the state of Oklahoma as well).
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NU, OSU and OU are their state’s Pro Teams!
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I find it sad that nearly every response to my original was an excuse. All that I was attempting to accomplish was to get people to show up to the game, and instead I’m being accused of not being a fan. I lived in Lubbock for 24 years and went to every single football game possible, especially as a child when the Guns Up Club used to include admission to football games and later on when they added the “Athletic Fee” to tuition. Sat through that game against Houston where it snowed for the entire game back in the old SWC days. I’m a single father now of a 4 year old and the long trip is tough to do with no family around, but I have made it as many times as possible. I will be attending the OU game in Lubbock, OSU & Baylor games, as well as all of the OU & OSU games of past and the Cotton Bowl earlier this year. Maybe the ticket prices do have a factor, but I don’t think as big of one as people might make it out to be. Again, I lived there for 24 years and there’s basically still the same fan base as before and the lack of fans at the game is of no surprise to me. So, instead of making accusations or making excuses for yourself and/or everyone else, get some butts in the seats and support these boys and show future recruits that watch these games on TV that they can expect the same.
Wreck ‘em Tech
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