Viva The Matadors - Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: PreviewTHE Site For All Red Raider Sports Fans!https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50015/vtm-fav.png2014-09-15T04:48:13-05:00http://www.vivathematadors.com/rss/stream/58847542014-09-15T04:48:13-05:002014-09-15T04:48:13-05:00Wrapping Up Arkansas (Not Literally)
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<figcaption>John Weast</figcaption>
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<p>As you can see from the title, I can do jokes. We all get a week to recover with a bye this weekend and before we move only, we recap some of the articles from yesterday and various Big 12 power polls.</p> <p><b>Bye Week.</b> As you all know, Texas Tech doesn't play this weekend, but they do play Oklahoma St. on Thursday on ESPN. So yes, this should be a long week. This also means that we might not be doing our regularly scheduled posts this week, especially for me and the weekly preview. As soon as I get a schedule ironed out, I'll let you know. I honestly forgot that I needed to figure this out until last night because we're humans and we need schedules.</p>
<p><b>Recapping the Game Elsewhere.</b> I don't have a chance to get to all of the articles from the LAJ and have been spending Monday morning going back through them.</p>
<p>* I'll get to the easy one, which is the <a href="http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2014-09-13/tech-notes-razorbacks-pile-yards-after-contact#.VBaphi5dWwE" target="_blank">notebook from yesterday</a> and I heard Kingsbury mention this and noticed this through the game, but I didn't talk about it after the game, but <span>James Polk</span> got the start, while <span>Dominique Robertson</span> didn't suit up this week. <span>Alfredo Morales</span> started for <span>Baylen Brown</span> at left guard this week. One other note, is that this is the second week in a row that one of the team captains, <span>Davis Webb</span> last week and <span>Kenny Williams</span> this week, received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Williams looked to push back after the whistle against an offensive line and then if I recall, it caught defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt saying, "Kenny. Don't do that shit".</p>
<p>* <a href="http://redraiders.com/sports/2014-09-13/williams-techs-porous-run-d-long-time-making#.VBapqi5dWwE" target="_blank">Williams also writes about how the defensive line has been a long time making</a>, and has this excerpt:</p>
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<p>And let's give some acknowledgement here to Spike Dykes, who recruited Reagor, Kocurek and Flugence out of Texas high schools. Spike gets unfairly knocked, even in his own precincts, for signing tough, try-hard guys from close to home. Not to get overly provincial, but some of those guys from close to home have produced more than supposed big fish from out of state.</p>
<p>Mike Leach and Tommy Tuberville didn't make Texas high schools a high enough priority, and the program's been suffering for it ever since.</p>
<p>Now the Red Raiders have been backed into cutting corners - if not every year, at least regularly - with quick-fix junior-college players. Trouble is, many of those players don't really settle in and get the hang of the Big 12 until year two.</p>
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<p>Before anyone claims that Williams is an awful writer for mentioning Tuberville and Leach in the same breath, the more I've worked through the last few years, the more I think that Williams really liked Leach, and if I had to guess, doesn't have a problem with him. Don seems to be indifferent about coaches as he's seen them come and go. Anyway, Williams point is more to do with how Leach relied on JUCO guys and Tuberville relied on similar guys and now we're seeing the result of that. I mentioned this before the season, which is that the JUCO guys usually take a full year to figure things out and then there's only one quality year to get out of these guys. That's pretty standard and that looks to be the case this year too.</p>
<p><b>Game Photos.</b> Some terrific photos from our friend, <a href="http://ttured.blogspot.com/2014/09/ua-vs-ttu-game-day-pictures-9132014.html" target="_blank">TTURed at Totally Texas Tech from the game</a>. I do love those uniforms and I love that logo. It may not be a popular opinion, but I love the old double-t logo better than the current logo because I'm not a huge fan of the bevel and there's something really simplistic about the simple double-t.</p>
<p><b>Miscellaneous.</b> I am sure you might not want to read everyone's Big 12 power poll, but here goes: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/big-12-power-rankings-week-4-091414">FoxSports David Ubben</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/09/best-in-texas-breakdown-914-does-losing-to-good-teams-carry-more-weight-than-beating-bad-teams.html/">Dallas Morning News</a>, and the <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.mysanantonio.com/big12/2014/09/dirty-dozen-am-slides-by-baylor-for-no-1-slot-this-week/">San Antonio Express-News</a> . . . speaking of Ubben, had it not been for Kansas, Texas Tech would have earned the <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/the-best-and-worst-of-the-big-12-week-3-091414" target="_blank">worst performance this week in his weekly "best and worst"</a> . . . I'm probably being way too critical here, but the LAJ's Nick Talbot has two editorial sort of articles, the first one is about how the <a href="http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders/2014-09-13/talbot-rbs-do-hard-work-arkansas-punter-rested-win-over-texas-tech#.VBapny5dWwE" target="_blank">Arkansas running backs did the hard work and the Arkansas punter was well-rested</a> and there were over 20 single-sentence paragraphs and I do not understand the single-sentence paragraph. Also from Talbot is about <a href="http://redraiders.com/filed-online/2014-09-14/talbot-kingsbury-has-lot-work-do-earn-big-contract#.VBapei5dWwE" target="_blank">how Kingsbury needs to start earning his contract</a> and that also has over 20 single-sentence paragraphs. As a reader, this annoys me, but I don't know if this just me . . .</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/15/6151451/red-raider-gridiron-wrapping-up-arkansas-not-literallySeth C2014-09-14T06:02:09-05:002014-09-14T06:02:09-05:00Ten Thoughts on Arkansas 49, Texas Tech 28
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<p>Ten painful thoughts on Arkansas 49, Texas Tech 28. The Razorbacks ran up and down the Texas Tech defense and the Texas Tech offense continued to under-perform.</p> <p><b>1. Webb and Zone Coverage.</b> I don't know what made the light click for me and I haven't gone back to watch the Central Arkansas game, but it seems that QB <span>Davis Webb</span> is at his worst when he is playing against 7 or 8 defenders in zone coverage, the linebackers playing the middle of the field and Webb is completely lost. There was a time period where the same thing happened to <span>Graham Harrell</span> and it was painful. Those losses to Missouri were a product of Pinkel dropping a ton of defenders into coverage while Graham Harrell struggled to complete a pass and threw as many to the opposing team (this is an overstatement to be used for effect). It felt the same way on Saturday as Webb looked completely befuddled for pretty much the entire game.</p>
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<h2>Game Links</h2>
<img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/35986784/455398218_medium.jpg"> <span>* <a target="newwindow" href="http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2014-2015/ttu03.html">Stats</a> <br> * <a target="newwindow" href="http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/text/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2014-15/misc_non_event/FBTexasTechQuotes091314.pdf">Quotes</a> <br> * <a target="newwindow" href="http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/091314aaa.html">Recap</a> </span>
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<p>It seemed that the difference in coverage between Auburn and Texas Tech is that the linebackers were dropping back against Texas Tech and played well for Arkansas in that role, but against Auburn there was a legitimate running threat. Or maybe a better way to say it, I believe that Arkansas thought that they would give up running plays all day long if Texas Tech would run it, but would ask that the general reaction of the linebackers to be dropping back.</p>
<p>Now, Webb just can't see through the zone. And it's depressing to watch. It wasn't just one or two over-throws this game, but Webb is really pressing and when he does find a receiver, he was throwing to the other team. Webb's also not making his progressions. He really wants to throw the ball down the field and that's all he wants to do and he has a difficult time checking down to running backs or his second or third option and that's not happening.</p>
<p><b>2. Drip. Drip. Drip.</b> Arkansas' offense felt like a constant drip. It never stopped. Brad Allen passed for 61 total yards on offense. Again, we're talking about a quarterback that's really not all that good and all he needed to do to win was throw 12 times. Just wait until you have a quarterback that's even more competent and can actually do some things deep.</p>
<p>I didn't keep track of these sorts of things other than making mental notes, but I thought that the first four rushing touchdowns were against the short side of the field and Pete Robertson's side of the field. Watching him now is probably something that makes me more upset than watching Webb. The difference with this game is that Robertson was taken out with a tight end in pretty much every one of those touchdowns, it wasn't even a tackle that was taking him out. Not only that, but defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt is playing Robertson 85% or 90% of those plays. Having Robertson in the game right now is a liability, and not necessarily because of him, but because of his size. He's just not capable of beating a tight end (which is now on film and expect opposing defenses to do the same thing) and he's not capable of beating a tackle.</p>
<p><b>3. It Wasn't Just One Guy.</b> The failure of the defense wasn't just one player. There were missed tackles and Arkansas had huge runs after catch. I can think of two missed tackles from <span>J.J. Gaines</span> where he bit early and bit inside and he whiffed and it resulted in two Arkansas touchdowns. I remember <span>Branden Jackson</span> just letting a running back fall through his arms like the running back was covered in baby oil. But it's not just one guy. It's not just Gaines or Jackson, this was a cumulative effort of guys that simply could not get the job done.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2014-2015/ttu03.html#GAME.DEF" target="_blank">Take a look at the solo tackles for the defense</a>. As an aside, I'm calling B.S. on Robertson having 8 assisted tackles, but whatever. Arkansas ran the ball 68 times, which means that the running back literally had the ball at the line of scrimmage at some time and there simply is no player that is dominating the line of scrimmage. There is no linebacker that is free or is simply just making plays. And hey, I know there were a ton of players being subbed in and out for the better part of the game, but in trying to pick a player of the game defensively, who would you pick? Is there anyone on defense who was okay? Anyone that made you take notice? Me neither. There just wasn't any player that made their presence known. I'll need to go back and watch the line play, and this is partly my problem with my Robertson-fascination, and see how they did at holding their gaps, but I simply cannot envision a situation where it gets better with this personnel. If I have made you give up hope, I'm sorry.</p>
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<p><b>4. We're Not at Dumpster Fire Level. Yet.</b> I get the idea of wanting to see <span>Patrick Mahomes</span> and I understand how you might be mentally done watching Webb throw passes at this point, but I don't think that head coach Kliff Kingsbury will even begin thinking about replacing Webb until Texas Tech has reached absolute dumpster fire levels. It's not that I think Kingsbury is trying to save Mahomes or anything like that, I think this goes back to how Kingsbury grew up as a quarterback with Mike Leach. Yeah, Leach put in a back-up quarterback once or twice, but look at Leach's track record of just sticking with one quarterback, hell or high water. Good times and bad. Do not mistake this as an attempt to tell you what to think but to tell you what to expect. I do not think that Kingsbury is going to replace Webb anytime soon. I could be wrong, but this just seems to be his philosophy and I wouldn't expect it to change unless something catastrophic happens.</p>
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<p><b>Q. Did you give any consideration to putting Mahomes in when the game got out of hand to give him some reps or did you feel that would be too damaging to everybody's psyche? <br>COACH KINGSBURY:</b> No, I just think I wanted Davis to keep seeing it and keep getting more reps. He's still young, and I wanted him to keep going.</p>
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<p><b>5. Kinda Forgot About that Running Game.</b> After two games where the running game was featured, those guys were essentially all but forgotten this week. A total of 18 carries for all three running backs. The outstanding speed that <span>Justin Stockton</span> exhibited the first two games was negligent as he seemed to be running inside for the most part and netted only 7 yards for the entire day. Yesterday's best running back was <span>DeAndre Washington</span>, who ran 8 times for 52 yards and over 6 yards a carry. Without question, he has been this team's most consistent running back. I'd also add that <span>Quinton White</span> looked really terrific in just 4 carries. He ran hard inside and had one play where he made a handful of defensive players miss. The problem was that these were limited times and carries. That's an offensive game-planning problem. And sure, Webb could have checked out of some of those runs, but this is still a game-management problem for me. The offense was really inconsistent passing the ball and Webb looked lost sometimes, it would have been nice to see if something else could have worked.</p>
<p><b>6. Another Quiet Day for the Guys Outside. </b> You never get a good look with the television feed, but I'd have to guess that Arkansas pretty much played a cover-2 zone, two safeties on the top of the defense, and played the outside receivers to the sideline and it resulted in yet another quiet day for the speedy receivers that just can't seem to get open or simply doesn't have a quarterback to get them the ball. I do believe that it's probably not one or the other, a mixture of both scenarios. In either even, <span>Reginald Davis</span> caught 4 passes for 45 yards. <span>Devin Lauderdale</span> caught 2 for 16 yards. D.J. Polite-Bray caught 2 for 7 yards and <span>Dylan Cantrell</span> caught 1 for 5 yards. From outside receivers that are supposed to be some of the more talented players on the team. There's a real disconnect here.</p>
<p><b>7. Frustrated.</b> Everyone is frustrated. Everyone.</p>
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<p><b>Q. Davis, you sound frustrated. Are you frustrated? <br>DAVIS WEBB:</b> Yes. We expected to win this game. We had every opportunity to do it too. We had a chance to go up 14-0. The first drive we go three-and-out. Two turnovers, one by me, or two turnovers, both by me, I'm sorry. There were a lot of things we could have been better at today and we didn't execute. I'm frustrated from my standpoint. Not from the team's standpoint, but from me.<br><b>Q. I guess the million dollar question is how do you overcome that? <br>DAVIS WEBB: </b>How do you overcome that? We'll find out next Thursday.</p>
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<p>The one positive thing you can say about Webb at this point is that he's not pointing fingers here. He's pretty much taking all of the blame. If you watch the presser, he pretty much corrects himself a couple of times and makes sure that you understand that it was him, not anyone else.</p>
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<div class="pullquote">Yeah, we're working through it. Some of those new guys, you've got to keep coming, but you've got to give them credit. They lined up and pounded us, and we didn't -- like I said, we just didn't have an answer today. <span>-Head coach Kliff Kingsbury</span>
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<p><b>8. There Really Aren't Any Answers.</b></p>
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<p><b>Q. Coach, defensively is it a scheme, personnel, or is it just a case where Arkansas's better and your defense isn't very good? <br>COACH KINGSBURY:</b> Just lined up and we knew it was coming, we just didn't get it stopped. I thought offensively the first half we gave them two touchdowns with those turnovers, and you can't put your defense in that position. The second half we didn't have an answer.<br><b>Q. Kliff, since the defense was a problem last year during that long stretch, is there anything new you can try on the practice field, or do you feel like you've tried everything and you have to keep working? <br>COACH KINGSBURY:</b> Yeah, we're working through it. Some of those new guys, you've got to keep coming, but you've got to give them credit. They lined up and pounded us, and we didn't -- like I said, we just didn't have an answer today.</p>
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<p>Kingsbury just isn't sure what to say at this point. He pretty much avoids the answer and he knows it. Those two questions are in succession. Kingsbury is asked later if they practice tackling, which is one of those things that fans really like to ask because it seems like a real easy solution. Long story short, Kingsbury is out of answers right now for the defense and the offense. It stinks, but this is where it's at.</p>
<p><b>9. End of the Second Quarter.</b> Sometimes it isn't always about the number of turnovers, but timing. I would be remiss to not even mention the interception late in the second quarter. Actually, there's two things that happened. The score is tied, 21 all and Arkansas is at Texas Tech's 11 yard line and <span>Alex Collins</span> fumbles the ball giving Texas Tech the ball with 2 minutes left in the game and Webb proceeds to throw two pretty awful incompletions and then throws an interception that is returned to the Texas Tech 12. Arkansas scores in 1 play. Texas Tech has a chance to get the ball back with a minute and a half left at their own 31 and the offense proceeds to get one first down, a total of 13 yards and then three straight incompletions. This was the turning point in the game. This 2 minute stretch of the game was essentially Texas Tech being put under anesthesia for the rest of the rest of the game and Arkansas put Texas Tech to sleep.</p>
<p><b>10. What To Do?</b> We've got a week and a half of thinking about what to do next. How to solve this problem. It's pretty simplistic. Play better defense and get Webb's head right with ball and go from there. Totally simple.</p>
<p>The next question if if you think things are going to get better and I think this is the defense. This is it. We knew that this would be it for the better part of the spring and the summer and now, with three games under out collective belts, yeah, something has to give. The tackling is horrific and this is one of those things where you and I aren't in the room and we don't know what is being taught and what is not being taught. There is a disconnect practically speaking. I don't have a lot or really any answers this early Sunday morning. I'm not an advocate of firing any defensive coordinators or anything like that. I've mentioned before that my biggest issue is that Wallerstedt seems intent on running a true 3-4 defense with a stand-up linebacker that can't stop the run or can't rush the passer. That's a personnel issue and some real stubbornness or stick-to-your-guns no matter what sort of attitude. That's the biggest problem for me in terms of Wallerstedt. Wallerstedt choosing this option over trying something else for two straight games without any real success. The defense got lucky against UTEP, but it was painfully clear that Texas Tech is playing a man down. And there was no adjustment through the game. None. That's my problem, which is that sometimes you have to play to the personnel and there's something that's just not right about how this is being run.</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/14/6146933/football-analysis-arkansas-49-texas-tech-28Seth C2014-09-13T17:45:52-05:002014-09-13T17:45:52-05:00Hogs Run Over Red Raiders, 49-28
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<figcaption>Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Arkansas ran up and down the field against Texas Tech as the Texas Tech defense was never able to stop the Razorback offense.</p> <p>This was ugly. Real ugly.</p>
<p>Arkansas simply had their way with Texas Tech and it never appeared to be all that close, especially in the second half of the game. Arkansas had sustained drives through most, of the game, and aside from a couple of early turnovers, Arkansas ran and ran and ran the ball. The defense was abysmal for Texas Tech and it really didn't matter who was in the game, and which defender was there. Every player missed tackles.</p>
<p>Not only that, the Texas Tech offense simply sputtered in the second half, whether they were able to really get on the field or not, the offense must be better and that largely falls in the lap of QB Davis Webb, who was uneven, to say the least. Webb had his second rough outing in a row. I'm saving a good portion of this for tomorrow, but here's the deal with Webb. He won't get any better until he learns to throw against an zone defense with seven or so defenders in the defensive backfield. Webb is not making good decisions right now and it's downright tough to watch.</p>
<p>Texas Tech has a bye coming up this week and they'll need every available practice to get better.</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/13/6145605/texas-tech-arkansas-final-score-recap-49-28Seth C2014-09-13T17:00:02-05:002014-09-13T17:00:02-05:00Arkansas vs. Texas Tech: Game Thread 3
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<figcaption>Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's do this.</p> <center>
<p><b><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4977472/Arkansas_Logo.gif" height="35"> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arkansasfight.com/">Arkansas Razorbacks</a> vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a> <img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/156689/TexasTechLogo.gif" height="35"></b></p>
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<p><b>Date:</b> September 13, 2014<br> <b>Time:</b> 2:30 pm CST<br> <b>Good Guys:</b> Texas Tech Red Raiders<br> <b>Bad Guys:</b> Arkansas Razorbacks<br> <b>Location:</b> Jones AT&T Stadium | Lubbock, TX<br> <b>Weather:</b> <a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USTX0808" target="newwindow">High of 67, low of 56, am clouds</a><br> <b>TV/Stream:</b> ABC <br> <b>Radio/Stream:</b> <a target="newwindow" href="http://sportsaffiliates.learfieldsports.com/affiliates/texas-tech">Broadcast Affiliates</a> and <a target="newwindow" href="http://tunein.com/">TuneIn App</a></p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/13/6143561/arkansas-vs-texas-tech-game-thread-3Seth C2014-09-13T15:30:02-05:002014-09-13T15:30:02-05:00Arkansas vs. Texas Tech: Game Thread 2
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<figcaption>Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's do this.</p> <center>
<p><b><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4977472/Arkansas_Logo.gif" height="35"> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arkansasfight.com/">Arkansas Razorbacks</a> vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a> <img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/156689/TexasTechLogo.gif" height="35"></b></p>
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<p><b>Date:</b> September 13, 2014<br> <b>Time:</b> 2:30 pm CST<br> <b>Good Guys:</b> Texas Tech Red Raiders<br> <b>Bad Guys:</b> Arkansas Razorbacks<br> <b>Location:</b> Jones AT&T Stadium | Lubbock, TX<br> <b>Weather:</b> <a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USTX0808" target="newwindow">High of 67, low of 56, am clouds</a><br> <b>TV/Stream:</b> ABC <br> <b>Radio/Stream:</b> <a target="newwindow" href="http://sportsaffiliates.learfieldsports.com/affiliates/texas-tech">Broadcast Affiliates</a> and <a target="newwindow" href="http://tunein.com/">TuneIn App</a></p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/13/6143553/arkansas-vs-texas-tech-game-thread-2Seth C2014-09-13T05:12:43-05:002014-09-13T05:12:43-05:00Arkansas vs. Texas Tech: How and Where to Watch
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<figcaption>John Weast</figcaption>
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<p>How and where to watch today's game plus morning links and news for today's game.</p> <center>
<p><b><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4977472/Arkansas_Logo.gif" height="35"> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arkansasfight.com/">Arkansas Razorbacks</a> vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a> <img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/156689/TexasTechLogo.gif" height="35"></b></p>
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<p><b>Date:</b> September 13, 2014<br> <b>Time:</b> 2:30 pm CST<br> <b>Good Guys:</b> Texas Tech Red Raiders<br> <b>Bad Guys:</b> Arkansas Razorbacks<br> <b>Location:</b> Jones AT&T Stadium | Lubbock, TX<br> <b>Weather:</b> <a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USTX0808" target="newwindow">High of 68, low of 56, am clouds</a><br> <b>TV/Stream:</b> ABC <br> <b>Radio/Stream:</b> <a target="newwindow" href="http://sportsaffiliates.learfieldsports.com/affiliates/texas-tech">Broadcast Affiliates</a> and <a target="newwindow" href="http://tunein.com/">TuneIn App</a></p>
<p>Pretty big little game today. Pretty big little game.</p>
<p>* <a href="http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091214aac.html" target="_blank">TEXASTECH.COM Saluting Señor Sack - Texas Tech University Official Athletic Site</a><br>* <a href="http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091214aai.html" target="_blank">TEXASTECH.COM Southwest Conference Flashback - Texas Tech University Official Athletic Site</a><br>* <a href="http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2014-09-12/tech-inducts-gabe-rivera-football-ring-honor" target="_blank">Tech inducts Gabe Rivera into football Ring of Honor | Red Raiders</a><br>* <a href="http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2014-09-13/tech-numbers#.VBQPvS5dWwE" target="_blank">Tech: By the numbers | Red Raiders</a><br>* <a href="http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2014-09-05/texas-tech-qa-bradley-marquez#.VBQPvS5dWwE" target="_blank">Texas Tech Q&A with Bradley Marquez | Red Raiders</a><br>* <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/texas-tech-s-kliff-kingsbury-counting-on-hard-work--pedigree-more-than-good-looks-200716332.html" target="_blank">Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury counting on hard work, pedigree more than looks - Yahoo Sports</a><br>* <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/89170/tech-hoping-to-channel-rivera-vs-hogs" target="_blank">Tech hoping to channel Gabriel Rivera vs. Arkansas Razorbacks - ESPN</a><br>* <a href="http://www.mrt.com/sports/article_78464c80-3ae5-11e4-8475-33053c8496a2.html" target="_blank">LEROY: Where’s the Webb we saw in the Holiday Bowl? - MRT.com: Sports</a><br>* <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/texas-tech-red-raiders/20140912-texas-tech-hoping-to-rebound-from-narrow-escapes-hosting-former-swc-rival-arkansas.ece" target="_blank">Texas Tech hoping to rebound from narrow escapes, hosting former SWC rival Arkansas | Dallas Morning News</a><br>* <a href="http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/94182040/college-football-picks-week-3-georgia-south-carolina-oklahoma-tennessee-ucla-texas?partnerId=as_mlb_20140912_31473306" target="_blank">What to watch and who will win in college football's Week 3. | SportsonEarth.com : Matt Brown Article</a><br>* <a href="http://www.texasfootball.com/college-news/view/180910" target="_blank">College Preview: Week 3 " Texas Football</a><br>* <a href="http://www.widerightnattylite.com/2014/9/12/6137701/betting-the-big-xii-week-3" target="_blank">Betting the Big XII: Week 3 - Wide Right & Natty Lite</a><br>* <a href="http://www.frogsowar.com/2014/9/12/6134043/frogs-o-war-friday-picks-week-3" target="_blank">Frogs O' War Friday Picks: Week 3 - Frogs O' War</a></p>
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https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/13/6143533/arkansas-razorbacks-vs-texas-tech-red-raiders-game-time-tv-streamingSeth C2014-09-12T13:01:02-05:002014-09-12T13:01:02-05:00Weekly Convo: The Razorbacks Are Ready to Run
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<img alt="Let's get crazy" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IfiFo_J1fNtTnnK1tz22gqS1h04=/0x172:1600x1239/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38401650/9971203995_6948830e77_o.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Let's get crazy | San Diego Air & Space Museum</figcaption>
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<p>An action packed episode of the Weekly Conversation gets deep as we discuss the disappointment in the UTEP loss, the Razorbacks who appear primed to run on Saturday and Seth talks about Martin Luther King, Jr.</p> <p><b>Seth:</b> Tell me where to start after UTEP? I know prior to the game, you thought that there would be a nice improvement from game one to game two. General thoughts and impressions?</p>
<p><b>Travis:</b> In a word: disappointment. Perhaps it was the late night but I just felt a sense of disappointment and dread after the game. I turned my phone to airplane mode before I went to sleep because I wanted to get away from the game and I don't think I logged into VTM on Sunday either. It was just a sense of overwhelming frustration to see the team struggle to find its rhythm again. And I was just like everyone else, watching UTEP run the ball down our throats left me with an imminent sense of dread knowing that Arkansas is up next with their superior running attack. There seems to be so many things not working well right now and it makes you fear the worst for the season. Other than that, everything is great.<br> <br>How about you? Should we temper our expectations and just start planning for next year?</p>
<div class="pullquote">I was just like everyone else, watching UTEP run the ball down our throats left me with an imminent sense of dread knowing that Arkansas is up next with their superior running attack. <span>-Travis on why he can't sleep</span>
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<p><b>Seth:</b> I'm always hopeful and looking towards the next year, because that's the part that excites me about all of this. I suppose too that it's good for me as a writer to try and find the good voice as much as possible and not be overly critical. It's one of those things where I want to be critical to the point of being as rational as humanly possible, but find the good things as well.</p>
<p>The interesting thing is when you wrote your <a href="http://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/9/6122565/kliff-kingsbury-and-great-expectations" target="_blank">piece on Tuesday,</a> I had similar thoughts in that Kingsbury and this team is pretty young and I never expected perfection. I tend to look at what I do and how I screwed up when I first started my job at a much higher rate. Of course, it was just me having to figure out my issues and I didn't have a few thousand fans that complained about what I was doing. Just my client. Still, I get the idea that there is a greater rate of error when you first start something. Heck, I keep implementing things just this year to make my job better and more efficient.</p>
<p>The other thing that I started to think about was that there was so much angst when Tuberville was here. Football wasn't fun for a large portion of people and I really thought (foolishly) that Kingsbury would help solve the problem. That worked for a whole year, but there's still that huge swath of people that have brought that angst back. On one hand, I get it because really, we're talking about wins and losses. Still, there's a part, no matter how painful a win or loss actually is, that really enjoys where Texas Tech and the football program is at. There's only so many of these games in my lifetime that I get to watch and being a guy that does probate, I suppose it makes me a bit morose, but it's what I do. Ultimately, it makes me happy because this is what I wanted.</p>
<p>So I am guessing that you're not predicting some sort of huge win this weekend?</p>
<p><b>Travis:</b> Oh yes, most definitely. Levi and Richards should be back to help shore up the defensive line and Wally basically called his shot yesterday when he said he was going to load the box and dare them to throw. I'm hoping the strategy works and the team can get a real rhythm going. There seems to a be a ton of side stories heading into this game, which makes it the perfect time for Tech to come out and show a focus that we haven't seen since the Holiday Bowl. I'm oddly optimistic.<br> <br>Speaking of side stories I want to shift gears a little and talk about the uproar that started on Wednesday when SB Nation posted a story that was intended to point out what they perceived to be an unfortunate coincidence with the Celebrate Cotton Game and an announced black-out, but instead stirred a heated debate about race and racism. You've taught me so much in the last couple of years and have really opened my eyes to some of the things I was previously blind to just by the casual conversations we have. The fact that you are raising a black child, who will someday be a black man in America has certainly changed the way you view events and has made me think about how I perceive things that I previously never thought twice about. Can you talk a little about that? I know we typically steer clear of tinderbox topics like this, but I think this is worthwhile based on recent events.</p>
<p><b>Seth:</b> Oh boy. Here goes. I don't really even know where to begin, so I'll start with the idea that in February of this year, I tried to read as much as I possibly could about Martin Luther King, Jr. While on the elliptical, I read his essays and things about him. I wanted to know as much about him as possible. Here are the two best things that I read from that month. The first is from a website that some people will refuse to even click on, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/29/1011562/-Most-of-you-have-no-idea-what-Martin-Luther-King-actually-did">DailyKos, but I'm going to blockquote the part that was important to me</a>. It was something that I was never taught in my history classes. This is what Dr. King and those civil rights leaders taught us in the 1960's:</p>
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<p>So yes, Dr. King had many other goals, many other more transcendent, non-racial, policy goals, goals that apply to white people too, like ending poverty, reducing the war-like aspects of our foreign policy, promoting the New Deal goal of universal employment, and so on. But his main accomplishment was ending 200 years of racial terrorism, by getting black people to confront their fears. So please don't tell me that Martin Luther King's dream has not been achieved, unless you knew what racial terrorism was like back then and can make a convincing case you still feel it today. If you did not go through that transition, you're not qualified to say that the dream was not accomplished.</p>
<p>That is what Dr. King did-not march, not give good speeches. He crisscrossed the south organizing people, helping them not be afraid, and encouraging them, like Gandhi did in India, to take the beating that they had been trying to avoid all their lives.</p>
<p>Once the beating was over, we were free.</p>
<p>It wasn't the Civil Rights Act, or the Voting Rights Act or the Fair Housing Act that freed us. It was taking the beating and thereafter not being afraid. So, sorry Mrs. Clinton, as much as I admire you, you were wrong on this one. Our people freed ourselves and those Acts, as important as they were, were only white people officially recognizing what we had done.</p>
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<div class="pullquote">I feel silly for having never thought of this, but this was truly profound for me as a human being that has a black child. It's strange, but we read a book to Fitsum about Dr. King and about that part of history and about how people of color were treated differently. <span>-Seth C.</span>
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<p>I feel silly for having never thought of this, but this was truly profound for me as a human being that has a black child. It's strange, but we read a book to Fitsum about Dr. King and about that part of history and about how people of color were treated differently. I'm sure this makes us crazy, but I want Fitsum to know about this stuff.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://playboysfw.kinja.com/martin-luther-king-jr-a-candid-conversation-with-the-n-1502354861">And then I read interview by Alex Haley with Dr. King</a>. It is truly amazing that Dr. King could speak in a way that would take me weeks to write and edit, and then edit again. It is amazing.</p>
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<p><b>Playboy: Whom do you mean by "the establishment"?</b></p>
<p><b>King:</b> I mean the white leadership-which I hold as responsible as anyone for the riots, for not removing the conditions that cause them. The deep frustration, the seething desperation of the Negro today is a product of slum housing, chronic poverty, woefully inadequate education and substandard schools. The Negro is trapped in a long and desolate corridor with no exit sign, caught in a vicious socioeconomic vise. And he is ostracized as is no other minority group in America by the evil of oppressive and constricting prejudice based solely upon his color. A righteous man has no alternative but to resist such an evil system. If he does not have the courage to resist nonviolently, then he runs the risk of a violent emotional explosion. As much as I deplore violence, there is one evil that is worse than violence, and that's cowardice. It is still my basic article of faith that social justice can be achieved and democracy advanced only to the degree that there is firm adherence to nonviolent action and resistance in the pursuit of social justice. But America will be faced with the ever-present threat of violence, rioting and senseless crime as long as Negroes by the hundreds of thousands are packed into malodorous, rat-plagued ghettos; as long as Negroes remain smothered by poverty in the midst of an affluent society; as long as Negroes are made to feel like exiles in their own land; as long as Negroes continue to be dehumanized; as long as Negroes see their freedom endlessly delayed and diminished by the head winds of tokenism and small handouts from the white power structure. No nation can suffer any greater tragedy than to cause millions of its citizens to feel that they have no stake in their own society.</p>
<p>Understand that I am trying only to explain the reasons for violence and the threat of violence. Let me say again that by no means and under no circumstance do I condone outbreaks of looting and lawlessness. I feel that every responsible Negro leader must point out, with all possible vigor, that anyone who perpetrates and participates in a riot is immoral as well as impractical-that the use of immoral means will not achieve the moral end of racial justice.</p>
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<p>And then there are the things that have happened to Trayvon Martin and <span>Michael Brown</span>. At the time that trial was going on with George Zimmerman, it was cool, or cold and Fitsum liked to wear a sweatshirt and he loved wearing his hood on his jacket. I thought about how Fitsum would be 10 years from now and him wanting to wear that hoodie. Fitsum also doesn't take shit from anyone and he doesn't back down to a soul. I've stopped following people on Twitter for crass or inappropriate jokes about the Martin shooting and the <span>Michael Brown</span> shooting. Their deaths feel very real to me because there's a part of me that thinks that one day, because Fitsum is black, that it could happen to him. I never thought that way when Fitsum came home.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://gawker.com/what-black-parents-tell-their-sons-about-the-police-1624412625">And then I read this article about what black parents tell their sons</a>. I expect a lot of rolling of eyes and people telling me that I'm wrong and that I don't know what I'm talking about and that's fine. The idea of thinking that this is a conversation that I will need to have with Fitsum is terrifying.</p>
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<p>This fear has fueled a generational need for a portentous, culturally compulsory lecture that warns young black men about the inherent strikes against them, about the society that is built to bring them down. It is a harbinger of the inevitable, a wishful attempt at exceptionalism, passed down like an heirloom.</p>
<p>Every black male I've ever met has had this talk, and it's likely that I'll have to give it one day too. There are so many things I need to tell my future son, already, before I've birthed him; so many innocuous, trite thoughts that may not make a single difference. Don't wear a hoodie. Don't try to break up a fight. Don't talk back to cops. Don't ask for help. But they're all variations of a single theme: Don't give them an excuse to kill you.</p>
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<p>Three years ago, I never would have thought about having that conversation with my son. It never crossed my mind. Never. It was unfathomable to me. I don't know how I'm going to have this conversation with Fitsum in addition to the conversation with him about being adopted, which we talk about openly and have since we brought him home.</p>
<p>To summarize, I know what to think and I know all of the things that are out there. I've tried to educate myself as much as humanly possible and even then, it probably isn't sufficient. I have a lot of catching up to do.</p>
<p>I'd be completely remiss if I didn't get your reaction. There is a loneliness in how I feel about this situation.</p>
<div class="pullquote">And anyone that tries to explain away that fear, or find a simple answer to remove the fear, isn't being honest with themselves. <span>-Travis telling the #truth</span>
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<p><b>Travis:</b> Man, it's not even something I can comprehend. I remember discussing the Zimmerman verdict with you and how it changed the way I looked at the situation. I knew a lot about the circumstances but was naïve to the personal nature of the event from a parent's perspective. Of course I felt horribly for the family and for the entire sequence of events, but felt that Zimmerman should be acquitted- and still believe it was the right verdict based on how the case was presented. But I'd never allowed myself to feel the true sense of fear that I got from you as you dealt with the situation. I can't imagine the perpetual cold sweat and emptiness I would feel inside if I had to live with that fear on a daily basis for my child and his future. And anyone that tries to explain away that fear, or find a simple answer to remove the fear, isn't being honest with themselves.<br> <br>Yes, there are those that try to exploit situations like this, and I'll never agree with that. The circus that follows horrific events like those you mentioned are superficial and mask the rawness of it all. When you strip it away and get to the very bottom, there is simply a parent's desire to protect his/her child and give them the best life possible. And regardless of the situation or who was right and who was wrong, that single-minded parental desire should never be washed over. I never really thought of it that way until I got to know you and Fitsum.<br> <br>So, I don't even know if it makes sense to get back to football, but that is why they gave us Trans-Ams and gold chains with the SB Nation logo inscribed. So, at the risk of having those repo' d, how do you see the game playing out on Saturday?</p>
<p><b>Seth:</b> Yeah, and to clarify, I never followed the Zimmerman case. It wasn't the case, it was the fact situation that bothered me. I couldn't tell you one thing about the evidence or anything else. That part wasn't even of the equation for me. It was the fear and it was a fear that I never had 3 years ago.</p>
<div class="pullquote">This is the absolute most wonderful plan. Hope. <span>-Seth C. telling the #truth</span>
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<p>Anyway, back to foosball. I'm totally expecting the worst and hoping for the best. This is the absolute most wonderful plan. Hope. Actually, I think there are some holes in their secondary and Arkansas is a far from perfect team. In fact, that defense, other than defensive line, the linebackers and secondary get really lost in coverage. This is obviously optimal for a team like Texas Tech that likes to throw the ball. The one thing that Auburn did is that they were able to keep Arkansas off balance defensively with the running game and it's the reason why Kingsbury (I think) wanted to make that running game such an important part of the game plan. For this game and going forward. So as many flaws that we see with this team, Arkansas isn't exactly some sort of machine that's impossible to stop.</p>
<p>And just one month ago, there were all sorts of fans that were predicting a Texas Tech win because of the spread and hurry-up offense. We just get so jaded after a couple of games. Texas Tech is still a good team. Hope, man, hope.</p>
<p>What about you? How do you see the game playing out.</p>
<p>I'm also running out of confetti GIF's, so we're going to have to result to either Arrested Development or Parks and Rec GIFs. I've got one more confetti GIF.</p>
<p><b>Travis:</b> I think that Arkansas will be able to control the line of scrimmage and the clock for the most part but I also think that Webb will be able to take advantage of their young secondary. It will probably be a high scoring game, but Tech should be able to pull out a victory at home. 49-42 or something like that. And don't worry about the GIFS, I'll find us some GIFS.</p>
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https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/12/6134203/weekly-conversationSeth CTravis Hale