Red Raider Gridiron: Mahomes Took 80% of Snaps; Polite-Bray to Defense; Non-Transcripts of Smith and Morris

Mahomes Took 80% of the Snaps Last Week. Texas Tech held their press conference yesterday in preparation of the Oklahoma and head coach Kliff Kingsbury affirmed that QB Davis Webb didn't practice much last week and QB Patrick Mahomes received about 80% of the snaps last week.  It was also reported in some form or fashion after practice today is that the walking boot was off of Webb's foot (for an ankle injury).  Kingsbury also wouldn't name a starter, said that we will all know around game-time.

Polite-Bray Switches to Defense. Some of the news from yesterday trickled out that wide receiver D.J. Polite-Bray was switching to defense, the cornerback spot to be specific. As noted below, offensive coordinator Eric Morris said that Polite-Bray is 6-0/190 and has real good size and speed.  The switch may be a surprise, but it seemed like Polite-Bray came to Kingsbury to make the move and both coordinators had good things to say about Polite-Bray, that he's a real good kid and an athlete and Mike Smith is excited to have him.  An interesting note is that in listening to Double-T 104.3's Chris Level he said that Polite-Bray's switch to the defense may be an indication as to how the staff feels about a bunch of the other cornerbacks and defensive backs that have hardly been on the field more than what they think about Polite-Bray, although Polite-Bray did move from starter to back-up at the X-receiver and then as the back-up to the Z-receiver and now to running back.

Non-Transcripts of Smith and Morris. Because I love you all dearly, I've done the non-transcripts of defensive coordinator Mike Smith and offensive coordinator Eric Morris.

Mike Smith: (teases Don Williams about getting a new phone says his current phone is pretty beat up).

Bye week went well, new guys to the room, D.J. Polite-Bray, Josh Outlaw and Talor Nunez, needed work, some of the older guys needed work. I think our back end, our corners had a good week, our d-line, they all needed that. We don't have a lot of depth and good to look at the redshirts. Look at the guys that are banged up, D.A. and Eguavoen.

Big time change, #9 can throw and run, every quarterback has that threat in running the football, he's a dang good quarterback, it will change depending on who is in, have to be prepared. So is that receiver, top of the Big 12.

They are going to come in here and try to run on us, build the package to stop the run first, have to be sound at what we do. Last week was a good week to get guys off the blocks, real simple stuff, locking out your elbows, seems silly, but have to get back to basics. going to see how tough these guy sare.

Last Monday (is asked when Polite-Bray moved to defense), had a walk-through on Monday, that's what you want at cornerback. It's tough to find a kid that is 6-1, 6-2 that can run. From what he looks like that's what you want, now he has to get teh toughness part, not saying he's not tough, but has to make plays with balls in the air, something that we haven't been good at. Good to have the competition, need to have competition across the board. I think sometimes guys get comfortable and need that competition. More athletes on defense, we'll take it.

Am I happy with how we are performing, but they won't turn down a fight. I'm fine. You have to stay on them every day, even on a bye week, they'll be slow, but you have to keep pushing, they are good kids, they'll keep fighting. The Jets are 1-8 and look at those guys fight, I know everyone on that roster and they have pride and don't give up. That's the message for the next three games, how much pride you have for yourself and university.

An interesting note is that Smith specifically mentions Talor Nunez, he's a linebacker from Midland Lee and he played quarterback in high school, but was switched to defense when he arrived in 2013.  I'd love to know if anyone knows anything about where they envision Nunez, who is actually pretty big for linebacker, 6-4/240.  Talor has a little brother, Kaleb, who is a junior and runs 6-2/240 and he's got a little game.

Eric Morris: Always good to get reps, Cameron Batson and Ian Sadler, and all of those sophomores, get them all in the mix, treated like a normal week, let them see a bit more speed. Get guys healthy in Bradley Marquez and Jakeem Grant.

Thought it was the best for the team right now. He's a big long guy, 190 pounds, which a lot of people didn't know, and 6-0, the receivers were saying he was cheating and stealing signs, but he turned his back towards the end of the week.

There's so many people that run the offense, we change things because so many people use the offense, we use dummy signals. We've changed a ton of them, we know he'll know what we're doing, mix some of our run stuff with pass stuff.

One of them has to step-up and make plays, haven't seen enough of Patrick Mahomes, started to do some good things, made some good throws off of his back-foot. Jury is still in the air, Davis Webb has done some good things and things that haven't been so good. Jury is still out on Mahomes. Webb obviously has more reps, is more comfortable in the huddle, Mahomes has great instincts and feels pressure around him and in games. We'll see which one of them is ready to go, Coach Kingsbury will make that decision.

Jordan Phillips is a big strong guy that flashes at tape, he gives people fits with just one-on-one, Striker hasnt' had as good of a year because teams are chipping, have to be aware where #19 is. Have establish the run game early.

Miscellaneous. Hey, former Texas Tech footballer Baron Batch was back in Lubbock over the weekend and the Daily Toreador talked to him about him being an artist in Pittsburgh . . . via Crimson and Cream Machine, the injury to Trevor Knight was in the neck and shoulder area and via FoxSports, the MRI and X-rays came back negative . . .