Someone told Mike Leach this week a perception exists that Texas Tech doesn’t play its best football in games that start before noon. The Texas Tech coach told the fellow what he could do with that perception.

“Some of those wins we had last year happened pretty early,’’ Leach said. “That’s probably a stupid perception.’’

Leach

The truth is, Leach might be right. The Red Raiders have won seven of their last nine games that kicked off before noon, a trend they’ll try to continue when they host Oklahoma at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The 7-2 mark since early 2004 is after Leach won none of his first five, so his Tech teams are now 7-7 in pre-noon starts.

The view that brunch with the Raiders is a bad proposition might be because a 31-26 loss to Colorado two years ago sticks out as a dud of a day at the stadium — and some chalked it up to the 11 a.m. start.

The perception might also be fueled by Tech having posted some of its most impressive victories this decade in nighttime home games. That’s when Tech’s rowdy student crowd seems to be most revved up and most populous.

Interestingly enough, Leach says that’s not the time he’d choose to play.

“I think the best time is 2 or 3 (p.m.),’’ he said. “Somewhere between 1 and 3 is the best time to play the games. Your day flows about right. You get up at about the right time. Everything’s just a smooth transition. Then you get in there, you play it, and you have time to watch some film on the next one afterwards.’’

The Red Raiders eat their pre-game meal four hours before kickoff, which means at 7:30 a.m. this week. Then they’ll have meetings and walk-throughs at their hotel before busing to the stadium.

Such an early start didn’t keep Tech from clobbering a ranked Kansas team 63-21 last year. Nor did it stop the Raiders from smashing Kansas State 59-20 in 2005, a game in which Dwayne Slay unleashed a memorable hit on KSU quarterback Allan Evridge.

The defense was also dialed up for an 11 a.m. kickoff against Oklahoma in 2005. They held Sooners star Adrian Peterson to 56 yards rushing through three quarters and still won 23-21 after Peterson made some noise in the fourth.

But for the good wins in morning starts, there’s also that Colorado game in 2007 and a 62-31 shellacking at Missouri in 2003.

“I think it’s just kind of a copout if you use it,’’ Tech inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley said. “I can think of several good night home games we’ve had, but I can think of us going to Kansas last year, playing an early game, and playing well.’’

Riley said early kickoffs can be a benefit in the sense that players have no down time to kill the way they do for a night game, when they have all day to think about it. But he also acknowledges that there’s a body-clock adjustment since the Raiders’ normal practice time is late afternoon.

“I think all of a sudden, when you’ve got to do something early in the morning, there’s an adjustment,’’ he said. “It’s just those guys being mature and handling it, understanding they have to get their mind right and get everything going before an early kickoff.’’

One thing’s for sure: In an era in which television networks dictate many start times, the Raiders get to experience and adjust to a variety.

“Used to be, the traditional college time to play games was between 1 and 3,’’ Leach said. “Now it ranges from that to Thursday at 9 and stuff like that. I don’t know; we played a bunch of (early starts) last year. Playing at 11:30, we’re not exactly parting the Red Sea here, ya know?’’

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Up (or down) early
Under Mike Leach, Texas Tech is 7-7 in football games that start before noon, although the Red Raiders have reversed a trend the last six years.

2008
Won at Kansas 63-21 (11 a.m.)
Won at Texas A&M 43-25 (11 a.m.)
2007
Lost to Colorado 31-26 (11 a.m.)
2006
Won vs. Baylor 55-21 (11 a.m.)
2005
Lost to Alabama 13-10 (Cotton Bowl, 10 a.m.)
2004
Won vs. TCU 70-35 (11:30 a.m.)
Lost at Oklahoma 28-13 (11:30 a.m.)
2003
Lost at North Carolina State 49-21 (11 a.m.)
Lost at Missouri 62-31 (11:30 a.m.)
2002
Lost vs. North Carolina State 51-48 in OT (11:30 a.m.)
2001
No morning kickoffs.
2000
Lost at Texas A&M 33-15 (11:30 a.m.)

High Noon
Tech is 10-4 under Mike Leach in games that start between noon and 1:30 p.m. The breakdown:
2009
No games scheduled during that time.
2008
Lost to Mississippi 47-34 (Cotton Bowl, 1:15 p.m.)
2007
Won vs. Virginia 31-28 (Gator Bowl, noon CST)
2006
Won vs. Oklahoma State 30-24 (1 p.m.)
2005
Lost at Oklahoma State 24-17 (1 p.m.)
2004
Won vs. Baylor 42-17 (1 p.m.)
2003
No games scheduled during that time.
2002
Lost at Ohio State 45-21 (1:30 p.m.)
Won at Texas A&M 48-47 (1 p.m.)
Lost at Colorado 37-13 (12:30 p.m. CST)
Won at Baylor 62-11 (1 p.m.)
Won vs. Oklahoma State 49-24 (1 p.m.)
2001
Won vs. Texas A&M 12-0 (1 p.m.)
Won at Oklahoma State 49-30 (1 p.m.)
Won vs. Stephen F. Austin 58-3 (1 p.m.)
2000
Won at Kansas 45-39 (1 p.m.)