Red Raider Gridiron | Sheffield to See More Playing Time

DTN Stuff, ISU Television and Open Game Day Thread:   I'm not going to get to reasons for concern and optimism, but you can expect a Q&A with Clone Chronicles later this morning.  From the Texas Tech Alumni  Association, here's where you can watch Saturday's game against Iowa St.  Also let me know if you guys and gals would like an open thread for tonights TAMU vs. Oklahoma St. game. 

Sheffield to Play More:  Per LAJ's Don Williams, it sounds as if head coach Tommy Tuberville will work QB Steven Sheffield into the games more.  It's something.  We had been told that QB Taylor Potts will have a long leash, but that leash appears to be shortening:

"We’re to the point now where we feel good about both of them," Tuberville said Wednesday. "Obviously, Taylor will get the start, but we’ll do a few different things with Steven, too, that we feel like he’s a little better at. As we go along through the year, the things we’ve been practicing on for six of seven weeks, we’ll start using."

Who else thinks that Sheffield's ability to get on the field is directly related to Potts being able to run a consistent and efficient offense?

Coaching Was Fun, But Playing is Better:  LAJ's Don Williams writes that senior CB LaRon Moore enjoyed coaching, but he's ready to get on the field:

"I always want to coach," Moore said this week. "That’s my dream job is to go and coach at this level, maybe the next level and go back and be a head coach somewhere. It was good to see the other side of football. It made me a better player, I feel."

Moore is a really good player and not having him has gone unnoticed, at least by me.  He was supposed to be a big part of this defense and the reason you didn't hear his name last year was because he played so well.  Moore is ready to contribute:

"I’ve got nine games left to go," he said, "and I believe I can make a good showing in nine games, especially in this defense. You see how many plays have been made by the younger guys. I think it’s just going to get even better when you get more experience in there and when they get more experience."

Offensive Variety:  DT's Mike Graham writes that the Texas Tech defense is expecting a varied attach from Iowa St. offensively.  Here's LB Tyrone Sonier:

"They're a spread offense but they come out in various formations," linebacker Tyrone Sonier said. "They like to utilize their tight end a lot. They're very versatile. They can come out and run the ball out of the I-set or they could line up in five-wide. They're a very versatile team.

"They're a very disciplined team, very aggressive and they don't really beat themselves."

Smith Happy to Be Here:  Star Advertiser's Billy Hull talks with DE Scott Smith, who discusses his journey to Texas Tech.  There's a couple of good things here, which is that when Smith committed to Texas Tech, Leach was fired 2 days later, and he wanted a release:

"I wanted to get my release and go to Arkansas instead," Smith said. "But when the new staff came in, they all flew out to see me in Hawaii and talked me out of it."

He also talked about not seeing much playing time against SMU and here's what he did:

"I was pissed," Smith said. "I came to practice the next week trying to hit anything that moved. I was trying to wreck shop in practice and just get noticed."

More of this from everyone please.

Iowa St. Cyclone Links:  Clone Chronicles' Paul Conrad with a look at the numbers between ISU and TTU . . . only one link this morning from the DeMoinesRegister's Randy Peterson, the ISU linebackers (who have played really well) know where to focus . . . .

Big 12 and National Links:  This was actually a pretty interesting read, which is that the Big 12 schedules are supposed to be released today and the Big 12 official site talked with the guy in charge of putting those schedules together . . . Turfburner's Jay Beck with a look at the Big 12 South . . .