POST PRACTICE STUFF | Three folks were made available to the media yesterday, head coach Tommy Tuberville, WR Bradley Marquez and CB Eugene Neboh. I have prepared non-transcripts and should note that the stuff in the parentheticals are my own thoughts. I have underlined the best quote ever and hopefully you are laughing.
Head Coach Tommy Tuberville | Not as crisp of a practice. Holding up good. Only a few guys are out, but will be back in the next couple of days. Defensively, putting in a couple of new fronts. Tomorrow we are putting one practice and one scrimmage. Got a lot of work to do. Been proud of the weather in the morning. (Pretty sure that's a direct quote.) We don't have much contact with the head, now a days, not a lot of contact with offensive or defensive lineman, especially with the spread. Hopefully we can get some of them soon. Kindred Evans needs to get more reps. Last year we had a string of hamstrings, this year it is the concussions. (At this point in the video some player does a flip in the background.) Got to learn a lot in the meeting rooms. Have full attention for two weeks and have to take advantage of it. Going in the morning has helped a bit and players keeping their focus. We have more athletes and more depth, but that doesn't mean a hill of beans if you don't execute.
WR Bradley Marquez | Good with conditioning. Mindset doesn't change from baseball to football. Have a competitive attitude and the skills playing outfield and receiver translate. Running more second team with QB Michael Brewer. The defense is a lot better, more physical. Have to be more physical with them. It makes us better because we are competing against each other. Have a lot of good receivers. Darrin Moore, Javon Bell, Reginald Davis. We all help each other out.
CB Eugene Neboh | Good experience going up against good receivers. More of a team this year, still trying to win every time. Feel that any one of the corners could step up and didn't play well in the scrimmage. Think it has been a competition from day one, just compete every day.
LAJ's Don Williams and 1340 The Fan's Rob Brennen file their respective practice reports. Also included in Williams article is a note about how DE Pete Robertson has moved down to the second team and DE Dartwan Bush has moved back up to first team because Robertson is having some mental lapses. Williams also notes that the defensive ends won't flip-flop, but instead, Bush, Kindred Evans and Robertson will be at right end, while Branden Jackson and Jackson Richards are at left end.
PORTER READY TO HIT | LAJ's Don Williams profiles S Tre Porter, who is the back-up safety, but is also I think a nickel back of sorts because he can play a lot of positions. Porter talked quite a bit about the concussion he suffered after the Iowa St. game and I know I didn't realize the concussion was that bad. In the video, he says he doesn't even want to re-watch the play. Here's defensive coordinator Art Kaufman on Porter:
Though listed as a backup to starting safeties Cody Davis and Johnson, Porter is the first-team nickel back, often stationed near the line of scrimmage and covering slot receivers. In practice, two-thirds of his work comes at that position and one-third at safety.
"Tre is not a starting safety," new defensive coordinator Art Kaufman said, "but maybe he really is in the sense that he may wind up being on the field more than anybody else because he’s playing more positions.
"Tre Porter is a major factor in our plans. He’s as big a factor as anybody we’ve got on our team. Time will tell where we need him the most. That’s kind of where we’ll play him."
SMITH IS AN UNDERDOG | RRS.com's Mike Graham writes about LB Will Smith and his journey to Texas Tech. Here's Smith on how he feels now:
"I know the defense pretty well now," Will Smith said. "It was tough in the spring and I had to adjust quickly. Now it's slowing down a little more and I can make more plays. It's coming together and I can help us change the game. I'm hoping to make over 10 tackles in the first game, but more importantly I just want to help the team however I can.
"We're underrated, I've been underrated, but I think they'll respect us soon."
MISCELLANEOUS | Last night I wrote about the offensive line, which is scheduled to post later this morning, and apparently so did RP.com's Joe Yeager . . . DMN's Mike Heika writes the obvious, "Texas Tech's Tommy Tuberville faces more pressure to win with 18 starters back," and predicts that Texas Tech will go 6-6 (I have no idea why their Big 12 beat writer Chuck Carlton isn't writing this, but whatevs) . . . Wide Right & Natty Light is doing this terrific series called WRNL PAC and they ask tough questions -- Where is the earth certificate , Oklahoma? . . . Yahoo! Sports Mike Hugenin writes that Texas Tech has the 5th best receiver corps in the nation, which is best in the Big 12 . . . CBS Sports has a bit about how 16 of 27 players of the Oklahoma St. 2010 recruiting class has left since last summer -- for comparison purposes, I counted 17 players of 29 that are no longer here for Texas Tech, 7 of those players that signed never even made it to Texas Tech (this was the transition class and Tuberville took some flyers that didn't qualify and then there were also some of Leach's commits that didn't qualify either) . . . SB Nation's Jason Kirk has your college football uniform guide to 2012 . . . ESPN has a good interview with Texas Tech commit QB Davis Webb . . .
MEET THE TWO DEEP | Continues with S Cody Davis: