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Texas Tech Red Raider Notes for 09-11-2007

By Seth C

DTN News:

Okay, I posted a lengthy diatribe on system quarterbacks and tomorrow we're going to dive into the defense as there is some strong opinions on the problems and how to solve them.

Texas Tech Football:

LAJ's Don Williams focuses on the first half scare by UTEP on Saturday night. Don notes that there was a sense of panic, but that as a team they settled down. It's not a surprise that the most interesting quote came from Coach Leach:

"It was really more just getting everybody on the same page than some dramatic thing," Leach said. "Anytime there's a level of frustration, people fragment a little. We didn't want that. We knew that we could win, and we felt like we would win, and we knew that it would be a team (effort), which it was. We had contributions on all three sides of the ball."

Well, that's absolutely true, in times of adversity, there's always some sort of finger-pointing and I find it strangely fascinating that Coach Leach understands that it is a collective effort, despite any deficiencies on any one part of the team.

I'd also like for someone to explain to me how Texas Tech received contributions from all three sides of the ball.

Don also has a few quotes from Coach Leach on Rice.

FWST's Dwain Price has his Texas Tech Football Notes which focuses on the Rice's defensive issues in stopping Baylor last week, must now stop Texas Tech. Here's Rice's coach David Bailiff on Graham Harrell:

"He's very accurate, he can throw the long ball, he can throw short, he's got a great touch and he's really cool in the pocket," Bailiff said. "You never see him get flustered, regardless of the play.

"Any defense that's presented to him, it's just like he knows what they're thinking."

The SAEN has a feature from Dan McCarney on Big 12 South recruiting and he doesn't have high praise for Texas Tech's current class:

We almost always cut Red Raiders coach Mike Leach some slack. Not only do we share his affinity for pirates, we admire how he manages to hang in against schools whose prestige and resources dwarf Tech's. But this is a mediocre start, even by his standards. A semi-troubling sign -- nearly half of Tech's 10 commitments are junior college players, an option most schools shun. Then again, most schools aren't trying to convince players to live in Lubbock, so we're back to cutting Leach slack.

Among other things, McCarney thinks that McDaniel was a reach and Jeffers is the jewel of the class, but being able to sign him may be another issue.

DMN's Brandon George reports that the short week was one of the reasons for the less than inspiring start against UTEP and that defensive tackles coach Ruffin McNeill is not worried about the defenses' troubles stopping the run.

The Chron's Moisekenda Bower notes the struggles that Rice has had with their rushing offense and over all defense.

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