Assorted bowl possibilities and downer ending in ’08 give Raiders incentive
Beginning the week before Thanksgiving and continuing through the end of the season, a lot went wrong for Texas Tech in an otherwise glorious year in 2008.
There was a 65-21 loss to Oklahoma, a struggle to subdue Baylor, a Cotton Bowl defeat against Mississippi and perhaps most surprising of all, Red Raider stars Graham Harrell and Mike Crabtree left off the invitation list to the Heisman Trophy presentation ceremony.
For all the good that came from the 2008 season, the ending is not something the Red Raiders want to revisit — let alone replay this year.
“We always talk about finishing strong,’’ senior cornerback Jamar Wall said. “We didn’t finish as strong as we wanted to last year, but it’s a new year and so it’s what we focus on, just like the fourth quarter of a game. It’s like the fourth quarter of the season, last game before a bowl game.’’
Tech (7-4, 4-3 in the Big 12 Conference) ends the regular season at 5 p.m. today against Baylor (4-7, 1-6). The Raiders took a step in the right direction last week, slamming Oklahoma 41-13. Representatives of the Holiday and Alamo bowls scouted that game, and Cotton Bowl president Rick Baker said his bowl reps will be looking seriously at the Red Raiders today.
Texas Tech running back Baron Batch (25) and the Red Raiders' defense had a big day in last week's win over Oklahoma. Batch piledup 204 yards from scrimmage and the defense stymied the Sooners in a 41-13 Tech victory.
All those implications should give Tech players a reason to stay on point.
“It’s easy to get complacent late in the year, especially with a big victory over a good team like OU,’’ Tech deep snapper Austin Burns said. “We really wanted that game, and we went out there and played well. But that victory means nothing unless we go out and play well against Baylor.’’
Baylor gave Tech all it could handle in last year’s regular-season finale.
The Bears went into that one a four-win team, too, but took a two-touchdown lead in the second half before losing 35-28.
That afternoon in Lubbock, Baylor got 105 rushing yards from Jay Finley and 99 yards from quarterback Robert Griffin, boosting hopes for a bright 2009. But Griffin suffered a season-ending knee injury in September, Finley has been hobbled for much of the season by an ankle sprain, and the Bears missed being bowl eligible again.
Their chance at the postseason ended last week with a 38-3 loss to Texas A&M.
But center J.D. Walton said the Bears need to go out with a win for their 21 seniors and to boost the confidence of the team’s young players.
“Definitely it is going to be a huge game for us,’’ said Walton, who is one of the seniors. “(We) have to get rolling again, get people confident and excited about what is going to go on in the spring.’’
Minus Griffin and a healthy Finley, Baylor has had a rough go of it on offense, scoring 14 or fewer points in six of its seven conference games. But the Bears have done enough to get Tech’s attention with road victories this year at Wake Forest and Missouri.
“They never quit,’’ Wall said. “They come in with a good mindset that they can beat anyone. They have great athletes at every position — fast guys, speedy guys, guys who want to win — and with that mentality you can’t relax.’’
Freshman Nick Florence has started seven of the last eight games at quarterback, passing for almost 1,800 yards.
Much like last week before the Oklahoma game, Tech coach Mike Leach said he didn’t feel much for an opponent that had lost its starting
quarterback.
“I have no sympathy whatsoever,’’ Leach said. “I’ve played three guys (at quarterback).’’
Tech’s original starter, Taylor Potts, brought some stability back to the position last week, though, with a strong performance against Oklahoma.
Tech running back Baron Batch has been on a roll of late, setting career highs in rushing twice in the last three games. He ran for 123 yards and four touchdowns Oct. 31 against Kansas and for 136 yards and two TDs against Oklahoma.
“I thought Baron did a good job,’’ Leach said. “I can think of a cut or two that he missed, but I thought he ran tough and played behind his pads and kept his feet moving and all those things.’’
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Hey people it is time to move on!!!. Ever since I have been following your football program it is always reminiscing about one victory or wait till next year. Fact is tech is an average program that over achieved last year. In the top 40-50 football programs in the NCAA? Absolutely, but nowhere near what most fans think.
How ’bout Colt? Heisman? Absolutely!!!
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Hocus…
uh, what? youre a complete moron….go back to bed or go pick up the garbage….youre blog makes no sense….what about colt? go talk to some t-sips that give a sheeit….
LOSER
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And who are you to say you know what’s best about tech football if you have just reciently been following it? This article never mentioned one thing about ut you loser. If colt gets the heisman with his 50 INT’s, then this award has lost it’s luster and is pre-determined from the first of the year.. He can have it. I just can’t wait till he gets his clocked cleaned by NFL linebackers if he is not sitting the bench. If tech is such a below average program then how come you guys get so fired up to play us each year? Can’t have it both ways. Tech is either a nobody school or a worthy opponet. The fact still remains that ut won’t get any real respect until they stop living in the memory of vince young. Who’s living in the past again? Since the big 12 is down this year this is your chance to finally win a big 12 championship and get smoked by Alabama. Thus you can go put on that 2005 shirt again. What a loser…..
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I still remember the look on Colt’s face after getting beat last year by the average program in Lubbock
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It is funny to see T-shirt T-Sip fans come over here and talk. Probably just taking a break from the cotton harvest.
They must be worried about us. They are probably already thinking about next year having to come to Lubbock, where they will buy more Longhorn T-shirts at Dollar General.
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Tech is considered a top progam now,
Colt will not win the heisman, he is not the bet QB in the Texas, let alone the Nation.
Go Raiders!!! Go Huskers!!!!
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Baylor hung with us very well last year in Lubbock. Historically we don’t play well on the road. We’d better watch our p’s and q’s or Baylor might rise up and smite us.
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I think the Houston qb (Kenum) is much better than “Colt”
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for such a dominant program, texas a and m sure gave it to you —-texas suxs…. of coarse you got your big 12 payoff calls during the game by the refs….we at tech know how that song and dance.
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agreee
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Why do we even bother responding to UT “fans” who want to tear down Tech? If TTU were not on the rise, an increasing threat, and slowly stealing UT’s and TAMU’s spotlights, then why would their fans come to our site and to talk smack?
The Red Raiders will stomp the Bears today (Bless their hearts!) and I think that the Raiders will make a good case for the Cotton Bowl if the Cowboys win in Norman. TTU gave UT all that it could handle in Austin with such a “stellar” team and the “awesome” Colt McCoy and this team has beaten Kansas, Nebraska, OU this year, all of which have been ranked in the top 20 at some point. The Red Raiders are for real, and if they keep working, focusing on each play until the end of the fourth quarter, they will annihilate the Bears and win their bowl game…I just hope its the Cotton Bowl against LSU. Now that would be a great end to the season. WRECK’EM TECH!
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I hope we do win this game easily but this game makes me nervous. Baylor has nothing to lose and will come at us with everything they have. If we’re not careful, this could turn out to be another Texas A&M.
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