Viva The Matadors - Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State: Story StreamTHE Site For All Red Raider Sports Fans!https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50015/vtm-fav.png2014-09-26T05:59:58-05:00http://www.vivathematadors.com/rss/stream/65900502014-09-26T05:59:58-05:002014-09-26T05:59:58-05:00Ten Thoughts on Texas Tech 35, Oklahoma State 45
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<figcaption>Brett Deering</figcaption>
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<p>Ten thoughts on Texas Tech's loss to Oklahoma State, 45-35. The injury to Davis Webb to the debuts of Patrick Mahomes and Mike Smith, plus links and video.</p> <p><b>1. It's Just Bad Football.</b> This was head coach Kliff Kingsbury's first comment in last night's press conference:</p>
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<h2>Texas Tech 35, Oklahoma State 45: Game Links</h2>
<img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/36572442/456114404_medium.jpg"> <span>* <a target="newwindow" href="http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2014-2015/ttu04.html#GAME.TEM">Stats</a><br> * <a target="newwindow" href="http://www.okstate.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092514aae.html">Quotes</a><br> * <a target="newwindow" href="http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/092514aad.html">Post Game Notes</a><br> *<a target="newwindow" href="http://www.texastech.com/view.gal?id=167032">Photo Gallery</a><br></span>
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<blockquote>"No. I've never seen a team shoot itself in the foot as many times as we did tonight. It was embarrassing football, honestly, that's the only way to put it; 158 yards on penalties, three turnovers, one going in the red zone and then you give them the ball twice in the red zone. It's just bad football, and it's on me. I have to get it fixed."</blockquote>
<p>I don't know what else needs to be said. Kingsbury knows it. We know it. The penalties were just flat out embarrassing and I'm not sure what else there is to say. The players know it, the coach knows it. The fans know it. We all know it. Kingsbury has talked before about how he's tried all sorts of punishments and I've talked about playing time being something to motivate players, but I don't even know any more. If I didn't have to type, I'd throw my arms up in the air.</p>
<p><b>2. Webb's Performance and Injury.</b> QB <span>Davis Webb</span> was exactly who he was for the entire year. He would look spectacular at times and then make bad mistakes, turning the ball over twice, one time in the redzone I think, and throwing for 354 yards, about 7 yards an attempt and 4 touchdowns. I felt that there was more good than bad with Webb, at least with this game and I can't say that about some other games. But in the 4th quarter, Webb runs 13 or so yards to get a first down and (surprise) lands awkwardly after trying to get that first down. My first reaction was one of a guy that runs a blog in that Webb would be criticized for not sliding by one set of fans and would also be criticized for not going for the first down had he not made it. The worst thing is that both of those things happened and there was a penalty. Of course. The perfect topper to an awful play.</p>
<p>After the game, Kingsbury said he wasn't sure on Webb's status for this week's game. I suppose the silver lining would be that it was Webb's non-throwing shoulder that looked like it popped out and once he got it in place, he seemed like he was okay physically and not in any pain.</p>
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<p><b>3. Smith's Debut.</b> Defensive coordinator <span>Mike Smith</span> made his defensive coordinator debut and it was up and down. Let's get to the good stuff first, which is that I really thought the defense looked a bit more organized. I'm not sure if this is my thinking that I want the defense to look better so therefore I think they played better. The problem for me in making that statement is that the stats don't prove out that the defense played better. Texas Tech still gave up 528 yards and over 7 yards a play and neither of those things are good things.</p>
<p>What was good was that I thought that the front seven looked significantly more organized and together. I'm awful about watching numbers and players and who is in there and who isn't. We do know that one of the moves that was made was that <span>Austin Stewart</span> started at the Raider linebacker spot for <span>Kenny Williams</span> and we also saw the first start for <span>Keland McElrath</span> at defensive tackle for jackson Richards. I think those are both nice positive moves. The only bad thing is that I thought those guys looked a little gassed at the end of the game, but that's a minor complaint. We also saw significant more time of <span>Andre Ross</span> and <span>Gary Moore</span> and they both looked good subbing in for <span>Pete Robertson</span>. I think what we ended up seeing was a more effective Pete Robertson, who was also lined up with his hand-down rather standing up. The other good thing is that Texas Tech only allowed 3.8 yards a rush on 42 carries for Oklahoma State. That's a significant improvement. This is less than the average for OSU, so there's that.</p>
<p><b>4. If It Isn't One Thing.</b> The rush defense looked better and more organized and prior to the game, I was sure that Texas Tech would see <span>Daxx Garman</span> throw the ball deep, but even that surprised me. For Garman, it was just chunk the ball down the field and let the receivers go up and get the ball and the Oklahoma State receivers certainly did that. An astounding 11.9 yards per attempt for Garman on the night and every cornerback that played, looked terrible in some form or fashion. Yes, there was no cornerback that was immune. I've only had time to watch the game once (last night live), but it seemed like there was never any safety help on any of those long passes and the one time that there was a safety that was supposed to take a receiver resulted in a touchdown. <span>J.J. Gaines</span> is really struggling in coverage (although his interception was a thing of beauty) and we saw significantly more <span>Josh Keys</span> as a result. Not only that, I think we also saw <span>Keenon Ward</span> injured late in the game and I'm not sure as to his status. Again, I wasn't watching close enough to figure out if Keys was playing behind Gaines or Ward and <span>Jalen Barnes</span> was out with an injury and didn't travel, so Keys was the best safety backing up backing up both of those guys (I think).</p>
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<div class="pullquote">"We would play to Pat's (Mahomes’) strengths. He does some things really well. We'd make sure we're calling plays that he likes. We were in a similar situation last year with some freshmen quarterbacks so we'll figure out how to get it done." <span>-Kingsbury on Mahomes</span>
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<p><b>5. Mahomes Gets His Chance.</b> That was a rough first series for <span>Patrick Mahomes</span>. It was to be expected, at least for me, that Mahomes wouldn't look as good as you would want right out of the gate. He's a freshman, so those things are going to happen and that's okay. Mahomes' strengths are not Webb's strengths and vice versa. Mahomes has terrific legs and if he does start, you can look for Kingsbury to tailor the game plan to what Mahomes does:</p>
<blockquote>"We would play to Pat's (Mahomes’) strengths. He does some things really well. We'd make sure we're calling plays that he likes. We were in a similar situation last year with some freshmen quarterbacks so we'll figure out how to get it done."</blockquote>
<p>Mahomes doesn't have the arm or the vision (just yet) that Webb has and his legs can make up for a lot of mistakes. Mahomes still had a tough time reading the defense and held onto the ball way too long a handful of times that resulted in a negative play. Mahomes finished 2 of 5 for 20 yards with an interception in the redzone, a couple of sacks and a really nice touchdown to Grant. We sorta went back to this last year in that more than likely, Webb is getting most of the reps in practice and the game-plan was obviously tailed to what Webb did and I'm sure that this will change if Mahomes starts this next week. I'm not sure if he will, but it will be interesting. I still think I'm in the minority, but I still think that Webb gives you the better shot to win games, despite his warts. Mahomes will have warts too, we just don't know all of them.</p>
<p><b>6. Missed Opportunities.</b> This goes in tandem with item #1 above, but son of a gun, there were so many missed opportunities, a kickoff for a touchdown and a couple of really long returns for <span>Jakeem Grant</span> and Cameron Batson. It's hard to tell if the special teams is playing better because the penalties are just killing it. It would be one thing if the penalties were just happening on special teams, but the penalties are around the horn, from special teams, to offense to defense.</p>
<p><b>7. Too Many Drops.</b> I don't know if this was just me, but I felt that there were just too many drops last night, mainly <span>Reginald Davis</span> and Jakeem Grant. Anytime I write something like that, I think that I need to clarify that this wasn't a situation where Webb was perfect in those passes, but at some point, Davis needs to make some of those long passes. I think that even <span>Bradley Marquez</span> missed on a pass that would have seemed like a sure-fire first down had he caught it. And it seemed like Grant saw a ton of targets last night and had he caught some of those that he dropped (he also made some really nice catches) he would have closer to 150 yards rather than just 100 receiving yards.</p>
<p><b>8. Leading Tacklers.</b> For what seems like a really long time, I love the fact that sitting atop the defensive statistics are two linebackers and a defensive lineman. Pete Robertson and <span>Sam Eguavoen</span> lead the team with 8 tackles each and combined for 3 tackles for a loss and Keland McElrath finished the night with 7 tackles with 5 solo tackles on his own. Yeah, we could say that the cornerbacks and the safeties weren't making any tackles because they were running behind receivers.</p>
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<p><b>9. Running Game.</b> The best player on this football team is <span>DeAndre Washington</span> and it's really not even close. He is always gaining positive yards and he's seemingly always able to find a seam to gain positive yards. Washington finished with 6.5 yards a carry last night and 85 total yards on 13 carries. Meanwhile, <span>Justin Stockton</span> and <span>Quinton White</span> struggled to find lanes that Washington seemed to find relatively easily. That's not a knock on those guys, it's going to happen for those other two guys, but Washington is already there. He's already got the vision that the other will eventually get. Still, Texas Tech only ran the ball 19 times and that was more than acceptable consider the early success that Texas Tech had throwing the ball. If Mahomes starts, I think we'll see a lot more Washington, Stockton, White and <span>Rodney Hall</span>.</p>
<p><b>10.a. 4th Down.</b> Kingsbury had a late 4th down opportunity and he decided to punt. With about 3 minutes left in the game, Mahomes started a drive with a first down pass to Marquez, but a false start by Washington put Texas Tech at 1st and 15, followed by a Mahomes sack and two incompletions led to a 4th and 24. Twitter was afire as folks couldn't believe that Kingsbury didn't go for it from his own 25 yard line and 4th and 24. It's strange, as I'm sure that Kingsbury was the type of player that loved going for it and given the situation, it's one of those things that a player would love to go for it, but as a coach, things change. It makes fans cringe, but I think Kingsbury's decision speaks to the idea that he was more confident in the defense getting one more stop than Mahomes gaining 24 yards on a pass play. I think on the drive prior to this one, Kingsbury saw Mahomes struggle on a 3rd and 11 and throw that interception. If I had to guess, I think that those redzone interceptions and plays drive Kingsbury insane and he couldn't stomach the thought of another one. I'm conservative in that sense too as I would have put getting one more stop on the defense, but I get how a large chunk of you all wouldn't have just gone for it. Eventually, I think Kingsbury will trust Mahomes, but his first game wasn't that time.</p>
<p><b>10.b. This Felt Better.</b> Don't ask me to explain this, but last night felt better. I don't know why I feel this way, but there was something less offensive about this loss than the Arkansas game. Maybe it is because the way that Arkansas just imposed their will against the defense and there was seemingly nothing that Texas Tech could do about it. The defense looked incompetent and that wasn't the case last night. I don't want Webb to be out for a period of time and I think I'm in the minority here. Either way, I don't get a choice in the matter and if it is Mahomes, let's do this. Really, it doesn't matter to me who wears the laundry, I want Texas Tech to get that win and I'm not real particular about how it happens. Still, to my original point, there were glimpses of greatness on offense and defense and for whatever reason, that makes me feel a bit better than last week. This doesn't mean that there aren't a ton of things to work on and they're pretty easy to figure out what they are. Manhattan, you guys are next.</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/26/6848957/ten-thoughts-on-texas-tech-35-oklahoma-state-45Seth C2014-09-25T22:21:49-05:002014-09-25T22:21:49-05:00Texas Tech Falls to Oklahoma State, 45-35
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<figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Red Raiders started strong, but were plagued by penalties and turnovers as Texas Tech fell to Oklahoma State, 45-35 in Stillwater.</p> <p>Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties.</p>
<p>That's just 16 penalties. Texas Tech cost itself so many times during this game with penalties after penalties. I don't even know how to solve this and I've been thinking about it for a long time. Oh, and the refs were pretty terrible all the way around tonight, but whatever.</p>
<p>I'm not even sure how to summarize this game other than the pass defense was pretty terrible tonight. Long pass play after long pass play was completed and defensive backs looked like they just couldn't figure out where the ball is and how to make a play. We can say that the rush defense was improved, but Oklahoma State has some line issues I think so I'm not sure how much stock Texas Tech can put int this game.</p>
<p>Perhaps the big story of the game is that <span>Davis Webb</span> injured his shoulder in the 4th quarter of the game. It was reported during the game that it was a separated non-throwing shoulder.</p>
<p>As a result, we saw the debut of <span>Patrick Mahomes</span>, and he had an auspicious start, throwing an interception on his first drive as he was scrambling to avoid a pass rush. Mahomes settled down, throwing a touchdown pass to <span>Jakeem Grant</span>, but as you can probably tell, playing quarterback isn't easy.</p>
<p>I'll have 10 thoughts bright and early tomorrow morning.</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/25/6848345/red-raiders-fall-to-oklahoma-state-45-35-webb-injures-shoulderSeth C2014-09-25T20:30:02-05:002014-09-25T20:30:02-05:00Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State: Game Thread 3
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<figcaption>Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's do this.</p> <center>
<p><b><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/102071/Helmet_Texas_Tech_1975-1983.gif" height="50"> Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State <img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/39926/Helmet__Oklahoma_St.gif" height="50"></b></p>
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<p><b>Date:</b> September 25, 2014<br> <b>Time:</b> 6:30 pm CST<br> <b>Good Guys:</b> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a><br> <b>Bad Guys:</b> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cowboysrideforfree.com/">Oklahoma State Cowboys</a><br> <b>Location:</b> Boone Pickens Stadium | Stillwater, OK<br> <b>Weather:</b> <a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USOK0507" target="newwindow">High of 87, low of 63, am clouds</a><br> <b>TV/Stream:</b> ESPN <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/2014/9/25/6837843/texas-tech-vs-oklahoma-state-game-thread-3Seth C2014-09-25T19:30:02-05:002014-09-25T19:30:02-05:00Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State: Game Thread 2
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<figcaption>Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Let's do this.</p> <center>
<p><b><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/102071/Helmet_Texas_Tech_1975-1983.gif" height="50"> Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State <img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/39926/Helmet__Oklahoma_St.gif" height="50"></b></p>
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<p><b>Date:</b> September 25, 2014<br> <b>Time:</b> 6:30 pm CST<br> <b>Good Guys:</b> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a><br> <b>Bad Guys:</b> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cowboysrideforfree.com/">Oklahoma State Cowboys</a><br> <b>Location:</b> Boone Pickens Stadium | Stillwater, OK<br> <b>Weather:</b> <a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USOK0507" target="newwindow">High of 87, low of 63, am clouds</a><br> <b>TV/Stream:</b> ESPN <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/2014/9/25/6837835/texas-tech-vs-oklahoma-state-game-thread-2Seth C2014-09-25T14:00:03-05:002014-09-25T14:00:03-05:00GameDay Brew!
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<figcaption>Alexander Hassenstein</figcaption>
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<p>Have a pint of our Game Day Beer dedicated to the matchup against OSU.</p> <p>Today's Game Day Beer is the award-winning CopyCat IPA from Australia's Mash Brewing!</p>
<p>CopyCat is based off an American IPA recipe that the Australian's wanted to try to recreate. I assume that they took everything they could from the American's in replicating this American Indian Pale Ale. I'd even guess they import their water from West Texas just to get it right.</p>
<p>Here are just a few alleged reviews of the brew just to give you a 'taste' of what they've been able to accomplish with the Copycat:</p>
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<p>It starts off really strong and bold with a ton of flavor. You can really feel the character in the brew from the first sip. However, after more and more sips of the stuff, it starts to change. The character from the beginning is lost somewhere and by the end it just feels like you're drinking someone else's beer. You look at the bottle and it still has the same logo, but you know there's something in there that isn't genuine.</p>
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<p>This sTuff was sooOOO Good!! AT least at first when I WAs drInkinG it!! Something TURNED it in MY STOMACH and then I GOT sick and it came out this putrid BRIgHT OrangE! That WAS NOT the same beer I thought I WAS DrinkinG! I want my MONEY BACK@!</p>
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<p>This CopyCat IPA tastes just like the best IPAs in America, but without the recognizable awesomeness you get. All in all, just tastes like a watered down version of the real stuff. Australians must make some terrible beers on their own if they think this copy is very good at all or close to the original.</p>
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<p>Hmm... well those don't seem to be very great.... Oh well. Maybe they'll have better luck with their next recipe!</p>
<p>Ok, now a real review of the brew from user ADZA at beeradvocate.com...</p>
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<p><span>This won the overall beer award at gabs for best beer and pours a Golden amber hue with a creamy two finger everpresent head and lacing everywhere, the smell is tropical fruit salad, bubblegum and piney resinous hops, the mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation and has tastes of strong tropical fruit salad, tangerine, pineapple, a slight touch of toffee malts and I mean slight its just there to sideline the hopfest and as it warms the finish is very bitter with piney hops and bubblegum and overall if your after an IPA thats fruity and bitter then this is the one you want as it ticks all the boxes cheers.</span><br style="color: #141414; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.2399997711182px; border-top-left-radius: 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px !important; background-color: #fcfcff;"></p>
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<p>So really, check out this brew if you're lucky enough to find it. Bottoms up in hope of toasting in celebration tonight!</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/25/6843649/tech-osu-brew-of-the-dayDonkey Jote2014-09-25T09:00:02-05:002014-09-25T09:00:02-05:00The Huddle: Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State
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<figcaption>Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Texas Tech Red Raiders take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys and we have the most extensive preview on the internets.</p> <p><b>A Change In Philosophy.</b> Oh, no. Not that change. No. We're talking about something that's I think is going to happen, you know, with the defensive coordinator resigning and all, which is the idea that it appears that Kliff Kingsbury is making a fairly substantial change in how he might operate his offense moving forward.</p>
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<center> <b>Texas Tech <br> vs.<br>Oklahoma State</b><br> </center> <img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/1680889/Wingding_-_stopwatch.png" height="20"><b> When:</b> September 25, 2014 at 6:30 pm<br> <img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/1263825/Wingding_-_compass.png" height="20"><b> Where:</b> Boone Pickens Stadium | Stillwater, Oklahoma<br> <img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/2365719/Wingding_-_movies.png" height="20"><b> Watch:</b> ESPN<br> <img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/1263843/Wingding_-_wrench.png" height="20"><b> Key Injuries:</b> <span>Tony Morales</span>
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<p><span>Dylan Cantrell</span> to the X-receiver spot is a pretty significant move. Of course, it's not official, but last week, before the Wallerstedt news, Chris Level was pretty sure that you should buy plenty of stock in Cantrell and that he would be starting at the X-receiver position moving forward. Gone is the speed that we were promised in the offseason, and back on the outside is at least one, for now, larger target in Cantrell, who has hands made of honey and will quite literally catch anything. The speed factor is one thing that he lacks. It's not that he's slow, but he's not as fast as <span>Devin Lauderdale</span>, and D.J. Polite Bray and <span>Reginald Davis</span>.</p>
<p>Why the change and why now? That's a really good question and it's one that I hope we get an answer in next week's press conference (since nothing is official this week, we're sorta just speculating). Still, it should mark a fairly significant change for the offense, one that has sputtered to create much of anything significant and sustained for the first three games of the season. I think we could guess that the change is directly related to production of both the quarterback and the outside receivers. Lauderdale has only caught 5 passes for 59 yards. Polite-Bray has only caught 6 for 42, meanwhile, Davis has been okay, catching 12 passes for 152 yards, but I expected more. No matter how you cut it, those guys have to be better.</p>
<p>And this isn't to dismiss Webb's responsibility in the matter, because he hasn't put the ball out there either. It seems like the plays where <span>Bradley Marquez</span> is streaking from the outside receiver spot down the sideline have been few and far between. In fact, there was one terrible interception where Davis was streaking down the sideline and Webb didn’t throw the ball between the receiver and the sideline. It really wasn’t anywhere where Davis could go get it. Webb hasn't looked for that option and I can't believe that this option isn't there. Maybe Webb is too afraid of making mistakes, so he doesn't make that throw.</p>
<p>One last thought is that a huge part of the offensive success of Johnny Manziel was the fact that Mike Evans was an absolute beast. I'm not about to write that Evans = Cantrell, that's not accurate, but I do think there is something to both players being bigger receivers that could catch everything and make their quarterbacks look good. Cantrell has some impressive leaping ability and this just might be the thought process behind the move for Cantrell to be starting. Just something to chew on.</p>
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<p><b>I Believe in the Process.</b> I’ve never not believed that Kingsbury was the right guy for this job, but the recent <a target="newwindow" href="http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/09/24/kliff-kingsbury-texas-tech-red-raiders">Sports Illustrated article about Kingsbury</a> pretty much erased any doubt that I may have ever had regarding how he is a driven human being to be the best at everything. Just for the personal things in that article you should read it. You get to know Kingsbury as a human being a bit more. More than the personal stories that helped shape who Kingsbury is a person, you should know that he will stumble and he won't be perfect:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Last season Tech shot out to a 7-0 start before stumbling into a five-game losing streak. The <a href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Red Raiders</a> regrouped to earn a berth in the Holiday Bowl, but, before the game, Kingsbury was confronted by his staff, who told him they couldn’t help but think he didn’t want to be there. Even worse, the players could sense it, too.</p>
<p>In the past Kingsbury might have harbored a grudge. Instead, "I told them, ‘You know, there’s probably some truth to that,’" he says. He straightened up and Tech handled Arizona State 37-23 despite being a 22-point underdog. It was a reminder to bring consistency to the office.</p>
<p>"I don’t know if I know myself completely, but I know that I’m always being myself," Kingsbury said. "Great coaches, they don’t put on any sort of façade. I should probably handle losing better sometimes, but at the same time, that’s what gets me up in the morning. It’s not like I’m excited to wake up at 4 a.m. -- but then I think of something that makes me angry, something I want to fix, and I’m up."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To be realistic, I have my doubts that the defense is going to be markedly better right now. I’m hopeful and I hope that they can be marginally better, force some turnovers and eventually we hope that the offense gets back on track. But I’m probably always going to be comfortable with what athletic director Kirby Hocutt and anyone else involved in the decision to hire Kingsbury because it’s exactly what I would have done. There is no hindsight for me on this deal. Those words will never be typed on my keyboard.</p>
<center><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/54869/dingbat.gif" height="20"></center>
<p><b>Let’s Talk Defense.</b> <span>Mike Smith</span> enters the picture and this is going to be the toughest job that he’s ever had. Not only that, but Kingsbury affirmed that Smith was the interim defensive coordinator. This is something that we really haven’t talked about that much, but this was a surprise to me and I think it was a surprise to a lot of you too. On Monday, when Kingsbury affirmed that Smith’s defensive coordinator I think we had a lot of eyebrows be raised, but this is something that should actually be applauded in terms of how Kingsbury is handling Smith.</p>
<p>First things first, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least for Kingsbury to name Smith as the permanent defensive coordinator after the season . . . but . . . Kingsbury also leaves the door open to make a move if necessary. This is a significant decision moving forward and right now is not the time for Kingsbury to turn over every rock and make sure that he has the right guy for the job. We all hope that Smith is that guy, but Kingsbury had that tough conversation with Smith. He had to sit down and tell Smith, that despite the fact that they played on that field wearing the same colors, Kingsbury couldn’t commit to Smith on a permanent basis. Head coaches usually don’t get a lot of free passes when it comes to hiring and firing coordinators and when the offseason arrives, we hope that Kingsbury is dedicated to finding the best defensive coordinator that he can hire. That may be Smith and it may be someone else, but Kingsbury will have that opportunity at the end of the year.</p>
<p>I’m sure that conversation with Smith wasn’t easy. Folks as if Kingsbury is making strides in being a head coach and I think this is a prime example of making a tough but correct choice.</p>
<center><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/54869/dingbat.gif" height="20"></center>
<p><b>Uniform Tracker.</b> Because at the heart of it all, VTM is a fashion blog.</p>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" style="width: auto; font-size: 14px; box-shadow: 5px 5px 5px #888888;" align="center" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #EEEEEE; ">
<td colspan="7" style="color: #000000;" align="center"><b>Uniform Tracker</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Opponent</b></td>
<td><b>Helmet</b></td>
<td><b>Jersey</b></td>
<td><b>Pants</b></td>
<td><b>Result</b></td>
<td><b>Photo</b></td>
<td><b>Photo Credit</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Central Arkansas</td>
<td style="background-color: #000000; "></td>
<td style="background-color: #000000; "></td>
<td style="background-color: #000000; "></td>
<td>W, 42-35</td>
<td><a target="newwindow" href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/37767210/20140830_jcd_aj7_069.JPG.0_standard_305.0.jpg"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/37767210/20140830_jcd_aj7_069.JPG.0_standard_305.0.jpg" height="30"></a></td>
<td>Michael C. Johnson -<br>USA Today Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UTEP</td>
<td style="background-color: #000000; "></td>
<td style="background-color: #000000; "></td>
<td style="background-color: #FFFFFF; "></td>
<td>W, 42-35</td>
<td><a target="newwindow" href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38138056/454839362.0_standard_305.0.jpg"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38138056/454839362.0_standard_305.0.jpg" height="30"></a></td>
<td>John Weast</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Arkansas</td>
<td style="background-color: #000000; "></td>
<td style="background-color: #000000; "></td>
<td style="background-color: #808080; "></td>
<td>L, 49-28</td>
<td><a target="newwindow" href="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38916396/455398166.0_standard_305.0.jpg"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38916396/455398166.0_standard_305.0.jpg" height="30"></a></td>
<td>John Weast</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p><i>Click photos to embiggen.</i></p>
<h4>
<img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/2297873/Wingding_-_pen.png" height="20"> Quotes</h4>
<p>Up first, we'll get to head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who talks about his new interim defensive coordinator, Mike Smith, who we all know won't be changing a lot this late in the game:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Q. What have you seen from Mike taking over an expanded role in the defense so far?<br>COACH KINGSBURY:</b> Relative to that, I'd say he's still himself, hasn't changed. Brings a lot of energy. Very positive. Good with the players. Things won't change a lot schematically, or personnel. But every guy is going to have their different way of doing things. I think he's handled himself well. They've had good energy over there, had some good practices.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We all know that turnovers have plagued this team for the better part of the year and it is something that has to be better to turn L's into W's:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Q. Can you talk offensively what you worked on the most this past week to get ready for Oklahoma State?<br>COACH KINGSBURY:</b> The biggest deal is protecting the football. If we won't turn it over. Last game, gave them the ball two times on the 10 yard line. We know they didn't need any help scoring points. Can't do that. Got to continue to protect the football, continue to take advantage of opportunities, not squander drives like we have been doing.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Kingsbury is also asked about Oklahoma State and the challenges they present:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Q. What are the biggest issues that this team presents for you?<br>COACH KINGSBURY:</b> They're really good. I think people thought they would drop off. They lost a bunch of good players last year. But these young players have stepped up, they haven't skipped a beat. Watching them the first couple games, they all fly around. You saw that against Florida State. It will be a big challenge. Up front, those guys gave us trouble last year. That whole group is back. We'll have to find a way to protect well and find a way to run the football.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I still don't think that Kingsbury is really even close to replacing Webb. Ultimately, I think Kingsbury knows that for a lot of quarterbacks the switch doesn't flip immediately and the quarterback and the coach has to work through it. Remember, Kingsbury worked at Houston with a freshman quarterback and it was a struggle. I still think that Kingsbury will be very slow to make a change. Very slow.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Q. Is there sort of wisdom or advice you give Davis? You being a quarterback, being in those shoes, to help things slow down for him?<br>COACH KINGSBURY:</b> Yeah, it's all part of the process. I remember being a sophomore, getting booed off the field here. I remember Graham getting booed off the field here. It takes time to grow up. You got a lot on your shoulders. You just have to keep plugging away. We'll get it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.okstate.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/091814aab.html">Head Coach Mike Gundy</a>, talks a bit about Texas Tech and where is team is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Opening statement:</b><br>"We had a good game last week, but now we're looking forward to the Tech game. We'll work out today, tomorrow and Sunday, but we'll let them off on Saturday. We've obviously finished up the last game, and we're into game prep for Tech. It'll be a different experience for a number of different plays, especially with it being a conference game. The defense will see a wide-open attack that's much faster than what we've seen in the last few games. Offensively, we're about the same as we have been for a while. As I mentioned, practices are going very well at this time. We've got a long ways to go, but the attitude is good, and we're certainly getting a little bit better each day."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Gundy also talks about the weaknesses of his team and they have to overcome those weaknesses:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>On the game plan against Texas Tech:</b><br>"Our game plan is complete, but we don't really have the luxury of opening up the playbook. Our quarterback has only played two games in his career, and we have three young offensive linemen. The teams that we compete against know that. They watch tape, and they see the inability and deficiencies we have in certain positions. There's not really any reason to hide that, and we're going to try and accomplish a few new things each week."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Hill is a unique player and he's a player that you'd love to watch just about any week other than this week because he's truly electric when he gets the ball in his hands:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>On Tyreek Hill becoming a bigger factor in the kick return game:</b><br>"Well, the UTSA kicker kicked the ball out of the end zone almost every time, and the punter hung the ball up so high that we couldn't get a return. The one time we did get a return, it hit 20 yards in front of him, so he never really got the ball. He got the ball the first game five or six times in the return game, but in the last game, their specialists were really good. There was a chance for him to touch the ball some from an offensive standpoint, and those are the areas where we need to make sure he's getting his touches. When you're relying on special teams, you can't always say that he's going to touch the ball. We need him to touch the ball. He'll touch the ball more in some games than others, but we'd like for him to be getting it at least 20 times a game."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Roland doesn't get enough press because Oklahoma State is pretty balanced and Gundy talks about what he does as a running back:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>On <span>Desmond Roland</span> playing a leadership role with <span>J.W. Walsh</span> out:</b><br>"We need Desmond in there for two reasons. One, he's experienced, and two, he pushes the pile and moves downhill, which he did some for us last year, as well. We just aren't able to get him in space like we did last year because we don't block well enough right now. Hopefully we'll be able to block for him and get in front of some guys by mid-season. If we can do that, he'll be able to find more space and make some cuts."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Defensive Coordinator Glenn Spencer talks about the offense and I do find it interesting to hear other defensive coordinators talk about what they see with Kingsbury's offense:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>On Texas Tech's offense:</b><br>"They've got probably the best vertical passing threat that we've seen all year, so anytime that's out there, there's a possibility of getting a big play. It only takes one. They could throw it out there five times, and if the sixth time's a big play then it's well worth it. We've got to defend the vertical game. They've always been a great screen team. And then once they get you spread out, they go run the ball. Every week, for us, it's a different attack. It's not like we just have a base amount of plays like an offense does. We've got to defend what we're seeing, so it's a different velocity coming in this week."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And Spencer talks about what they cleaned up on their off-week:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>On if he's seeing more consistency out of his players:</b><br>"It's a week-by-week deal. It's still very much a growth process with this bunch. The last game, which is what I go on, cleared up quite a few mental errors, which I think resulted in some consistent play for that night. That's gone, that's put to rest. The challenge is now a new screen, new attack and how we're going to react to what we're going to see next Saturday. Every week is going to be that kind of process for these guys, and you've just got to hope that improvement shows a little bit more every week. If that happens then we'll be pleased."</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>
<img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/3222611/Wingding_-_chart.png" height="20"> Stats</h4>
<table style="width: auto; font-size: 14px; box-shadow: 5px 5px 5px #888888;" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" align="right" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>Stat</th> <th><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4656811/oklahoma_state_university1.jpg" height="40"></th> <th><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/156689/TexasTechLogo.gif" height="40"></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Total Offense</b></td>
<td>440.3 (31)</td>
<td>497.7 (11)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Rushing Offense</b></td>
<td>176.3 (11)</td>
<td>170.3 (50)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Passing Offense</b></td>
<td>264.0 (101)</td>
<td>327.3 (9)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Scoring Offense</b></td>
<td>38.0 (14)</td>
<td>33.3 (48)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Total Defense</b></td>
<td>352.0 (89)</td>
<td>429.7 (78)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Rushing Defense</b></td>
<td>111.3 (87)</td>
<td>294.7 (107)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Passing Defense</b></td>
<td>240.7 (89)</td>
<td>135.0 (32)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Scoring Defense</b></td>
<td>24.3 (72)</td>
<td>36.7 (94)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Turnover Margin</b></td>
<td>0.33 (55)</td>
<td>-1.33 (104)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>3rd Down % Off.</b></td>
<td>42.9% (48)</td>
<td>50.0% (53)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>3rd Down % Def.</b></td>
<td>24.4% (75)</td>
<td>40.4% (40)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Yds/Play Def.</b></td>
<td>5.28 (99)</td>
<td>5.13 (41)</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Oklahoma State isn’t as dominant as they’ve been in prior years. Well, everything, except for that rushing defense, which is totally awesome. But let’s go in order. Oklahoma St has played one much tougher opponent in Florida State so just take this into account when looking at the stats overall, both from a good and bad perspective.</p>
<p>Oklahoma St. has always been pretty good from a running game perspective and I suppose that this is pretty much on average for what they do. Still nice to see Texas Tech to be in the conversation with Oklahoma St. from a running perspective. That’s pretty nice. We’ll discuss to Garman later, but I don’t think that Oklahoma St. has really had the passer that they had Weeden or Chelf.</p>
<p>The defense is significantly better for Oklahoma State, although that’s why the defensive coordinator for Texas Tech resigned. There’s really no way to get out of any of those numbers and that third down percentage is just incredible for Oklahoma State. I am surprised that Texas Tech has a better third down offense, stiff hovering around 50%, which I find surprising.</p>
<p>And since adding the yards per play for the defense, I’m pretty unsure what to make of them, but when you take them in conjunction with the third downs allowed, then you can see why Texas Tech is having a rough go at the defensive side of the field as Texas Tech is, quite literally, giving up 5 yards a play AND not forcing the opposing offense to really ever give up the ball.</p>
<h4>
<img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/1263810/Wingding_-_caption.png" height="20"> Tweets</h4>
<p>Who out there can help?</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p>Know a soldier or veteran that you feel should be recognized at Tech Football? Nominate here: <a href="http://t.co/Im3nc93Nfu">http://t.co/Im3nc93Nfu</a> <a href="http://t.co/C6b2gWC2uJ">pic.twitter.com/C6b2gWC2uJ</a></p>
— Texas Tech Athletics (@TechAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/TechAthletics/status/514493761867747329">September 23, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p><span>Mike Smith</span>:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>No turning back now! We're in this as ONE, we fight as ONE, we play as ONE, & we're changing the game against OSU as ONE! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LETSGETIT?src=hash">#LETSGETIT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GUNSUP?src=hash">#GUNSUP</a></p>
— <span>Mike Smith</span> (@TTU_Smith46) <a href="https://twitter.com/TTU_Smith46/status/514505763763396608">September 23, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p>That’s a lot of students:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasTech?src=hash">#TexasTech</a>'s fall enrollment figures shattered previous numbers! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IAmARedRaider?src=hash">#IAmARedRaider</a> Read more: <a href="http://t.co/4wHTjbzqha">http://t.co/4wHTjbzqha</a> <a href="http://t.co/jT9XzSNVPG">pic.twitter.com/jT9XzSNVPG</a></p>
— Texas Tech (@TexasTech) <a href="https://twitter.com/TexasTech/status/514461711332827136">September 23, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<center><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/54869/dingbat.gif" height="20"></center>
<h4>
<img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/1088765/Five.jpg" align="left" height="75">Five Things</h4>
<p><b>1. Three Players to Watch on Offense for Oklahoma State.</b></p>
<p><u>1) ATH Tyreek Hill (5-10/185):</u> You wanna know fast. Watch Hill. Maybe the fastest player in the Big 12. There may not be a lot of "maybe" to that statement. Hill is a threat pretty much anywhere on the field, getting the ball out of the backfield and receiving too. He’s a slightly bigger version of <span>Jakeem Grant</span>, but with more speed.</p>
<p><u>2) QB Daxx Garman (6-2/205):</u> Before playing against Missouri State, Garman had not played in five years. A bit of a wonderer, Garman had qualifying issues coming out of high school, namely because he transferred to Southlake Carroll and then he was ineligible (I think) and then he signed with Arizona, but then ended up transferring to Oklahoma State. Garman finished 16 of 26 for around 240 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Then Garman got a full game against UTSA where he really poured it on and completed about half of his passes for over 300 yards and in both games, he was over 9 yards per attempt in both games. So yes, he likes to go deep and he has receivers that can help him go deep.</p>
<p><u>3) RBs Rennie Childs (5-10/205) & Desmond Roland (6-2/210):</u> Oh hey, don’t worry about these guys. Childs only averages about 11 yards a carry Roland averages about 16 yards on each carry. So yeah, none of these guys have any big play potential. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve only got about 30 carries each thus far, but there is a lot of big play potential.</p>
<p><b>2. Three Players to Watch on Defense for Oklahoma State.</b></p>
<p><u>1) DE Jimmy Bean (6-5/250):</u> I really wanted to talk about <span>James Castleman</span> and think about what could have been, and I think going back to the idea that really good teams recruit high school defensive linemen consistently. Texas Tech has to find that groove. In any event, Bean is very disruptive from his defensive end spot, but the honest to goodness truth is that Oklahoma State is near the top of the nation in tackles for loss and it isn’t based off of just one player, but a collection of players making an impact. In fact, the <a href="https://www.cowboysrideforfree.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cowboys</a> have 26 tackles for loss for the year. Texas Tech has 9. Yeah, 9. I’m not sure that OSU has a "star" per se, but they do have a ton of worker bees all pulling their weight. Bean is one part, but <span>Josh Furman</span>, <span>Emmanuel Ogbah</span>, <span>Ryan Simmons</span>, <span>Sam Wren</span>, etc.</p>
<p><u>2) LB Ryan Simmons (6-0/235):</u> Simmons leads the team in tackles, although it’s not by much. Simmons is a highly active linebacker, notching 21 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 1 sack and 1 quarterback hurry. Again, Simmons is maybe the leader of the linebacker corps, but <span>Seth Jacobs</span> and Furman are just as talented as Simmons or they at the very least make as many plays.</p>
<p><u>3) S <span>Jordan Sterns</span> (6-1/205):</u> Another one that got away as Sterns was a Cibolo guy that played some as a true freshman and now he is starring for the Cowboys at the safety spot. Second on the team in tackles, plus two tackles for a loss, an interception, a pass break-up a forced fumble and a blocked kick is on his resume. So yeah, he’s productive.</p>
<p><b>3. Three Keys to the Game.</b></p>
<p><u>1) Webb Has to Find a Groove.</u> I think that Kingsbury very much tried to create a situation for Webb last week against Arkansas with those slant routes from the inside receivers, but goodness Arkansas was all over those routes and they looked downright forced. It did seem that Kingsbury was legitimately trying to get Webb some easy completions, but maybe he learned that either Webb took the initial play call to heart and didn’t waiver, but maybe Kingsbury didn’t give Webb any options, which would seem like a bad idea. In any event, there are other ways to make this work and if opposing defenses are going to drop into a zone, then there are areas where the players are going to have to find the spot where there are soft spots in that zone. That's the thing about the spread. You can't cover everybody. Let's hope that Webb can figure it out.</p>
<p><u>2) Keep It Simple.</u> Earlier this week, Kingsbury and some of the players mentioned that interim defensive coordinator Mike Smith (for the record, I'm not going to refer to him as interim the entire year because that's asking way too much of me) has emphasized tackling in the few days that he's been in charge. That's been the one thing that have aggravated fans the most about the defense was that there appeared to just be a lack of understanding of how to bring down opposing players. That's the embarrassing thing as we sit and watch, the idea that simplistic things that players should be able to do weren't being done. Whatever Smith is going to do, I hope he keeps it simple and straightforward. Let's just work on getting that left foot down. Then the right. Then the left. And then we get to see some positive movement.</p>
<p><u>3) Let's Move the Line.</u> The best part of the offense is one that we don't focus on as much as we maybe should, the running game. <span>DeAndre Washington</span>, <span>Quinton White</span> and <span>Justin Stockton</span> have all been nothing short of spectacular and lots of credit should go to Lee Hays and Mike Jinks, for getting these guys ready to play and actually start moving some piles. The best recipe for success could very well be a heavy dose of Washington, White and Stockton. Sounds like a fantastic idea to be dominant here. Of course, this means that you need to be dominant against one of Oklahoma State's best position groups, but it would be real nice to be highly effective here. One thing to consider with that rushing defense is that Florida State is only 111th in rushing offense, which is a bit surprising and UTSA is 109th in nation. Not exactly big-time rushing teams. Or course, Texas Tech hasn't been a big-time rushing team a in while, so this will be a decent test.</p>
<p><b>4. Two Reasons Why Texas Tech Will Win.</b></p>
<p><u>1) Something Has to Give.</u> Well, actually, this isn't true at all. Something could not give at all and Texas Tech could be in a worse position than they were before this game, but I do think that there is much better game in Kingsbury and Webb and the defense and the receivers and Mike Smith. I think we've really seen the lowest of low and we saw a team like Arkansas just road-grate Texas Tech. There's a better team somewhere and there's talent. It just doesn't feel like it right now.</p>
<p><u>2) Smith Will Have Some Magic.</u> Don't underestimate the impact that something like this can have, replacing a defensive coordinator and having to rally around the new guy. The odds are that this will not be an effective means and, heck, even Vegas is favoring Oklahoma State by 14, but there is something to guys realizing that they're playing for each other and the jobs of people who are trying to help lead the way. I hope that we see some real improvement and maybe Smith will have some of the magic he brought as a player. And when I write magic, I really mean some of that toughness and relentless attitude that helped drive him to an NFL career.</p>
<p><b>5. Two Reasons Why Texas Tech Will Lose.</b></p>
<p><u>1) History.</u> Texas Tech hasn't won in Stillwater since 2001 and Texas Tech hasn't played a close and competitive game against the Cowboys in what seems like ages. Of course, we know that past performance isn't a predictor of future success and anything can happen, but right now, Texas Tech doesn't have history on their side.</p>
<p><u>2) Just Better.</u> I'm admittedly really dismissive of Oklahoma State and what Gundy has done to the program since 2008. That year was a bit of a stumble for Gundy, but since then, Oklahoma State has been anything but a team that I or really anyone else should be dismissive of. They've been good and consistently good and they do a lot of things that I want Texas Tech to do, namely recruit those high school defensive linemen with tenacity. OSU has been really good because they've been able to hang with folks and be better than a lot of folks on those front lines.</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/25/6839545/the-huddle-texas-tech-red-raiders-vs-oklahoma-state-cowboysSeth C2014-09-25T04:50:29-05:002014-09-25T04:50:29-05:00TTU vs OSU: Game Time, TV Streaming, Radio & Links
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<p>It's game day! The Texas Tech Red Raiders travel to Oklahoma State to take on the Cowboys.</p> <center>
<p><b><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/102071/Helmet_Texas_Tech_1975-1983.gif" height="60"> Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State <img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/39926/Helmet__Oklahoma_St.gif" height="60"></b></p>
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<p><b>Date:</b> September 25, 2014<br> <b>Time:</b> 6:30 pm CST<br> <b>Good Guys:</b> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.vivathematadors.com/">Texas Tech Red Raiders</a><br> <b>Bad Guys:</b> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cowboysrideforfree.com/">Oklahoma State Cowboys</a><br> <b>Location:</b> Boone Pickens Stadium | Stillwater, OK<br> <b>Weather:</b> <a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USOK0507" target="newwindow">High of 87, low of 63, am clouds</a><br> <b>TV/Stream:</b> ESPN <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>
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<p><b>Odds.</b> Oklahoma State <a target="_blank" href="http://www.oddsshark.com/ncaaf/texas-tech-oklahoma-state-odds-september-25-2014">opened as 14 point favorites</a> and it's pretty much stayed that way through the week, although it has dipped half a point in a couple of books.</p>
<p><b>Good Journalism vs. Not So Good Journalism.</b> Up first, you have <a target="_blank" href="http://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/24/6839177/sports-illustrateds-profile-on-kliff-kingsbury" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Sports Illustrated's Lindsay Schnell</a> who writes a fantastic piece about Kingsbury and how he grew up, and then you have <a target="_blank" href="http://newsok.com/texas-techs-kliff-kingsbury-is-college-footballs-pretty-boy-but-can-he-coach/article/5345248?custom_click=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter" style="background-color: #ffffff;">NewsOK's Berry Trammel</a> who tries to compare Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury to Anna Kournikova. I'll let you choose on which one you want to click. There's really nothing better in the media for #hottakes than inept comparisons to grab headlines and declare what a person will be or will not be with about a year on the job.</p>
<p><b>Smith's Rapid Rise.</b> <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/89778/like-kliff-new-tech-dc-smith-had-rapid-rise?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">ESPN</a> has a look at Mike Smith's rapid rise through the coaching ranks, much like Kingsbury, and that Smith worked as much as anyone to be successful:</p>
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<p>But Smith made some important friends during his stint with the Ravens. After a stint as a grad assistant at Hawaii in 2009, he landed an internship with the New York Jets and reunited with Ryan.</p>
<p>This was grunt work at its finest: up to 20 hours a day of helping with game plans and meetings for little pay and less recognition. He stayed in the townhouse of the Jets' DC back then, Mike Pettine, who's now the Cleveland Browns' head coach. Smith made a big impression, especially for his work to help revive linebacker Aaron Maybin's career.</p>
<p>"It's like the ‘it' factor with coaches," Pettine told the New York Daily News in 2011. "You either have it or you don't. And he's got it."</p>
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<p><b>Oklahoma State Lapping Texas Tech.</b> <a target="_blank" href="http://redraiders.com/filed-online/2014-09-24/williams-hard-truth-osu-lapping-red-raiders#.VCPZHStdWwE">LAJ's Don Williams</a> writes that Oklahoma State has lapped Texas Tech as a program, pointing towards the coaching inconsistency at Texas Tech over the last five years vs. the Cowboys having Gundy in charge since 2005. I always tend to forget that Gundy lost 12 of his first 16 conference games, but he did, and OSU stuck with him:</p>
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<p>Pickens dropped the $165 million in 2005, which coincided with alumnus Mike Gundy's return as head coach. OSU stuck with Gundy when he lost 12 of his first 16 conference games. The patience has been rewarded the last six years with six seasons in a row of winning records in the Big 12, three 10-win campaigns, two nine-win seasons and a conference title.</p>
<p>That's given Gundy cachet to cross the border and raid Texas in a manner that might meet even Barry Switzer's approval. Oklahoma State has 66 Texans on its roster. Of the 55 players listed on the current depth chart - a two-deep and three at some positions - 18 of 29 on offense and 15 of 26 on defense went to Texas high schools.</p>
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<p>Oh, and the recruiting. Give it time folks.</p>
<p>The LAJ also has <a target="_blank" href="http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2014-09-24/texas-tech-vs-oklahoma-state-how-they-match#.VCPZIytdWwE">match-up article</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2014-09-24/osu-cowboys-aim-stronger-game#.VCPZKStdWwE">tale of the tape</a>.</p>
<p><b>Miscellaneous.</b> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/9/24/6837973/college-football-week-4" target="_blank">SB Nation's The Acrostical</a> for week 4 . . . <a target="_blank" href="http://www.foxsports.com/southwest/story/big-12-predictions-week-5-092414">FoxSports David Ubben</a> predicts week 5 including tonights game . . . <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/texas-tech-red-raiders/20140924-why-texas-tech-s-pressing-issues-aren-t-exclusive-to-a-reeling-defense.ece?hootPostID=e55948feab92a0a0a2d5341ab5fa0938">DMN's Chuck Carton</a> writes about how Texas Tech's struggles aren't exclusive to the defense, and focuses on Davis Webb's struggles (the reason I'm putting this here is that I feel like we've read about this for the better part of the week, but I agree with Carlton's sentiments in that Webb has to be much better) . . . this is a <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24723085/washburn-back-gets-second-chance-after-prison-would-it-happen-in-d-i" target="_blank">really terrific piece on Vershon Moore</a>, who is the cousin of former Texas Tech footballer <span>LaRon Moore</span> (and LaRon is the defensive backs coach at this college, Washburn), who was given a second chance after spending 2 years in prison for aggravated bank robbery . . . Oklahoma State's cornerback <span>Kevin Peterson</span> has a <a href="http://newsok.com/kevin-peterson-patrols-osus-no-fly-zone/article/5344889" target="_blank">no-fly-zone in Cowboy secondary</a> . . . <a href="http://www.texasfootball.com/recruiting-news/view/180935" target="_blank">Dave Campbell's Texas Football</a> has updated their top 150 players . . . the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/john-klein-texas-tech-is-once-again-defining-moment-for/article_e714c91c-1cf5-58da-b500-13761fd3a8ce.html">Tulsa World</a> writes that this game is defining moment of Oklahoma State and what the Cowboys are as a program . . .</p>
https://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/9/25/6843045/texas-tech-vs-oklahoma-state-game-time-tv-streaming-radio-morningSeth C