Texas Tech Thursday Morning Notes - Fund-Raising Mode All The Time Edition

Double-T Nation News:

RedRaiders.com has a brand new look, check it out.

DTN's Top Eight:

1. Californaia Golden Blogs does an awesome job of breaking down the new rules for college football. This is a must read.
2. Another, and probably NSFW reason to enjoy the Brazilian synchronized swimming team.
3. Courtesy of Fanblogs, the new Georgia Tech uniforms look like absolute crap.
4. Clark Harrell is transferring to Abilene Christian.
5. Follow the story of Oklahoma State pitcher Andrew Oliver, who's situation has yet to be resolved.
6. Bob Sturm's favorite documentaries.
7. Coach Fran is doing ESPN Radio, which means that I have another reason not to listen to ESPN Radio.
8. ESPN Big 12 Blogger Tim Griffin ranks the Big 12 coaches and Leach is at #4, which is great, but I can't figure out how Briles and Sherman are ahead of guys like Hawkins (who I think is a pretty good coach) and probably Gundy. Not to mention Pelini may have more skins on the wall than Sherman as well.

Texas Tech Football:

Both LAJ's Don Williams and DMN's Brandon George filed practice reports, I flipped a coin and went with George's report first, then Williams.

• DMN's GEORGE: I've just taken some exceprts, so please click on both reports for all of the detail. I've wanted to hear how the kickers are doing, and George reports that Carona and Fowler looked good on Wednesday with Carona having the stronger leg:

  We got to see Tech's two place kickers - senior Cory Fowler and true freshman Donnie Carona - go head-to-head for about 10 minutes in practice. They're competing for the starter's job vacated by Alex Trlica. Both looked very good Wednesday with few misses. Carona appears to have a stronger leg, however. Both made field goals from about 40 and 45 yards apiece. Fowler's near 45-yard kick hit off the right upright and went in; Carona's from the same distance was blasted right down the middle.

  Detron Lewis is going to be fine replacing Amendola and it's scary to think what a more athletically gifted player is going to be able to do at Amendola's old position.

  It seems like it's every practice that receiver Detron Lewis, who is replacing Danny Amendola as a starter, makes a highlight catch. QB Graham Harrell delivered a nice pass down the middle of the field and led Lewis perfectly. Lewis out-ran safety Franklin Mitchem to the end zone and ran right under the football for a touchdown. Lewis came back a few plays later and made a great, over-the-shoulder catch along the right sideline. He made it look easy.

  Sam Fehoko is going to be a beast:

  Red-shirt freshman LB Sam Fehoko (5-11, 236), who is from Honolulu, Hawaii, offered his own version of "Aloha" to a Tech running back. As the Tech RB was being given the ball in the backfield, Fehoko came charging up the middle on a rush and blasted the running back, flattening him on his back, drawing several "oohs" from the fans along the sideline. Coaches really like Fehoko's combination of quickness and power. Look for him to show up at times this year.

• LAJ's WILLIAMS: Same as above, click on link above and read the entire report.

  Eric Morris is taking direct snaps, a-la the zone read:

  Don't know if we'll see it in a game this year, but tonight was at least the second time this week that the Raiders have tried a direct snap to IR Eric Morris in the backfield with Morris quickly handing off to a RB, in this case Baron Batch.

  Stephen Hamby is still the starter at center, but he's splitting carries with Shawn Byrnes:

  OL coach Matt Moore said Shawn Byrnes was the first-string center after last season, but Byrnes and Stephen Hamby split snaps in spring practice. In preseason camp, it's a similar situation: They're getting equal snaps again, though Moore still says that Hamby is No. 1 on the depth chart, the way it was when they ended spring.

  Williams has an update on some of the freshman and redshirt freshment who are doing well or could play:

  At nearly every position on this team, there is a returning starter, and there's even established backups at most spots. That being the case, for any true freshmen to play this season, they'll have to be impressive. WR Dennis Simmons said a few freshmen have caught his eye so far. "Austin Zouzalik has done some good things. Cornelius Douglas has done some good things. (Harrison Jeffers) has done some good things. Now, does that mean those guys are going to play this year? I don't know,'' Simmons said. OL coach Matt Moore said he won't play any of his freshmen unless injuries put the line into a dire situation. Safeties coach Carlos Mainord said even though the team will lose a boatload of senior safeties after this season, he wouldn't want to waste a year for Cody Davis just to get him into a few plays a game.

LAJ's Don Williams has more on the Jones AT&T Stadium expansion to be detailed today in a press conference, and as Tech92 noted, it makes me look a little foolish while I give the reasons why Texas Tech may not be able to pay Captain Leach right now.

You gotta spend money to make money.

Here's Myers:

"We’ve been in fund-raising mode all the time,’’ Myers said. "The decision was just made that we’re going to do the east side. We’re going to do it now. We’re close. So we’re going to have this campaign. Hopefully, we’ll get small donations and we’ll get big donations to help with this. We’ve just decided we’ve got to go ahead and get it done. It’s a priority with administration, it’s a priority with the board (of regents), and it’s a priority with us in athletics.’’

LAJ's Williams also files his Red Raiders Football Notebook with updates on 2009 opponent North Dakota and an update on former Red Raider and current Baltimore Raven Mike Smith who will have to retire.

We're counting down all of the hits, and today, Texas Tech continues their Countdown to Kickoff series and we get to know, freshman kicker Donnie Carona. My faves:

Who and where is your dream date? Taylor Swift in Cabo

If you could only invite three people to dinner, who would it be? Taylor Swift, Jessica Alba and George Washington.

What would be your dream job, other than playing football? Billion dollar entrepreneur

This Taylor Swift is a popular lady as both Carona and Austin Zouzalik appreciate Swift's work. The answer that just had me laughing out loud was the obvious third wheel on the invitation to dinner. Honestly, if I'm inviting Swift and Alba then I'm sure as hell not inviting George Washington to ruin that party. Might as well and go all the way and pick some other lovely young lady.

The official site also catches us up on Derrell "Mookie" Mitchell. First, who doesn't love a guy named "Mookie"? One of the best names ever. Second, Mitchell was at Texas Tech before I arrived, and had no idea that he had such a successful professional career, mostly in the CFL.

Thanks to Greg for sending this to Da Wiz, Texas Tech's schedule is represented in the Wizard of Odd's schedule previews.

Oklahoma blog Crimson and Cream Machine has a quick preview of Texas Tech.

I didn't get to watch Hard Knocks last night, but it's already on the internets (Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV). I can't guarantee they'll be up forever.