WestTXLonghorn
09-28-2006, 04:25 PM
Tim Griffin:
A&M gives Leach reason to chuckle
San Antonio Express-News
Griffin Minutes after watching his team dismantle Texas A&M last season, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach skewered his opponent's traditions with a blast that would shiver the timbers of the most devoted Aggie.
Leach's infatuation with pirates was a key element in a New York Times Sunday magazine cover story last December by Michael Lewis. And considering the author spent the A&M week with the Tech coach, he came away with a lot of buccaneer material.
Take Leach's assessment of the A&M Corps of Cadets, which wore its military uniforms, hollering in unison and standing at attention during the entire 56-17 Tech victory as they do at all Aggie games.
"How come they get to pretend they are soldiers?" Leach asked in the article. "The thing is, they aren't in the military. I ought to have Mike's Pirate School. For homework, we'll work pirate maneuvers and stuff like that."
The story also mentioned that the wife of an A&M assistant coach created a scene in the Jones AT&T Stadium skyboxes after Tech's victory, saying that she would rather live in College Station than Lubbock.
"First of all, we just beat them, 56-17," Leach said in the article. "By all rights, she should now be a Red Raider slave."
As it is, Tech has taken control in the series with eight victories in the last 11 games. Leach is 4-2, and his confidence has been clearly buoyed after averaging 451.5 yards passing against the Aggies in the last four seasons.
Tech has been able to take advantage in the rivalry for several reasons. The biggest is Leach, who has developed an offensive system that A&M hasn't come close to cracking.
The teams that have been successful against the Red Raiders have combined zone and man defenses with athletes that match Tech's collection of receivers.
A&M's talent in the secondary has dropped off since R.C. Slocum's salad days in the late 1990s. And the rivalry doesn't figure to turn until A&M has the athletes to check Tech's receivers.
This season's secondary, working in new coordinator Gary Darnell's 4-2-5 alignment, is more experienced than any that A&M coach Dennis Franchione has trotted out.
Several A&M defensive backs got what Franchione termed a "trial by fire" last year. Arkeith Brown, Devin Gregg and Danny Gorrer all played as freshmen. Jordan Peterson redshirted as a freshman, and Marquis Carpenter is playing Division I-A football for the first time.
"Experience has helped them," Franchione said. "That, and the multiplicity of things that Coach Darnell's defense has given them, has helped them gain confidence as we go into this stretch."
Leach mentioned another reason for the improvement that is probably more accurate, considering A&M's 4-0 start has been crafted against The Citadel, Louisiana-Lafayette, Army and Louisiana Tech.
"Scheduling's been beneficial," Leach told reporters Monday at his press conference. "I think that was smart scheduling."
The Tech coach was careful to praise A&M's new staff.
"I think they're good coaches," Leach said. "They obviously have some good players. They always do. And then, I think they've scheduled wisely to allow them to build on it."
But it still hasn't tested them for an offense like Leach will bring into Kyle Field. The return of preseason All-Big 12 wide receiver Jarrett Hicks has only made the Red Raiders' passing game more potent.
That's why the lights are burning late this week in the Aggies' football compound.
There is still much work to be done to keep Leach from chortling again at their expense Saturday.
:clap:
A&M gives Leach reason to chuckle
San Antonio Express-News
Griffin Minutes after watching his team dismantle Texas A&M last season, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach skewered his opponent's traditions with a blast that would shiver the timbers of the most devoted Aggie.
Leach's infatuation with pirates was a key element in a New York Times Sunday magazine cover story last December by Michael Lewis. And considering the author spent the A&M week with the Tech coach, he came away with a lot of buccaneer material.
Take Leach's assessment of the A&M Corps of Cadets, which wore its military uniforms, hollering in unison and standing at attention during the entire 56-17 Tech victory as they do at all Aggie games.
"How come they get to pretend they are soldiers?" Leach asked in the article. "The thing is, they aren't in the military. I ought to have Mike's Pirate School. For homework, we'll work pirate maneuvers and stuff like that."
The story also mentioned that the wife of an A&M assistant coach created a scene in the Jones AT&T Stadium skyboxes after Tech's victory, saying that she would rather live in College Station than Lubbock.
"First of all, we just beat them, 56-17," Leach said in the article. "By all rights, she should now be a Red Raider slave."
As it is, Tech has taken control in the series with eight victories in the last 11 games. Leach is 4-2, and his confidence has been clearly buoyed after averaging 451.5 yards passing against the Aggies in the last four seasons.
Tech has been able to take advantage in the rivalry for several reasons. The biggest is Leach, who has developed an offensive system that A&M hasn't come close to cracking.
The teams that have been successful against the Red Raiders have combined zone and man defenses with athletes that match Tech's collection of receivers.
A&M's talent in the secondary has dropped off since R.C. Slocum's salad days in the late 1990s. And the rivalry doesn't figure to turn until A&M has the athletes to check Tech's receivers.
This season's secondary, working in new coordinator Gary Darnell's 4-2-5 alignment, is more experienced than any that A&M coach Dennis Franchione has trotted out.
Several A&M defensive backs got what Franchione termed a "trial by fire" last year. Arkeith Brown, Devin Gregg and Danny Gorrer all played as freshmen. Jordan Peterson redshirted as a freshman, and Marquis Carpenter is playing Division I-A football for the first time.
"Experience has helped them," Franchione said. "That, and the multiplicity of things that Coach Darnell's defense has given them, has helped them gain confidence as we go into this stretch."
Leach mentioned another reason for the improvement that is probably more accurate, considering A&M's 4-0 start has been crafted against The Citadel, Louisiana-Lafayette, Army and Louisiana Tech.
"Scheduling's been beneficial," Leach told reporters Monday at his press conference. "I think that was smart scheduling."
The Tech coach was careful to praise A&M's new staff.
"I think they're good coaches," Leach said. "They obviously have some good players. They always do. And then, I think they've scheduled wisely to allow them to build on it."
But it still hasn't tested them for an offense like Leach will bring into Kyle Field. The return of preseason All-Big 12 wide receiver Jarrett Hicks has only made the Red Raiders' passing game more potent.
That's why the lights are burning late this week in the Aggies' football compound.
There is still much work to be done to keep Leach from chortling again at their expense Saturday.
:clap: