clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Texas Tech Tuesday Morning Notes - "Who Again?" Edition

By Seth C

Texas Tech Football:

DMN's Brandon George is reporting that former starting running back Shannon Woods will not be with the team for Texas Tech's final two games. Here's Coach Leach on the situation:

"We don't have time to divvy the reps up," Leach said. "You have to prioritize your reps this time of year, and there aren't enough reps to have a tryout."

Snip

"Basically, I feel like as the coach you have to think about everybody rather than just an individual," Leach said. "Crawford and Lewis give us a better chance of playing well."

Snip

"He has to outperform the others. It's as simple as that," Leach said. "He had a good year last year, didn't play good this year.

"I think as coaches, it took me too long to make a change. This is a kind of what-you've-done-for-me-lately business, and you have to go out there and perform and produce."

That last sentence is a pretty damning quote and I'm curious how long Leach was unhappy with Woods production. I'm pretty conflicted with this as I've always felt that Woods is a talented runner and it's never appeared to me that Woods wasn't giving it all - during the games. Perhaps that's the difference, the fact that Woods was still his best on Saturday, but not Sunday through Friday.

LAJ's Don Williams focuses on what we hope will be an exciting end to the season. Here's quarterback Graham Harrell on the final two games:

"We've had a whole year, the whole season just about, to get ready,'' quarterback Graham Harrell said. "It'll be two fun games - get to go down to Austin and then OU, ranked where they are right now, is going to come here the next week, so we're looking forward to the challenge.''

I like Harrell having an attitude that the season comes down to the final two games.

Speaking of quarterbacks, here's Coach Leach on Texas-dirt-under-his-baby-bed, Colt McCoy:

"I'm not going to say he's fast, but he's pretty mobile,'' Tech coach Mike Leach said. "His priority's to throw it, but the thing is, he can keep it alive. If things aren't going well, he can keep it alive, get a throw off and then, kind of like last week, scramble for some yards. A hundred yards is high for him, but he typically gets a few yards.''

In Don's blog, Raider Rants, he has a few quotes from Coach Leach on a number of topics:

  • On kicker, Alex Trlica:
    "The special teams (coaches) will handle all that,'' Leach said Monday. "But yeah, he needs to start making these things. If he doesn't, we're going to go for it on fourth down.''

    Does anyone have any doubt that Coach Leach will go for it on 4th down?

  • On running quarterbacks:
    Asked about running QBs such as McCoy and Texas A&M's Stephen McGee, Leach had an awkward moment -- or maybe he just hadn't had his second cup of coffee for the day. Leach looked to his left and quietly asked Tech publicist Chris Cook, "Stephen McGee's who again?'' Told the answer, Leach said, "A&M. Yeah, yeah.''

    Mike rallied fast, though, and gave a sound answer: "I think with Stephen McGee, it's planned and plotted and it's a skill that he has that they center their offense around. I don't think that Texas centers their offense around Colt McCoy's running ability as much. They have several ways to get him out there on the perimeter, and that's certainly an option they have and something that he provides and against Oklahoma State they used effectively to win the game.''

    Genius.

More From Viva The Matadors