Red Raider Gridiron: Practice #9 Recap, Links, Quotes and Video

Practice #9. We have some video as well as some non-transcripts from practice #9 of the year.  As an aside, it appears that the coaches and players are talking about the scrimmage they had on Sunday.  Let's get to those non-transcripts:

Kliff Kingsbury: Not bad, started slow, but got rolling. Lights come on want to see them react the right way. No, we want to play them as much as we can, ideally, we'd like to redshirt freshmen, but he knows we brought him to play, so he'll play as much as we can get him in the games. The two young kids have a good burst, DeAndre [Washington] is night and day from where he was last year, and Q[uinton White] a guy that we asked to pick things up on and off the field and he's responded. Really smoothly, stuck around and didn't do the bseball thing, he's going to provide a different level of speed, not the size of Jace [Amaor] but he's faster and we are excited to have that.

Matt Wallerstedt: Got off to a good start, had some three and outs and started pulling some guys and did not perform in the redzone, didn't have the takeaways that we needed. Lot of different faces, lot of different units, liked the energy and effot. We signed these guys for a reason, yes we are depending on them. We've got them in a three week window, not a luxury to sit and redshirt and wait on them. Got to squeeze them, but we know that we can't simulate that until we get to the Jones on the 30th. As fast as our offense plays, as much as we have in, in the first two weeks of defensive install, we see a lot of different things.

Davis Webb: Dom[inique Robertson] at left tackle, Le'Raven [Clark] helping out at right tackle, Jared [Kaster] at center who was out with the spring with a torn labrum has really helped our o-line. Quinton [White] is unbelievable, hashtag iceman, he spins off of everyone, he's really picked it up since Kenny [Williams] has moved to defense. Pat[rick Mahomes] made everyone realize that we have a quality backup, he did great we both worked really hard to get him where he is and I know that coach is really impressed with him.

Mahomes 5 TD's, Let's Not Get Ahead of Ourselves. Yesterday, we found out that QB Davis Webb threw an interception and QB Patrick Mahomes threw 5 touchdowns.  The natural reaction was worry that Webb is struggling and obviously, there might be a quarterback competition.  Well, I didn't see the closed scrimmage and the funny thing is that there's no report about how many touchdowns Webb threw or if Mahomes threw any interceptions.  Relax.  It's just a matter of time before we're all clamoring for Mahomes to replace Webb.  It is the natural order of quarterbacks.

Joking aside, Webb isn't going to be perfect.  It is ridiculous to say that he is, but thus far from the spring to the fall, the coaches have gushed about how much Webb has improved.  None of the coaches have said that he'll be virtually perfect or anything like that.  I think he'll be really improved and I sure hope we let him not be absolutely perfect.

Nobody Needs to Relax. The competition between the cornerbacks is heating up and DC Matt Wallerstedt mentions freshman CB Tevin Madison, from Alabama, as a guy that has impressed.  The article mentions that Madison is a guy that the other players have mentioned as a guy that has played really well this fall and in 7-on7's.  Also in the mix are La'Darius Newbold, Theirry Nguema and Jah'Shawn Johnson.

We're Going to Get Bigger. Everyone knows that one of the biggest problems last year was that the defensive line was smaller and not able to handle most Big 12 offenses.  Now, Wallerstedt and DL coach John Scott, Jr. have options.  We all need options, buddy.

"We did just a little bit (last year)," Scott said. "We experimented with it just a little bit. As you know, we kind of ran out bodies. Particularly at times last year when we had the bodies available, we would work that some."

And Wallerstedt understands that with the added depth that Texas Tech may run a 4 man defensive line to combat those teams that like to run:

"If we're seeing Kansas State or Oklahoma, or a run attack like Oklahoma State where they say, ‘We're going to try to just jam the ball down your throat, is that (an opportunity to use) a Kris Williams?" Wallerstedt said. "Is that (outside linebacker) Pete Robertson with four defensive linemen in the game?

Check out the most recent FanShots.

Roster Analysis. As always, the LAJ has a short blurb on each player plus a quote from a coach at the link.

* OT Poet Thomas: Good kid with good potential, still has to learn how to play the game and mature to learn the position.
* OT Trey Keenan:  Undersized tackle at 285, but the coaches love his work ethic and attitude.
* LB Jacarthy Mack:  Still needs to add weight and only at 200 and the staff loves his desire to hit.

Food Truck. Just gonna put this right here:

All these other schools, they're only asking what the players want. Nobody's out here thinking about their moms, asking them how they feel, what they want. Coach Kliff knows, ma'am. [wipes brow] Sure is hot out here today, ma'am. Maybe you'll let Coach Kliff buy you a frozen yogurt.

Miscellaneous. Per the LAJ, Big Money Chiaverini says that he is choosing between three candidates at punt return, Jordan Davis, Cameron Batson and Ian Sadler . . . I wont' do an adequate job of explaining the Frank Shannon situation at OU, but essentially the university has suspended the leading tackler for the Sooners for the year for an alleged sexual assault, but Shannon is fighting the suspension and even won a District Court appeal to be given access to facilities, but the university is appealing to the Oklahoma Supreme Court because they believe that Shannon violated Title IX, which if OU is found guilty (something that could still happen with the Jameis Winston case) then OU would receive zero dollars in federal funding . . .