Raiders get ready to move preparations to Alamo City

By Don Williams on December 22nd, 2009 View Comments Printer-Friendly

Texas Tech’s work on the home front is almost done.

Receiver B.J. Cunningham (3) is one of several Michigan State players who are suspended and won't play in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 in San Antonio.

The Red Raiders’ Alamo Bowl preparation in Lubbock concludes with one practice today, the last before players break from Wednesday through Sunday. Tech coach Mike Leach said he hasn’t been displeased with what he’s seen as the team worked around the final exam period that ended Wednesday.

“I think pretty good,” Leach said of the preparation. “We’ll see how everybody did on finals, but we’ve had pretty enthusiastic work. I think it’s gone pretty well.”

Tech (8-4) and Michigan State (6-6) square off at 8 p.m. Jan. 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Red Raiders will go to San Antonio on Monday and have their first on-site practice that evening on the campus of Incarnate Word, where all their pre-bowl workouts will be conducted.

Since Tech learned its Alamo Bowl opponent two weeks ago, the most significant development on the Raiders’ end was Leach’s early announcement that he’d go with Taylor Potts at quarterback. That headed off any speculation about whether Potts, who started nine games, or Steven Sheffield, who had the hot hand in three mid-season victories, would get the call.

Leach shuffled quarterbacks in games eight through 10, then settled on Potts in the last two games of the regular season – victories over Oklahoma and Baylor on Nov. 21 and Nov. 28.

“He’s played well, and at some point we need to get consistent at that position,” Leach said. “He’s played real well down the stretch, so we’re going to put the reps in him and let him play the best he can. He played real good against Oklahoma, and I thought he played well against Baylor.

“I don’t think we played well as an offense against Baylor (in a 20-13 win). I thought he did. He didn’t have a lot of help.”

Tech’s relatively quiet last few weeks is a contrast to the goings-on at Michigan State, where the Detroit Free Press reported Monday that nine players have been arraigned on assault-related charges stemming from a Nov. 22 campus brawl.

Leach said he’s skeptical the player suspensions will have a major negative impact.

“I don’t care about all that,” Leach said. “They suspended 10 players, of which none of them even played hardly, and so that’s totally irrelevant. They’re a real good Big Ten football team.”

It was pointed out to Leach that two of the Spartans’ top three receivers were among the players suspended by MSU coach Mark Dantonio. Those two, B.J. Cunningham and Mark Dell, caught 48 passes for 641 yards and four touchdowns and 26 passes for 449 yards and one TD, respectively.

“One of them was decent,” Leach said, “and here’s the other thing: A lot of times there’s addition by subtraction. You get rid of somebody that doesn’t do the right thing, it helps your team. It doesn’t hurt your team.”

A depth chart that Michigan State released Friday had sophomore Brad Sonntag and redshirt freshman Milton Colbert as top backups at split end and flanker. Neither has caught a pass this season.

In any event, the Spartans still have the combo of sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins, who operated the Big Ten’s top passing offense, and senior wide receiver Blair White, who was first-team all-Big Ten with stats similar to what Alex Torres, Tech’s leading receiver, produced.

The incident that brought the Spartans so much bad publicity came the day after their worst loss, a 42-14 home defeat to Penn State in the regular-season finale. Other than that, the Spartans lost two games by eight points each and three by three points or fewer.

“They’re an athletic team with good players who run around well,” Leach said. “When they play together, they play real well, because they’ve been a real explosive team. Their worst games were close, and their good games they got after people. There’s some they would like to have over, but I think they’re a real good team.”

To comment on this story:

don.williams@lubbockonline.com l 766-8734

courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735

TEXAS TECH/Leach is pleased with team’s practices so far

Diploma day

According to the Texas Tech athletic department, seven Tech football players graduated in December: cornerbacks Brent Nickerson and Nathan Stone, offensive linemen Chris Olson, Brandon Carter and Shawn Byrnes, defensive tackle Victor Hunter and former safety LaShawn Vation.

Vation was forced to give up football mid-career, but by staying in school and completing his degree, he will help Tech’s percentage in graduation-rate reports.

Olson, who graduated in 31/2 years, has a season of eligibility left.

Compiled by Don Williams

  • DallasRaider

    Its good to see Leach is still focussed on the matter at hand. We need to destroy Michigan State. We have everything in our favor and we can’t get complaicent! Championship teams have a “killer instict”. Tech has a really good shot at a Big 12 and even National Championship next year if we can finish this year strong and have a good foundation of confidence going into the 2010 season…

    Report this comment

  • Watchdog113

    And we are playing the Spartans why? Minnesota would have been the better game. They are really upset about us “stealing” the game a few years ago.

    Report this comment

  • Caleb

    Coach Leach wants to get consistent on the QB position and has gone with Potts. I am disappointed, because I was really looking forward to seeing Sticks take the helm next year. He was amazing mid-season, and if he had that much more practice after healing, I thought our team could win, at least, the Big 12 championship next year, especially with the team were gonna have next year.

    Quite sad indeed.

    Report this comment

  • cousins851

    Watchdog113: Michigan State is not a bad team. you are acting as if you shouldnt be playing michigan state. and you want to play minnesota? fine. just know that michigan state’s game against minnesota was blown by 3 bad calls from the ref. and im not joking either. if you think this is some spartan fan looking for excuses its really not. Michigan State is a much better team than their record shows. if you did not read correctly and did the addition correctly 5 of our losses were by i think 21 points. in other words, had 1 play gone the other way in each of those games, the spartans could easily be 11-1. and i think i forgot to mention we replaced a senior quarterback even though i know cousins is an upgrade over hoyer. and then we replaced javon fricken ringer with 4 FRESHMAN runningbacks. so quit acting like you are playing such a bad team. you should be happy your team is in a bowl game. quit whining.

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  • tbone0103

    well said cousins… there are many faithful red raiders with good intentions that dont know how dumb they sound sometimes!!!! the guys calling for a blowout are the same guys that will call for leach’s job if tech loses… most are way out of touch with reality and dont realize how lucky tech is with their fortunes of having leach and being as successful as we have been lately. it is great to expect greatness, but we need to keep it within reason!! there is a reason the tech/ut game was one of the hugest upsets and greatest games of all time last year….. (IT WAS A HUGE UPSET) Tech has a long way to go financially and until big brothers A&M and UT give up some of the state money and oil money they are getting(taking) every year, we will always be a little brother….. and in big 12 terms(Neb, OU, A&M, and UT) they get more money!!! better facilities, better coaches, reload faster, recover faster!!

    Report this comment

  • Watchdog113

    hum 1 play in each of the Tech games and we would only have 1 loss too. A$M being the exception.

    Gloden Gophers vs. Texas Tech Part 2. What were they thinking….

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  • Watchdog113

    tbone0103 you sound and type like a country hick. Are you a t-sipper? or a spartan?

    Report this comment

  • BIG12 RULES

    cousins851 said:
    Watchdog113: Michigan State is not a bad team. you are acting as if you shouldnt be playing michigan state. and you want to play minnesota? fine. just know that michigan state’s game against minnesota was blown by 3 bad calls from the ref. and im not joking either. if you think this is some spartan fan looking for excuses its really not. Michigan State is a much better team than their record shows. if you did not read correctly and did the addition correctly 5 of our losses were by i think 21 points. in other words, had 1 play gone the other way in each of those games, the spartans could easily be 11-1. and i think i forgot to mention we replaced a senior quarterback even though i know cousins is an upgrade over hoyer. and then we replaced javon fricken ringer with 4 FRESHMAN runningbacks. so quit acting like you are playing such a bad team. you should be happy your team is in a bowl game. quit whining.

    Sounds like a Spartans Fan

    “Should be glad your team is in a bowl game” Tech has been in many more consecutive bowl games then MSU. The only whining around here is that we are not in a BCS Bowl. Tech is going to destroy MSU. Tech will have over 600 yards of offense when it is all said and done. There is no way that MSU’s poor pass defense will be able to cope with Tech’s passing sceme. With the combination of Tech’s superior passing game and their good running game I would be a little concerned if I were you. Just ask OU. Keep the rest of your team out of jail so that we will have a game to play.

    Wreckem Tech

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  • 86raider88

    Cousins851,

    Your are spot on. This should be a good game, and I believe MSU will surprise many Red Raider folks. Many knuckle head, never played the game, Red Raiders were talking smack about the A&M game after Tech smashed KSU and KSU demolished A&M. …and then A&M put it to us and good.

    If the Tech team that played NM, A&M, OSU and Baylor shows up; MSU wins.

    If, on the other hand, the Tech team that played, KSU, NU & OU shows up; Tech wins.

    What will determine which team shows up? It won’t be Taylor Potts. The last 3 games I noticed him beginning to establish a rhythm and believe he will carry that into the Alamo Bowl. It will be the o-line play and receivers route discipline. All year, as a group, Tech receivers ran undisciplined routes and took too long to find open grass/turf, not to mention dropped passes.

    All you Spartan fans, enjoy the mild weather in San Antonio and safe travels.

    Guns Ups Tech!!!!

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  • BIG12 RULES

    tbone0103 said:
    well said cousins… there are many faithful red raiders with good intentions that dont know how dumb they sound sometimes!!!! the guys calling for a blowout are the same guys that will call for leach’s job if tech loses… most are way out of touch with reality and dont realize how lucky tech is with their fortunes of having leach and being as successful as we have been lately. it is great to expect greatness, but we need to keep it within reason!! there is a reason the tech/ut game was one of the hugest upsets and greatest games of all time last year….. (IT WAS A HUGE UPSET) Tech has a long way to go financially and until big brothers A&M and UT give up some of the state money and oil money they are getting(taking) every year, we will always be a little brother….. and in big 12 terms(Neb, OU, A&M, and UT) they get more money!!! better facilities, better coaches, reload faster, recover faster!!

    You have been identified as the tee shirt wearing, tea sipping fan that you are. Yes, Im calling you out Longhorn fan. The Tech win over UT last year was not a fluke. We should have never let them back in the game. They caught Tech with the help of a missed blatent illegal block during a punt return. Only a UT fan would call it a huge upset. As for being A&m’s little brother. I dont think so. We are almost even in series wins and losses, and we have owned them since before the inception of the BIG12. Better coaches? Imagine what Leach could do with UT’s talent. Mac Brown is a product of the UT tendency to attract blue chips. The $5 mill paycheck is a joke. A&M’s coach???. Recover faster? A&M ??????? Here is a little fact for you tea sipper: Tech does more with less then any other team in the BIG12, and most other teams in the NCAA. I could not be prouder to be a Tech fan. The Red Raider Nation is alive and well. We have some big time talent coming in next year, especially on defense. We will continue to be a force to be wreckoned with.

    Get our of hear tee shirt fan

    Wreckem Tech

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  • ut_prospector

    If tUt cannot defeat this team(half of the players in jail) they should be banished from the Big 12.

    Go big 12, GO HORNS!!!!!!!!!

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  • ut_prospector

    big 12 rules: quit whining, yes you all won last year. big deal, move on, next year you all will probably still be talking about the catch. who cares.

    have to split, on my way to UT for the ball game, I be on tv, saying hi!!!!

    Bevo wishes you all merry Christmas and a good cotton crop.

    Report this comment

  • Mike

    I for one would rather play Michigan State than Minnesota. They are the better team.

    prospector, you have no room to talk about players being arrested!

    Wreck ‘em Tech!

    Report this comment

  • cousins851

    ut_protector: why does everyone bash on michigan state? i mean honestly. they dont have anyone in jail anyways. they have 11 players suspended. 2 of our best receivers. there will only be two in jail and those two werent even important. and second of all its not like michigan state is the only school out there facing the law. look at florida and dunlap. you are making it sound like michigan state is known for having scrubs in jail. we are NOT miami (fl). you guys really need to learn how to show some respect for your opponent. next year we will finally have all of dantonios recruits in and i bet we make it to a BCS game. we have the best quarterback in the big ten returning (cousins) and all of our runningbacks returning and they can only get better. we have like our whole defense returning. so really michigan state is headed in the right direction. and you guys need to learn how to accept that.

    Report this comment

  • Watchdog113

    How’s the food at county lock-up. On TV yeah on MSNBC’s weekend lock-up show! Ha!

    Ut the place for ultimate transgressors.

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  • ut_prospector

    cousin 851- your in texas…no love when we square off. You, like tech has many, many times before, will taste the bitter drink of defeat tonight!!!

    oh yea, the tide will meet the same fate…defeat and humiliation!!!!

    Report this comment

  • Mike

    not that I particularly like alabama, but ut is going to get donkey stomped by the tide.

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  • cousins851

    ut prospector: im not saying fall in love with michigan state. im saying quit taking shots about them when you dont have much room to talk. if you wanna talk about football fine. talk about football. dont go after players criminal records and what not. every school has those problems with the law. bash our defense. our defense blows. they are terrible. when you have the best offense in the big ten you should at LEAST win 10 games. but we didnt. because our defense couldnt make the stop when it needed to. so once again, lets talk about football. and talking about football. i will once again state, that yes, texas tech will probably win you know, i have no problem admitting that. but saying you would rather play minnesota is just a joke. i dont think you were the one who said they would rather play florida. but watchdog did. and thats just stupid. because minnesota has a WORSE offense and a WORSE defense than michigan state. and if any of you had watched the msu minnesota game you would have realize that michigan state is the better team. all im saying, is that texas tech may not want to get so far ahead of themselves and count sparty out. we are a very explosive team.

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  • cousins851

    and also, for you longhorn fans out there. big game tonight Texas vs Michigan State. should be a good one. and if sparty wins this game prospector, you better believe that im gonna rub this in for the crap you have been saying about msu. so really i guess with the fact that you made fun of msu, if they beat texas tonight, you are making your school look bad.

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  • BIG12 Rules

    ut_prospector said:
    big 12 rules: quit whining, yes you all won last year. big deal, move on, next year you all will probably still be talking about the catch. who cares.

    have to split, on my way to UT for the ball game, I be on tv, saying hi!!!!

    Bevo wishes you all merry Christmas and a good cotton crop.

    Hey tea sipper,

    There was no mention of the Catch last year until a tee shirt fan trying to claim he was a Tech fan brought it up. You tea sippers just cant get over it huh. Its going to take a lot longer to get over what Bama’s going to do to you.

    Eat more beef

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  • BIG12 Rules

    cousins851 said:
    and also, for you longhorn fans out there. big game tonight Texas vs Michigan State. should be a good one. and if sparty wins this game prospector, you better believe that im gonna rub this in for the crap you have been saying about msu. so really i guess with the fact that you made fun of msu, if they beat texas tonight, you are making your school look bad.

    Im by no means a Longhorn fan, but there is no way MSU is going to beat TU in basketball. It will not be a good one unless your a TU fan.

    Report this comment

  • cousins851

    BIG 12: we will see about that. 5 minutes till game time. so we’ll see.

    Report this comment

  • BIG12 Rules

    cousins851 said:
    ut_protector: why does everyone bash on michigan state? i mean honestly. they dont have anyone in jail anyways. they have 11 players suspended. 2 of our best receivers. there will only be two in jail and those two werent even important. and second of all its not like michigan state is the only school out there facing the law. look at florida and dunlap. you are making it sound like michigan state is known for having scrubs in jail. we are NOT miami (fl). you guys really need to learn how to show some respect for your opponent. next year we will finally have all of dantonios recruits in and i bet we make it to a BCS game. we have the best quarterback in the big ten returning (cousins) and all of our runningbacks returning and they can only get better. we have like our whole defense returning. so really michigan state is headed in the right direction. and you guys need to learn how to accept that.

    You have your whole defense returning. You better hope your not playing any pass happy programs like Tech. Face it, your currently a 6 and 6 team, and thats the way it is. Your fixing to get a taste of some good old fashin Texas Hospitality. Learn how to except that? MSU was off the radar until the campus brawl. Who exactly is MSU other the the school which Magic Johnson attended? Why werent the two in jail important? Were they making good grades? Do you place all importance on your best football players? You are right about one thing, you are no Miame (Not even this year).

    Remember the Alamo !!!

    Wreckem Tech

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  • tbone0103

    hey…big 12 rules…. i am not a tshirt ut fan!!!

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  • BIG12 RULES

    cousins851 said:
    BIG 12: we will see about that. 5 minutes till game time. so we’ll see.

    Hey Cuz,

    Nuff said huh? Bet we dont hear from him for a while.

    Report this comment

  • tbone0103

    these guys crack me up!!! I am a Tech Alum 2 times!!!! again….if you expanded your small heads to look at the big picture of what is going on you would realize that tech isnt on the same playing field as (i will stay in texas to not comfuse anyone) A&M and Texas….. They get tons and tons of more money than Tech does!!!! A&M has historically been better than Texas Tech year in and year out!!! The series as i recall is pretty close to .500. But that is Tech winning 11 of the last 14 or something like that….. A&M’s other sports are a lot better than ours and they have more of them!!! thanks in part to title IX. I hate A&M as much as the next guy but I also know my place and the many obstacles tech has to overcome to be on the same playing field academically and athletically as A&M. With that being said, Tech does so much more with what they have!!!!! I agree 100%!!! but dont say they will never be back!!!! They repeatedly get better recruiting classes year in and year out!!! All of hte same can be said for UT as well!!! only they own the head to head series in football!!! Tech is rebuilding in every sport for the last 10 yrs!!!! We had one great year and many good yrs in football!!! I am just saying it is what it is!!!! Your rose colored glasses dont change the facts!!!! I hate that UT guys get on our websites!!! but dont get too confident!!!!! they(UT and A&M) are as good as they are across the board athletically and academically from the high powered alum they have in high places and the loads of money they get from west texas oil!!!! That cant be denied!!! Tech is making great strides and I am proud to say I am a Red Raider!!!! But keep it within reason!!!!

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  • John

    Cousins851, it would be a huge mistake for any Tech fan to count sparty out. I realize Mich State is a very explosive team and is capable of putting up points. Plus, this is a bowl game, the stakes are much higher. Upsets happen all the time during bowl season. Here’s hoping for a good, clean, injury-free game! Safe travels if you are going to SA.

    Go Raiders

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  • tbone0103

    Agree 100% … thanks john

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  • John

    tbone0103, I call b.s. on you being a Tech alum or fan. No true Raider would say some of the things you did.

    Report this comment

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