Tech notes: Leach questions Jeffers’ effort
Disappearing act
Oklahoma State's Perrish Cox, right, intercepts a Steven Sheffield pass intended for Texas Tech's Adam James, left, during the first half of Saturday's game at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. Cox was named Big 12 defensive player of the week Monday. (Geoffrey Mcallister / Avalanche-Journal)
Texas Tech running back Harrison Jeffers has disappeared from the offense at different times this season. Lately, he’s been in one of those stretches, and Tech coach Mike Leach suggested Monday it’s for lack of consistent effort.
“Some of that’s kind of up to Harrison,” Leach said. “When Harrison plays hard, he has a tendency to get into the lineup. When Harrison jogs around, he tends to not be in the lineup. So we’ll see how that goes.”
In the last three games, Jeffers has had only seven touches: five carries and two pass receptions. Right before that, in a three-game winning streak against New Mexico, Kansas State and Nebraska, the speedy redshirt freshman had 32 touches (17 runs, 15 catches).
Ridin’ and eatin’
Tech coach Mike Leach used an old coaches’ term to describe the play of his wide receiver corps in Saturday’s loss at Oklahoma State.
The Red Raiders were guilty of several dropped passes.
“We had a bunch of receivers just eat, ride and warm up this last week,” Leach said, “and they need to take it upon themselves to improve. This business that I’m going to pretend it’s otherwise, that’s just not the case. So I’ll address that with them – and have, and will do it repeatedly.”
Bad memory
Oklahoma didn’t merely interrupt Tech’s perfect season last year; the Sooners did so with authority, slamming the Red Raiders 65-21.
Tech linebacker Bront Bird reminded his teammates of the scene during Sunday’s workout.
“I think Bront mentioned last night we were thinking about the 80-year-old women in their wheelchairs doing the jump, jump in the stadium, and we just picture that in our head,” offensive tackle Marlon Winn said.
At a low point for the Red Raiders, when Oklahoma took a 42-7 lead late in the first half, the public address played House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” Participation seemed close to 100 percent from what Tech players could tell.
“I don’t know what their stadium holds – 80,000 or more,” Bird said. “When that came on, every single person in the stadium was jumping around. It was definitely kind of demoralizing, to say the least. Hopefully, that never happens again.
“I hate that song, by the way.”
Tech coach Mike Leach has long considered revenge to be a pointless motivation and said so again Monday.
“We need to forget it,” Leach said, “because all that counts is the next game. Nothing in that game’s got any impact on this game. There’s not one play we made or they made that counts for this game, so any reflection on that is a complete waste of time.”
Nevertheless, Tech players remember it as not one of their finer days. The Red Raiders were 10-0 beforehand, and the loss ended their dreams of playing for a national championship.
“The most spoiled milk in the world, it kind of tasted like that in your mouth, and it was just an awful feeling,” Winn said. “I think everybody refers to that when we are getting ready to prepare for them this week.”
In brief
Freshman receiver Austin Zouzalik’s 26-yard punt return set up a Tech touchdown Saturday. On Sunday, Zouzalik won his teammates’ vote to be captain of special teams this week. Running back Baron Batch, tackle Marlon Winn, defensive end Daniel Howard and linebacker Bront Bird also won captains’ designations in the weekly team voting. … Tech is 0-3 against Big 12 South Division opponents, and this is the deepest the Red Raiders have gone in a season with an oh-for against the South since the Big 12 formed in 1996. … Oklahoma State CB Perrish Cox on Monday was named the Big 12 defensive player of the week for his performance against Tech: two interceptions, three pass breakups and four tackles, including one for a loss.
Now that’s a shoe
Linebacker Bront Bird and tackle Marlon Winn had some fun Monday describing the orthopedic shoe that quarterback Steven Sheffield was fitted with to protect his surgically repaired left foot.
“To go out there on a broken foot, that says a lot about a guy,” Bird said. “His shoe looked like a clown shoe. It was like a size 16 with all kinds of padding inside and stuff like that. So he is hobbling around.”
Winn, who is 6-foot-6 and more than 300 pounds, said his shoes aren’t as big as the special one Sheffield wore in last week’s practices and game. Nor as sophisticated.
“The amount of work and craftsmanship that went into that thing is awesome,” Winn said. “You have to see it in person, but the only way that I can explain it is ‘awesome.”’
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Delay of game penalty before Tech’s first play from scrimmage showed a “lack of effort” in my book.
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And realization of what’s going on. Maybe Leach should hire a coach to watch the play clock….since he’s too busy!
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Leach didn’t drop passes. You can’t blame him for everything…even though there are plenty of things to co plain about. Moving forward we need to get ready for ou. Move on…
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Yes K, but this is a job for Leach and is the one making millions per year (literally!)
The players are students first and young adults.
Need to keep things in perspective…
Yes on to OU, Wreck’Em Tech!
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Maybe this why OU or OSU did not recruit the young man. On the other hand, does this coach EVER have anything positive to say about one of his players?
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This Tech team has talent, but lacks three things, which are major contributors to inconsistency and lackadaisical performance.
1. Mature leadership
2 Team chemistry
3. Focus
Yes, injuries have also had an impact, but the three aforementioned areas lead to such problems Leach alluded to regarding Jeffers. I’ve also seen very poor route running by receivers causing no separation from defenders. Some of the QB problems are in reality receiver issues. This isn’t excusing poor QB play, but only that there is more than meets the eye with this team.
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I agree…. Leach doesn’t catch or drop any passes. Hopefully he will not allow a couple of the lazier receivers to suit up this week…. maybe send a strong message.
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Good post 86-88. Maybe Leach needs to take more management classes. He still hasn’t found a way to overcome these. Praise might work? Different strokes for different folks…
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I think to answer your question Forty Acres, Leach did praise his players when he first got here. I think he found they couldn’t handle the individual praises. He does praise his team periodically but he praises them as a whole.
I hope Tech does have that OU game last year etched in their mind and remember not to let up even for a second on Saturday. Score as many points as you can and often. Don’t let up on the pedal.
It’s kind of ironic, as our defense improves and seems to be playing well, our offense seems to have fallen off. Hopefully next year we can get both sides on the same page.
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ScarletBlack,
Your last sentence is right on the mark. I never would have believed that Tech could lose a game w/ OSU where OSU scored only 24 points, and only 17 of those were on the defense. Defense gave up 7 against Kansas and 10 agasinst Nebraska. They forgot to show up at the A&M game.
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listen to forty acres dogging leach. i bet you’ll never hear him complain about texas’ pathetic grad rates and the FACT that his nfl farm club program is bought and paid for as well…
ut-the best teams red mccombs can buy!!!
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And they get away with not playing OU at home (Big 12 should ban that and force teams to play at home&home). Not to mention erecting a wall at OSU which aftter they did they banned. Why didn’t they ban it before uT did it? Geez uT cheats every chance they get and most times gets away with it, though it might cost them a little $.
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TU will get theirs next year. They may get their little championship this year, but next year will be a rebuilding year for the Short Horns.
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