Texas
Tech
Red Raiders
Preview
2007
By Michael Bradley &
Pete Fiutak
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2007 TT
Offense Preview | 2007
TT Defense Preview
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2007 TT Depth Chart
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2006 CFN Texas Tech
Preview
Texas Tech has had its high points in the Mike Leach era, but it came up
with its signature moment against Minnesota in last December’s Insight
Bowl. Early in the third quarter, Minnesota led, 38-7, and the Lubbock
crew was wondering who thought it was a good idea to head west for the
week between Christmas and New Year’s anyway.
Then came the
ridiculous eruption. Tech started scoring. And scoring. By the time
kicker Alex Trlica nailed a 52-yard field goal at the buzzer, the game
was tied at 38. One overtime period later, the Raiders had a 44-41 win
and the happiest of happy endings to the season.
Head coach: Mike Leach
8th year: 56-33
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 14, Def. 29, ST 5
Lettermen Lost: 15 |
Ten
Best Tech Players
1. QB Graham Harrell, Jr.
2. SS Joe Garcia, Sr.
3. FS Darcel McBath, Jr.
4. CB Chris Parker, Sr.
5. RB Shannon Woods, Jr.
6. DE Jake Ratliff, Jr.
7. WR Michael Crabtree, RFr.
8. OG Louis Vasquez, Jr.
9. WR/PR Danny Amendola, Sr.
10. WR L.A. Reed, Jr. |
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
8-4 |
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Sept. 1 |
at SMU |
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Sept. 8 |
UTEP |
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Sept. 15 |
at Rice |
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Sept. 22 |
at
Oklahoma State |
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Sept. 29 |
NW State |
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Oct.
6 |
Iowa State |
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Oct.
13 |
Texas A&M |
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Oct.
20 |
at
Missouri |
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Oct.
27 |
Colorado |
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Nov.
3 |
at Baylor |
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Nov.
10 |
at
Texas |
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Nov.
17 |
Oklahoma |
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2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
9-3
2006 Record:
8-5
Preview 2006 predicted wins |
| 9/2 |
SMU
W 45-3 |
| 9/9 |
at UTEP
W 38-35 OT |
| 9/16 |
at TCU
L 12-3 |
| 9/23 |
SE Louisiana
W 62-0 |
| 9/30 |
at Texas A&M
W 31-27 |
| 10/7 |
Missouri
L 38-21 |
| 10/14 |
at Colorado L 30-6 |
| 10/21 |
at Iowa State W 42-36 |
| 10/28 |
Texas
L 35-31 |
| 11/4 |
Baylor
W 55-21 |
| 11/11 |
at Oklahoma L 34-24 |
| 11/18 |
Oklahoma State
W 30-24 |
| 12/29 |
Insight Bowl
Minnesota W 44-41 OT |
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So, what’s next? What do you think? Another 4,500-5,000 passing yards
from junior Graham Harrell, who had his erratic moments and was nearly
benched at times during the year, but turned into the type of clutch
performer the program can rely on to pull wins out of the fire. As
always, there will be another collection of high-scoring games certain
to fry computer hard drives and leave fans wondering whether a trip to
the hot dog stand is going to cost them a couple touchdowns.
Figure on more of the same for the next several years, since Leach
signed an extension keeping him on through the 2010 with a $2 million
payday if he’s around that long. Yes, Leach’s name has surfaced for an
assortment of jobs, both on the collegiate and professional levels, but
he’s happy and feeling comfortable with the foundation and history in
place.
Of course, the biggest challenge facing Leach is lifting Tech from a
team that wins eight or nine a year to a school capable of challenging
for a Big 12 championship. Tech will always be exciting, and its crazy
offensive output will sell tickets, but beating the better teams in the
Big 12 – or anywhere else, for that matter – will be elusive until the
there’s consistency on both sides of the ball. This year’s team has the
potential to be Leach’s most even-keel yet, even with all the funnin’
and gunnin’. This has always been one of the most fun teams to watch in
college football, and now it could be one of the best in the Big 12.
What to look for on offense: Tech will run the wishbone with a
power, conservative running game … yeah, right. As always, the offense
will spread the field with five wideouts and will try to exploit the
biggest mismatch on the field, with more efficiency than over the last
few years, even with all the top receivers gone. Harrell’s development
will mean a few 500-yard days, no matter who’s catching the ball, a
completion percentage in the high 60s and 40 or so touchdowns. Until the
new targets get their feet wet, expect more from speedy running back
Shannon Woods early on. He’ll end up running for 1,000 yards.
What to look for on defense: It’s better than it’ll be made out
to be, but it'll get run on at will. The Red Raiders usually will
surrender more than 20 points a game to the big boys, but as long as the
defense bends but doesn’t break too often, the offense will take care of
the rest. This year could be tough early with six starters gone,
including all but two in the front seven. If teams can control the clock
against the Raiders, they can keep Harrell and his flyboys off the field
and mess with Tech’s timing. Everyone knows this so they'll try to pound
the ball. Tech will get creative early to do what it can to sell out to
stop the run.
This team will be much better if … it can stop somebody from
running the football. Tech allowed rivals to gain 3.8 yards per carry
last year, a big reason why the team had a time-of-possession deficit of
4:36. Sure, the Raiders throw the ball, which leads to quick scoring
drives and many clock stoppages, but Tech can’t beat the better teams on
its schedule if it lets them chew up the clock with long drives.
Stopping the run could be a huge concern this year, given the revamped
front seven.
The Schedule: If Iowa State and Colorado haven’t improved by
leaps and bounds, the Big 12 schedule is decent, with home dates against
those 2006 North bottom-feeders (although Red Raider fans might still be
smarting from last year’s 30-6 loss in Boulder). However, the trip to
Missouri, the lone game away from Lubbock for a month, will be tough.
There can’t be too much complaining about the South games, getting two
of the big three (Texas A&M and Oklahoma) at home. For better or for
worse, the road trip to Texas comes the week before playing the Sooners.
The non-conference schedule is a typical Texas Tech waste of time,
playing at SMU, UTEP, at Rice and Northwestern State.
Best Offensive Player:
Junior QB
Graham Harrell. While he was inconsistent throughout last season, and
flat-out awful at times, he showed a flair for the dramatic by pulling
out wins against Texas A&M and Minnesota, creating a bit of Red Raider
legend. After throwing for 4,555 yards and 38 touchdowns, he’s going to
have to be even better, given the slew of new receivers.
Best Defensive Player:
Senior SS
Joe Garcia. Part strong safety and part linebacker, the 217-pound junior
is a big-time hitter who’s decent at getting into the backfield and a
rock against the run. While he’s good at forcing the big play, he could
stand to do a bit more when the ball is in the air. He’ll team with
Darcel McBath to form one of the league’s best safety tandems.
Key player to a
successful season:
Redshirt freshman WR
Michael Crabtree. Someone has to catch all of Harrell’s passes. Crabtree
might be the most talented receiver recruit Leach and his staff have
brought in, and has tremendous skills and an uncanny knack to get open …
at least in practice.
The season will be a
success if
... the Red Raiders win ten games. It’s a tall order, considering how
many holes they have to fill on both sides of the ball, and it might
take a bowl win to do it, but double-digit wins would be an enormous
leap in the Mike Leach era, considering the program hasn’t won ten since
1976. The schedule is just easy enough to do it, allowing for losses
against Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma.
Key game:
Sept. 22 at Oklahoma
State. Facing Texas and Oklahoma in the final two games of the year,
Tech can be in a great position to control its own Big 12 destiny late
in November, as long as it gets by the other above-average conference
teams like Texas A&M, Missouri, and Oklahoma State in the league opener.
The Cowboys will have the offense to keep up in the shootout, but if the
Red Raiders win, they’ll likely be 6-0 going into the showdown with the
Aggies.
2006 Fun Stats:
- Second quarter scoring: Texas Tech 159; Opponents 125
- Third quarter scoring: Texas Tech 80; Opponents 55
- Penalties: Texas Tech 96 for 856 yards; Opponents 70 for 613 yards