Every Texas Tech fan is waiting, hoping, and praying for the next Michael Crabtree to show up at the Jones this fall.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news; he's not in Lubbock and won't be this year.
However, that doesn't mean that the Air Raid isn't going to just as much of a nightmare for opposing coaches as it was with No. 5 in the lineup.
In fact, one could easily make the case that this is the most talented crop of pass catchers that Capt. Leach has ever put on the field.
Yesterday, I mentioned true freshman Eric Ward. He is a four-star recruit that was committed to Oklahoma before switching to Texas Tech. We are still 10 days away from the North Dakota game but it looks like he might be redshirted.
Think back to 2005. At that time it was inconceivable to think that the Red Raiders would be in a position talent-wise to redshirt an elite prospect, much less one who plays wide receiver.
Back to what you can expect to see this fall.
The Air Raid will again feature a QB that passes for 4,000+ yards. It will again feature eight or nine guys that catch 15 or more balls, gaining 100+ yards, and scoring at least one touchdown.
However, don't expect to see Detron Lewis or Ed Britton grabbing 95 balls for 1,110 yards and 12 TD's. They simply are not the difference makers that Crabtree was.
Nobody on this roster (or any other roster in FBS except for maybe Julio Jones) should be expected to deliver a Crabtree-esque performance.
I see the 2009 edition of the Air Raid being a virtual mirror of the 2005 group. Four players catching between 65 and 75 passes, scoring five touchdowns each, and collectively gaining over 3,000 yards.
If you want a sleeper to watch this fall, then check out Lyle Leong. He and Taylor Potts were arguably the most dynamic QB/WR duo in Texas HS Football in 2004 and 2005. Leong was 1st Team All-State and averaged 22 yards per catch as a senior at Abilene High.
Oh and one other thing...
The Crabtree 2.0 starter kit is on his way to Lubbock. His name is Kadron Boone of Ocala, Fla., and he will be in Lubbock June 1, 2010. Stay tuned...
I'm glad you asked...the answer is not only yes but ABSOLUTELY YES!!! Mike Leach hauled in arguably his most talented recruiting class to date (the 2010 class might just take that title if it continues developing) and we can expect to see quite a few of these newbies playing meaningful snaps this fall.
Pearlie Graves - This beast of a DT was one of the great surprises of Tech's 2009 recruiting class. Considered a long shot at best just a few days before National Signing Day, Graves faxed in his letter of intent to the Red Raiders early in the day and provided one of the biggest surprises of NSD. Since arriving in Lubbock in June, Graves has made an impression first in the weight room and now on the practice field during fall camp. We aren't totally sure just how much PT Graves will see this fall but he's likely the 5th or 6th DT in the rotation if they are going to skip a redshirt. His progression is especially important now that Rajon Henley is moving to DE this season. If Tech's defense is going to perform close to last year's squad, keeping a fresh DLine is essential and Graves will play a key role in ensuring that the drop off is minimal (if non-existent) when Whitlock, Jones, etc comes off the field. Expect 5-8 snaps/game.
D.J. Johnson - It's not every day that you see a kid go from playing private HS ball to earning playing time as a true freshman on a Big 12 team but that's exactly what D.J. Johnson has done. Every indication is that he will be in the rotation at CB behind Wall, Moore, etc. Expect 9-12 snaps/game.
Eric Ward - Another steal in recruiting, Ward quietly enrolled at Texas Tech last January after committing to Oklahoma. He showed flashes of greatness in the spring but also has a big learning curve to crack the two deep at wideout. While Tech would prefer to not play him, nothing definite has been announced so as I write this Ward is still in contention for the last outside WR spot with Rashad Hawk. If it were up to me, I'd rather see Ward get 5-10 snaps/game instead of hoping that Hawk will finally figure it out this fall. I hate throwing around the word upside...but Ward has it and Hawk hasn't shown anything to make one think that he's on the verge of a breakout season. Also, Ward can contribute on special teams. Expect 15-20 catches, 250 yards, and 3 TD's along with spot work at kick returner
Terrance Bullitt/Daniel Cobb/Will Ford - I'm lumping these three guys together. They are all similar in size, speed, and Rivals rating as recruits. It looks like two of the three will play. Early indications were that it would be Cobb and Ford but Coach Ruff said yesterday after practice that he can comfortably announce that Bullitt and Ford will not be redshirted. He did not make any mention of Cobb. Regardless of who plays this fall, I like the fact that these guys are in the running for playing time right out of the gate. It tells me that 1) Tech is upgrading in talent on the defensive side of the ball and 2) that Ruff is going to put the best players on the field whether that are true freshman or 5th year seniors. Expect 15-18 snaps/game for each player that doesn't redshirt.
Eric Stephens - I tabbed Eric as the star of the recruiting class back in February and he appears to be all that and more so far. When Baron Batch went down with an injury, it gave Stephens the opportunity to take first team reps in practice and he has made the most of his opportunity. If nothing else, he's demonstrated that he's a viable backup to Batch and Jeffers (instead of Crawford being the 3rd man) and that he just might be the best punt returner on the roster. While it would be great to redshirt him, it doesn't look like that luxury is available with Batch's injury history and Crawford unable to consistently practice w/o having to wear a no-contact jersey. This doesn't mean that I think he's going to start taking significant carries away from Batch or Jeffers...but he'll get more than was originally planned. Expect 25-30 carries, 10 receptions, 300 total yards, and at least 2 jaw dropping TD's. He will also see time at punt returner.
I'm alive and (more importantly) Flags Over Raiderland is making a return appearance to the Tech County blogosphere. Here is the preseason blog schedule leading up to the start of the 2009 season next Saturday (we're going to ignore the spare schedule of games on Thursday and Friday unless you really want to get my thoughts on ND State @ Iowa State or USC @ NC State).
August 25 - Who are the true freshman that will play this fall? August 26 - Will we see a Crabtree 2.0 or a more balanced receiving corps? August 27 - Who replaces Brandon Williams and McKinner Dixon? August 28 - Who fills the CB spot opposite Jamar Wall? August 29 - How will the reloaded OL look and play in 2009? August 30 - What should you expect from Taylor Potts? August 31 - Will the 2009 run game resemble that of 2008 or 2006? September 1 - Who will come out of nowhere (non-freshman) to make an impact? September 2 - Which ranked team(s) will Tech upset this fall? September 3 - Off, Def, ST, Frosh, and Coach MVP's for 2009 September 4 - 2009 Season Prediction September 5 - Week 1 Picks ATS
Well my day is pretty much over at 9:30 (at least the work part of it) so I thought I'd do a little wrap up on recruiting.
Star of the class: A lot of people will point towards 4 Star DT Pearlie Graves as the biggest get for the Red Raiders. However, I'm going to go in another direction and take Eric Stephens, RB Mansfield Timberview. Initially committed to Minnesota, Stephens spent a long time looking at Tech (including multiple visits to Lubbock) before finally switching to the good guys after the Texas game. The reason I'm excited about him is that the pipeline at running back is WELL stocked for the next few years with Batch, Jeffers, and now Stephens. As we all saw this year, the emergence of the running game in the Air Raid had as much to do with this team's success as anything else. Stephens is rated by Rivals as the 3rd best RB in space and ESPN notes that he's arguably the most elusive back in this country this year with an ability to reach top speed in a few steps. Most importantly, he is by all accounts a great character kid who takes care of himself in the class and will represent Texas Tech very well. If the Red Raiders are to continue having 10 win seasons in the future, Eric Stephens will be a big reason for that success.
Sleeper of the Class:Derrick Mays, ATH Killeen Shoemaker. I debated whether to put him here or at Immediate Impact because there's a VERY good chance that Mays is on the field come August. He has low 4.4 speed and runs a sub 21 second 200m dash. If there's one thing that this team is missing...it's speed across the field (see Ole Miss game for further explanation). While Mays will likely end up playing CB in a few years for Tech, expect to see him returning kicks and punts in 2009 along with the occassional designed play for him on offense. Leach showed some wrinkles last year (Crabtree and EMo taking snaps, Harrell running a zone read, the play action pass to the FB in goalline situations) so I wouldn't put it past him to find a way to get the ball in the hands of Mays next year.
Immediate Impact: One player is already on campus as a spring enrollee and that is Eric Ward, WR Wichita Falls Rider. Ward literally jumped ship on the Sooners at the 11th hour, visiting and subsequently enrolling at Texas Tech in a matter of a few days as classes were starting back up this semester. Not only is Ward the highest rated WR of this class, he is already working out with the team and learning the various receiver roles in Leach's scheme. Expect to see him take over the H slot formerly filled by Amendola and Morris and bring a new level of athleticism to the position that hasn't been there in previous years.
Biggest Project:Myles Wade, DT unattached. Hard to think that I could label a guy that was an Army All-American and Rivals 100 member in 2007 as a "project." For those who aren't familiar with Mr. Wade, you are truly missing out an inspirational story of a young man that's already dealt with a lot in his life. Committed to Oregon out of high school, he was unable to qualify and Oregon placed him at a JUCO in Yuma, AZ. However, after playing there in 2007, Wade was then asked to sit out of competitive football in 2008 so as to preserve his eligibility (he has 3 years to play 3) for his eventual return to Oregon He spent the fall at a local college going to school and working out every day at 6AM with a trainer while also taking care of his terminally ill mother (she passed away in late December I believe). Unfortunately, Mike Bellotti and his staff pulled the plug on Myles this fall and said that he was no longer a fit for their program. Enter Coach Ruff and Texas Tech. They started talking with Myles and finding out that this is a kid who has done everything that's been asked of him in hopes of getting to the Division 1 level. Myles finally decided to visit in late January. After he left Lubbock, Ruff and Leach practically followed him back up to Portland to meet his father and sister. After a lengthy and emotional in-home visit, Myles committed to Texas Tech. I for one will be rooting like hell for this kid to make it. He's been through a lot to get to where he is today and it's hard not to applaud a kid for doing everything possible to improve his situation despite the obstacles that kept piling up in front of him.
Now that you've read his story...let me state the obvious for why I listed him as the biggest project. Yes he's got plenty of rust that he's going to have to work off before he'll be ready to play Big 12 football (insert Dan Hawkins voice.) However, he's my "biggest project" because if and when he gets to Lubbock, gets fully qualified, and gets himself adjusted to football at the highest collegiate level, he gives the Red Raiders an explosiveness on the interior d-line that they've never had before. Combined with Pearlie Graves, they could form one of the most formidable run stopping duos in the conference for the next few years.
Don't Get Too Excited:James Scott, LB Coldspring (HS), TX. While he certainly passes the eye test at 6'3" 220" w/ 4.5 speed and the limited footage on him is very impressive...he's got a long ways to go before he'll qualify. It's likely that Tech will place him in a JUCO and keep in touch with him for the next two years and try to get him in the fold after that.
Glad to be back in the world of blogging...have a good weekend everybody!
Last weekend was rough...but at least it was quick and painless. Last week was 5-2 so I'm now at 30-20 ATS. Time to finish up the regular season on a winning note:
Virginia Tech 21 Virginia 24 (+7 or maybe even the +250 if you're feeling crazy!!!)
I've got 30 minutes or so until I hit the road for the land of boomer. I won't lie...I was up until 3, I was dreaming about the game tonight, and I woke up more anxious than I've been since I proposed to my fiancee a year ago. Ok...enough about me. Time to make some picks. I'm now at 25-18 so a winning week would be very nice heading towards the bowl season next month.
Kirk and Lee think that Jamar Wall's play tonight against Iglesias and Johnson will go a long way in determining the outcome of this one. Oklahoma wins the toss and elects to receive...here we go from Norman!
- Iglesias returns the opening kick to the 25 where he's met by Taylor Charbonnet. - On 3rd and short, Marlon Williams sneaks through the line and brings down Murray a yard shy of the first down line.
- After a 9 yd punt return by Eric Morris, Texas Tech takes over at their own 36 yd line. - On 3rd and 4, Harrell finds Lyle Leong over the middle for a first down inside OU territory. - On 1st and 10 from the 30, Alexander blows past Rylan Reed and gets to Harrell for the first sack of the game. - 2nd and 10 from the 16, Harrell finds Morris behind the secondary but he can't quite haul the ball in for a touchdown.
- On 3rd down, they throw the fade to Britton on the wide side of the field...he out jumps his defender and comes down in the endzone. Touchdown Red Raiders!!!
Texas Tech 7 Oklahoma 0 9:32 1st Quarter
- 2nd and 3 for the Sooners at their own 29, Bradford rolls left but is chased down by Colby Whitlock for a sack before he can get a pass off. The boy from Noble, OK is making his presence felt early in this one. - DeMarco Murray is stuffed by Dixon and Charbonnet on a toss play and the Sooners have to punt agian.
- Crabtree lined up in the left slot, ball at midfield on the right hash. Harrell drops back, scans the field, fires deep to the corner...Crabtree's got it at the 20 and the rest is a formality. Touchdown Red Raiders
Texas Tech 14 Oklahoma 0 5:48 1st Quarter
- Despite a slow start to the game, Bradford and company are starting to open things up quick. After a 12 yd pass and catch to Iglesias gets them a 3rd down, Murray takes a screen pass for 18 yards and Darcel McBath keeps him from taking it to the hosue. - Doesn't matter...on the next play Murray takes a toss and goes 49 yards to paydirt.
Texas Tech 14 Oklahoma 7 2:41 1st Quarter
- Tech is advancing the ball steadily down the field but come up a foot short on 4th down at the OU 47. No fear though as Captain Leach calls for a quick screen to Morris and the chains are moved as we reach the end of the 1st quarter.
Texas Tech 14 Oklahoma 7 End of 1st Quarter
(note: Graham Harrell is 13 of 18 for 143 yards and 2 TD's after 1 quarter of play. Sam Bradford is 3 of 4 for 25 yards.)
- 2nd and 1 from the 9 yard line and Harrell connects with Crabtree on a crossing route and he beats a slew of OU defenders to the endzone.
Texas Tech 21 Oklahoma 7 14:47 2nd Quarter
- Iglesias returns the kick to the OU 42 yard line. On first down, LA Reed picks off a Bradford pass. - However, on the Red Raiders first play, Harrell tries to squeeze a deep ball into Crabtree over 2 defenders but Nic Harris comes up with the pick and returns it back to the OU 31.
- Ruffin McNeill feels that his defense stopped Murray a yard shy of a first down, but a favorable spot and a poor review gives the Sooners a first down at their own 41. On the next play, Bradford finds Jermaine Gresham on a designed clearout play for the big TE, and he breaks 2 tackles (including running over L.A. Reed) on his way to the endzone.
Texas Tech 21 Oklahoma 14 12:18 2nd Quarter
- After a nice kick return by Ed Britton, Harrell finds Lyle Leong for 26 yards and a Tech first down inside the OU 40. - Two plays later, and Adam James makes a great catch in traffic to put the ball at the OU 19. - Two more plays, and Harrell finds Crabtree for a 3rd touchdown and it's only the first half. Nessler and Herbstreit comment that this WR is the best player in the country and Corso states that he'd hate to be the defensive back (this time it's safety Nic Harris) because Harrell and Crabs are just toying with him.
Texas Tech 28 Oklahoma 14 9:10 2nd Quarter
- A lot of Murray with a few short passes sprinkled in and the boomers are down to the Tech 23 yard line. - On 3rd and 5 from the Tech 18, Chris Brown takes a shovel pass from Bradford but is knocked down immediately by Mr. Duncan and the Sooners have to settle for a FG.
Texas Tech 28 Oklahoma 17 2:42 2nd Quarter
- And bad luck just hits the Red Raiders in bunches. Ed Britton dislocates his elbow on the kickoff. On the next play, Baron Batch fumbles a screen pass and it's recovered by the Sooners at the Texas Tech 25.
- Two runs by Murray and the Sooners have 1st and goal at the 1. - On first down, Brian Duncan stops Murray at the line of scrimmage. - On second down, Bront Bird brings down Manuel Johnson back at the 4 on a WR screen. - On third down, Marlon Williams gets to Murray on a toss to the wide side of the field and stops him at the 7 yard line. Again...the Sooners settle for a FG.
Texas Tech 28 Oklahoma 20 :49 2nd Quarter
- Harrell to Swindall for 21 yards...31 seconds left...timeout! - Harrell to Crabtree...incomplete - Harrell to Swindall...caught at the 32 yard line. Wait...official review...no catch!!! 19 second left - Harrell to Crabtree for 16 yards...14 seconds left...timeout! - Harrell to Lewis...dropped - Harrell to Crabtree...2 yards 4 seconds left...timeout! - Donnie Carona just sneaks in a 49 yd FG to end a wild first half.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 20 HALFTIME
Noteable Stats - Graham Harrell is 23 of 31 for 256 yds 4 TD's and 1 INT - Michael Crabtree has 8 catches for 108 yds and 3 TD's. 9 other WR's have a combined 15 catches and 5 of them have at least 2 catches. - Baron Batch has 6 carries for 34 yds and 2 catches for 6 yards - Brian Duncan has 5 tackles and 1 pass deflection - Darcel McBath has 5 tackles - Colby Whitlock has 3 tackles and 1 sack - Marlon Williams has 4 tackles and 2 for loss - Sam Bradford is 7 of 9 for 132 yds 1 TD 1 INT - DeMarco Murray has 17 carries for 85 yards and 1 TD - Jermaine Gresham has 3 catches for 80 yards and 1 TD
---3rd Quarter---
- Texas Tech gets the ball first and Harrell leads the boys on a methodical 12 play 78 yard drive. Unfortunately, they come up a yard shy as their 4th and goal from the 2 QB option is blown up in the backfield by a blitzing Nic Harris as Harrell tries to run it in for the TD. OU ball at the 5.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 20 10:32 3rd Quarter
- On 2nd and 6 from the 9, Darcel McBath "pulls a Gideon" and drops an easy interception. On the next play, DeMarco Murray runs for 12 yards and a first down. - The Sooners put together a nice drive but again have to try a FG. This time however, a kick from 53 yards out is just wide right. Tech takes over with about 4:30 left in the 3rd quarter.
- Harrell and Batch move the offense right down the field to the 12 yard line. However, Harrell throws just behind Tramain Swindall and it's picked off at the 3 yard line.
- Two plays later, Manuel Johnson takes a WR end around and runs all the way to the 34 yard line before Daniel Charbonnet makes a touchdown saving tackle. - A rare Jake Ratliff sighting as he stops Murray for a 2 yard loss on the next play. - On 3rd and long, Bradford finds Chaney open along the sideline but L.A. Reed does an awesome job making up ground and breaks up the pass.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 20 End of 3rd Quarter
- On the first play of the 4th quarter, Harrell throws a quick hitch to Crabtree. He turns and is blindsided by an Jackson and Clayton picks it up and runs it back for a 28 yd touchdown.
- DeMarco Murray just breaks the plane of the endzone and the 2 pt conversion is good.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 28 14:44 4th Quarter
- On 1st and 10 from their own 28, Graham Harrell can't find anybody open and is sacked by Jeremy Beal for a 10 yard loss. - Tech is forced to punt and the Sooners take over at their own 33 yard line. 12 minutes left in the game...
- On 3rd and 4 from the OU 39, Bradford completes a 15 yard pass to Manuel Johnson for a first down. Unfortunately, Phil Loadholt is called for holding and on 3rd and 14, Brandon Williams sacks Sam Bradford and forces the Sooners to punt.
- On consecutive 3rd downs, Harrell checks into a run play and the boys up front do their part to allow the backs to keep the drive alive with consecutive first downs. 8 minutes and ticking with the ball inside the OU 45. - Harrell tries to squeeze an out route in to Ed Britton but Dominque Franks steps in front of it and returns it to Tech 49 yard line.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 28 6:17 4th Quarter
- On 2nd down, Brian Duncan drops what would've been a HUGE interception at the Tech 40 yard line. 3rd and 10
- No worries though as Jamar Wall intercepts Bradford at the Tech 23 yard line on a pass 4intended for Adron Tennell. 4:42 left in 4th quarter.
- First down...first down...and first down...Tech is down inside the OU 40 yard line and the clock is under 2 minutes. - Baron Batch up the middle for 2 yards. Timeout OU...1:47 left - Batch ona quick toss to the right for 2 yards. Timeout OU...1:39 left - Harrell over the middle to Crabtree for 5 yards. 1:30 and ticking...4th and 1 at the OU 32 yard line. - The offense lines up like they're going to run a play and in fact snaps the ball for a successful QB sneak. However, Lyle Leong is called for a false start and it backs the team up 5 yards. - Leach sends out Carona to try a 51 yard FG...it's straight enough...it's long enough...OOO it's off the cross bar. NO GOOD!!!
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 28 :58 4th Quarter
- OU has the ball at their own 34 with 1 timeout and 58 seconds left. Earlier in the game their kicker showed he had the leg for 53 yards but was just off the mark. - Rajon Henley jumps and gives the Sooners a free 5 yards. 1st and 5 at the OU 39. - Quentin Chaney catches a pass at midfield and is immediately tackled by Duncan and Reed. 53 seconds and ticking... - Jamar Wall breaks up a pass intended for Tennell at the 45. 2nd and 10 at midfield. 43 seconds left...clock stops. - Ruffin dials up a nickel blitz, Bradford breaks the would be tackle of Brent Nickerson and throws the ball away. 3rd and 10...38 seconds left. - Bradford finds Chaney on a crossing route and he gets down to the Tech 33 yard line. 32 seconds and clock is running. - With trips to the left, Bradford throws deep to Iglesias at the 15...but it's broken up by McBath. 21 seconds left. - Bradford tries a screen pass to Murray but FB Matt Clapp is blocked into the pass and it falls incomplete. 3rd and 10...18 seconds left. - Rajon Henley gets free on 3rd down and levels Sam Bradford as he's throwing. The Sooners recover back at their own 40 yard line but officials review and call it an incomplete pass. - 4th and 10...15 seconds left. OU is lined up for a 50 yard FG. Tech calls timeout to ice the kicker! - The kick is up...it's long enough...and it just curves back inside the left upright. The 51 yard FG is good.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 31 :10 4th Quarter
- Harrell completes a pass to Crabtree at the 40 yd line with 1 second left. - The hail mary pass is batted down and we're on our way to overtime.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 31 OVERTIME
- OU wins the toss and takes the ball first. Strange tactics indeed. - Pass complete to Iglesias down to the 11. - Bradford to Murray...touchdown OU.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma 38 1st OT
- Harrell...Crabtree on a slant...25 yards...TOUCHDOWN RED RAIDERS!!!
Texas Tech 38 Oklahoma 38 End of 1st OT
- Tech gets the ball first this time. - Harrell rolls out and finds Adam James for 13 yards down to the OU 12. - Incomplete to Lewis in the endzone. - Batch runs for 2 yards. - Nic Harris knocks down a pass intended for Crabtree. - Carona misses a FG from the left hash off the right upright!!!
Texas Tech 38 Oklahoma 38 Middle of 2nd OT
- Bradford can't find anybody open and throws it away. - Bradford underthrows Iglesias on a corner route and it's picked off by Jamar Wall!!!
Texas Tech 38 Oklahoma 38 End of 2nd OT
- Tech wins the coin toss and will go on defense first. - Bradford on a QB draw for 9 yards. - Gresham seperates from Marlon Williams and has all day to haul in Bradford's ball in the endzone. - OU tries a fake handoff to the FB and a pitch to Murray...but Darcel McBath snifs it out and the 2 pt try fails.
Texas Tech 38 Oklahoma 44 Middle of 3rd OT
- Harrell finds Lyle Leong all alone behind the defense for an easy 25 yard TD. - Trips to the left...Crabtree to the right. Crabtree on a slant...he's got it.
- Your Big 12 South champs...Texas Tech Red Raiders!!!
Texas Tech 46 Oklahoma 44 FINAL
FINAL STATS (Tech...OU)
Total Offense...547...390 Passing Offense...48 of 65 479 yds...15 of 30 236 yds Rushing Offense...21 carries 68 yds...33 carries 154 yds 1 TD
Graham Harrell - 48 of 65 479 yds 6 TD's 3 INT's (153.9 rating) 5 carries 5 yards Sam Bradford - 15 of 30 236 yds 3 TD's 3 INT's ( 129 rating) 4 carries 20 yards
It's time for my weekly picks. I'm out in Winston-Salem for the Wake Forest homecoming game vs Virginia...but don't worry as I'll be watching the Red Raiders run all over the T Boones from Stillwater later tonight. I don't have an exact count in front of me but I believe I'm 16-11 ATS on the picks I've posted here. So follow me to the bank...or to bankruptcy court! ;)
Ohio State 20 Northwestern 17 (+11)
Texas 47 (-27) Baylor 13
Georgia Tech 23 (+4...maybe play the moneyline???) North Carolina 20
With clear skies and cool weather...we bring you this great matchup between the #2 Texas Tech Red Raiders and the #9 Oklahoma State Cowboys. Herbstreit feels this game will come down to the play of OSU's QB Zac Robinson.
The Cowboys win the toss and defer to the 2nd half so Texas Tech will get the ball first in this one...
- Ed Britton opens things up by taking the kickoff back to the Texas Tech 39 yard line where Graham Harrell and company will take over. - Harrell has found Adam James twice on the opening drive and the Red Raiders are in the red zone for the first time today. - In methodical fashion, Texas Tech goes 59 yards in 10 plays and finishes off the drive with Harrell finding Crabtree at the goal line from 6 yds out for a Red Raider TOUCHDOWN!!!
Texas Tech 7 Oklahoma State 0 11:30 1st Quarter
- Tech's defense starts very strong again. This time it's a quick 3 and out and they get the ball back to the offense at the Tech 44 after a 13 yd punt return from Eric Morris.
- Harrell has started this game 10 for 10 but can't quite squeeze a deep ball into Ed Britton at the OSU 25 and his completion streak ends there. Tech still in business though inside the OSU 40. - On 4th and 1 at the OSU 27, Harrell audibles into a run and Baron Batch gets 11 yds down to the 16 yd line.
- Eric Morris splits 2 defenders and weasels his way down to the 4 yd line to set up 1st and goal. - On 2nd and goal, Baron Batch gets into the endzone from a yard out for another Texas Tech touchdown!!!
Texas Tech 14 Oklahoma State 0 4:40 1st Quarter
- On a pass intended for Dez Bryant, LA Reed makes a great break off his man and knocks the ball to the turf. 3rd and long coming up for the Cowboys.
- Dez Bryant gets in the stat book but comes up 2 yds short thanks to a nice Marlon Williams tackle. The Red Raiders take over at their own 27 yd line after a fair catch from EMo.
- With a 9 yd completion to Baron Batch, Harrell has now gone over 100 yards in the first half. - On 1st and 10 at the OSU 49, the Pokes try to get to Harrell with a CB blitz, but instead he finds Detron Lewis on a deep post with no safety back to help...TOUCHDOWN RED RAIDERS!!!
Texas Tech 21 Oklahoma State 0 0:25 1st Quarter
- The Cowboys move the ball to their own 34 and we're at the end of the first quarter.
Texas Tech 21 Oklahoma State 0 2nd Quarter
- On 4th and 2 at their own 49, the Cowboys pitch to Hunter, he breaks a poor arm tackle by Jamar Wall at midfield and scampers down to the Tech 30 yd line before Taylor Charbonnet comes over to knock him out of bounds.
- This time it's 4th and 1 at the Tech 21 and the Pokes go for it again. Hunter takes the toss, makes a defender miss, the game glitches out (see video below) and he goes untouched into the endzone.
- Tech is driving down the field again but this time Harrell is picked off on a deep fade to Lyle Leong and the Cowboys take over at their own 22 yd line.
- A few first downs for the Cowboys via the run game but they give the ball back to the Red Raiders at the Texas Tech 31.
- Crabtree gets held up by his own man on a crossing route and the Cowboys easily pick off the pass. They're back in business at their own 42. - On first down, the screen pass fools everybody in the stadium and they're in Tech territory at the 31 yd line. - It only takes 1 more play as Hunter goes 31 yards off right tackle to paydirt.
Texas Tech 21 Oklahoma State 14 1:17 2nd Quarter
- Tech is trying to get down and score before the half, but the PS3 likes INT's and Harrell is picked off for a 3rd time on what should've been an easy completion to Tremain Swindall. Nonetheless, the Cowboys take over at midfield with 28 seconds left.
- Zac Robinson finds Dez Bryant deep over the middle but he's tackled at the Tech 9 and the Pokes will have to attempt a short FG. - The FG is good...but there's holding on the play and the clock is now at 0:00. Penalty accepted and 3 points come off the board for OSU.
Texas Tech 21 Oklahoma State 14 HALFTIME
Noteable Stats - Graham Harrell is 23 of 30 for 225 yds 2 TD's and 3 INT's - Michael Crabtree has 6 catches for 45 yds and 1 TD. 8 other WR's have catches and 6 of them have at least 2 catches. - Baron Batch has 9 carries for 40 yds and 1 TD - Daniel Charbonnet has 6 tackles and 1 pass deflection - Darcel McBath has 5 tackles and 2 pass deflections - Brandon Williams has 4 tackles including 2 for a loss. - Zac Robinson is 10 of 14 for 85 yds. He also has 13 yds on 3 carries. - Kendall Hunter has 10 rushes for 87 yds and 2 TD's. He also has 4 catches for 37 yards. - Dez Bryant has 1 catch for 19 yards.
---3rd Quarter---
- Bryant returns the kick to the 30 yd line and that's where the Cowboys will start their drive. - On the first play, Robinson goes play action and tries to find Bryant on a deep crossing route. However, Brian Duncan gets between him and the pass and intercepts it at the 35 before returning it to the OSU 29 yd line.
- One play...one pass to Crabtree...TOUCHDOWN Red Raiders!!!
- This time it looks like a miscommunication between Robinson and Bryant. Dez breaks to the outside, the pass is thrown to the inside, and Jamar Wall catches it at the 34 and there's nobody between him and the endzone!!!
- Tech with another beautiful drive that finds them in the red zone once again. This time on 3rd and short from the 6, Harrell fakes a handoff to Woods and jogs into the endzone untouched.
Texas Tech 42 Oklahoma State 14 8:27 3rd Quarter
- Okie Lite is moving the ball but on 3rd and 7 from the Tech 42, McKinner Dixon gets to Robinson for the Red Raiders first sack of the day. - The punt is killed at the 2 yd line and the Red Raiders will be working with a lot of green ahead of them.
- On the first play, Baron Batch is almost tackled in the endzone but he breaks a tackle and gets out to the 21 yd line. - Tech is putting together another very solid drive (14 plays and counting) and they're once again down inside the OSU 20. - The Red Raiders now face a 4th and 3 at the OSU 7 as we reach the end of the 3rd quarter
---4th Quarter---
- This isn't a problem though as Matt "Lynwood" Williams comes on and calmly kicks a 24 yd FG.
Texas Tech 45 Oklahoma State 14 14:57 4th Quarter
- The Cowboys finally show a little bit of quick strike potential as they go 60 yds in 3 plays and Robinson finds Artrell Woods for a 31 yd TD down the right sideline.
- The Air Raid moves the ball to the 45 yd line but the drive stalls and they give it back to the Pokes at their own 32 with just under 12 minutes left. - Robinson finds Woods for a long gain to the Tech 43 yd line. However, he's tackled from behind by Darcel McBath and goes off the field with a sprained ankle. His return is doubtful. - Kendall Hunter with another nice run down to the Tech 15. I don't have the exact number in front of me but he has to be somewhere around 125 yds on the day. - On 4th and 4 from the 8, Robinson breaks what would be a Colby Whitlock sack and finds a wide open Kendall Hunter for a TD on a busted play. - The Pokes go for 2 but LA Reed stops Hunter in the backfield before he ever makes the corner.
Texas Tech 45 Oklahoma State 27 6:50 4th Quarter
- The Red Raiders recover the onside kick and will look to milk some clock here. - On the 3rd down, Batch takes the option pitch from Harrell and runs 20+ yards down to the OSU 21. - After 2 runs are stopped in the backfield, Harrell finds Detron Lewis on a corner route and he beats the defender to the pylon. TOUCHDOWN RED RAIDERS!!!
Texas Tech 52 Oklahoma State 27 2:58 4th Quarter
- The Cowboys can't do anything else with the ball and turn it over on downs with just over a minute left. - Texas Tech runs out the clock and this game is OVER!!!
