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10-16-2007, 05:22 AM
Red Raiders enter AP poll - newly released BCS, too
No. 22 Tech preps for Mizzou
don williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Posted: Monday, October 15, 2007
Updated: Monday, October 15, 2007 3:51 a.m.
Before Sunday, Texas Tech had not been ranked in any of the major football polls since last Oct. 7. On that night, Missouri ruined the Red Raiders' homecoming, and their absence from the polls lasted more than a year.
The Raiders re-entered the polls Sunday - at No. 21 in the USA Today coaches poll, No. 22 by The Associated Press and No. 24 in the first BCS rankings - after they improved their record to 6-1 by routing Texas A&M 35-7 the day before.
Coincidentally, Tech's first chance to put that ranking on the line comes against No. 15 Missouri. The Raiders visit the Tigers (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) for a 2:30 p.m. game Saturday at Faurot Field. The game will be televised by ABC.
Who's No. 1? - and where's Texas Tech ranked?
• After another wild weekend in college football, Ohio State took over the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press Top 25, and the Buckeyes also earned the top spot in the BCS rankings, which were released for the first time this season.
• Texas Tech moved into the rankings after its win over Texas A&M on Saturday: No. 21 by USA Today and the Harris Interactive poll, No. 22 by The AP and No. 24 in the BCS.
• The full BCS rankings can be found on C3. The full USA Today, Harris and AP rankings are on C8. College football
• Who: Texas Tech at Missouri
• When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Faurot Field, Columbia, Mo.
• TV: ABC (Channel 28, Suddenlink Cable channel 8)
• Records: Tech 6-1, 2-1 in Big 12; Missouri 5-1, 1-1
• Last game: Tech 35, Texas A&M 7; Oklahoma 41, Missouri 31
• Last meeting: Missouri 38, Tech 21 last year in Lubbock
• Line: Missouri by 3 1/2
Tech coach Mike Leach said after Saturday's game that the potential to be ranked didn't concern him.
"The most important thing we can do is see how much better we can become as a team tomorrow, and then do it again and do it again,'' said Leach, whose team is in a four-way tie for the South Division lead at 2-1.
This week's game is a dandy matchup between two of the most productive quarterbacks in college football - Missouri's Chase Daniel and Tech's Graham Harrell. Harrell passed for 425 yards and accounted for four touchdowns Saturday, but just as vital to the victory against A&M were Tech's running game and defense - two traits not often mentioned in connection with Leach.
Tech running back Shannon Woods had a career-high in carries (21), and Woods and Kobey Lewis accounted for 209 yards rushing and receiving.
A surprise to many, but not to the Raiders.
A lot of the runs were plays Harrell checked into at the line of scrimmage after surveying A&M's defensive setup.
"They were really trying to get their linebackers back - almost ignoring the run and trying to get back in our passing lanes,'' Harrell said. "Coach did a good job pointing that out on film, because they played Baylor last week and did a similar thing to them. We knew if they did that, we were going to have to run the ball to be successful.''
Tech's defense continued to trend upward since the shakeup three weeks ago when Tech coach Mike Leach changed defensive coordinators and promoted Ruffin McNeill. Though Tech yielded 233 rushing yards to A&M, that was still 43 fewer than A&M's average, and the Aggies were shut out after scoring an early touchdown.
"He has the if-then theory,'' senior safety Joe Garcia said of McNeill. "If he cares about us, we're going to care about him, and it shows out there. We'll do anything for him, and I like it.''
The if-then theory called for some tough love, though, after the Aggies shoved it down Tech's throat on their first drive and used 10 straight rushing plays to score.
Back on the sideline, McNeill chewed out his players and slammed down his towel.
"I asked them not to let that happen anymore. Please,'' McNeill said later, grinning. "I thought that first drive, they may have been trying too hard. But I love our kids. They know how I am. I might raise my voice to them every now and then, but they know I love them.''
McNeill has said he wanted to simplify the defense and ask his players to be aggressive and enthusiastic. It's worked so far. In McNeill's first two games as coordinator, there was a 20-series sequence in which Tech didn't allow Northwestern State or Iowa State to cross midfield. On Saturday, the Raiders didn't allow A&M to cross midfield on three third-quarter possessions, when the Aggies had a south wind at their backs and the chance to cut into a 21-7 deficit.
Leach said McNeill has brought "an incredible amount of energy.''
Harrell said his defensive mates' willingness to get after it has made a difference.
"With just about any defense, I really don't think scheme's that big a deal,'' Harrell said. "It's about how hard you play and running to the football. Right now, Coach Ruff's got them playing really, really hard and has them running to the football. When you do that, you're going to be a good defense.''
Star freshman receiver Mike Crabtree didn't catch a touchdown pass for the first time this season, but each of the other three starting receivers did. The TD pass to Edward Britton was the first Harrell has thrown to a split end this season.
Crabtree did, however, catch eight passes for 170 yards and set up a pair of touchdowns by breaking middle screens for 54 and 47 yards. Among the single-season major-college records on his radar are those for yards by a freshman receiver - he needs 22 to break - and the mark for overall and consecutive 100-yard receiving games - both 11. Crabtree has seven.
link (http://redraiders.com/stories/101507/foo_101507014.shtml)
No. 22 Tech preps for Mizzou
don williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Posted: Monday, October 15, 2007
Updated: Monday, October 15, 2007 3:51 a.m.
Before Sunday, Texas Tech had not been ranked in any of the major football polls since last Oct. 7. On that night, Missouri ruined the Red Raiders' homecoming, and their absence from the polls lasted more than a year.
The Raiders re-entered the polls Sunday - at No. 21 in the USA Today coaches poll, No. 22 by The Associated Press and No. 24 in the first BCS rankings - after they improved their record to 6-1 by routing Texas A&M 35-7 the day before.
Coincidentally, Tech's first chance to put that ranking on the line comes against No. 15 Missouri. The Raiders visit the Tigers (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) for a 2:30 p.m. game Saturday at Faurot Field. The game will be televised by ABC.
Who's No. 1? - and where's Texas Tech ranked?
• After another wild weekend in college football, Ohio State took over the No. 1 spot in The Associated Press Top 25, and the Buckeyes also earned the top spot in the BCS rankings, which were released for the first time this season.
• Texas Tech moved into the rankings after its win over Texas A&M on Saturday: No. 21 by USA Today and the Harris Interactive poll, No. 22 by The AP and No. 24 in the BCS.
• The full BCS rankings can be found on C3. The full USA Today, Harris and AP rankings are on C8. College football
• Who: Texas Tech at Missouri
• When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Faurot Field, Columbia, Mo.
• TV: ABC (Channel 28, Suddenlink Cable channel 8)
• Records: Tech 6-1, 2-1 in Big 12; Missouri 5-1, 1-1
• Last game: Tech 35, Texas A&M 7; Oklahoma 41, Missouri 31
• Last meeting: Missouri 38, Tech 21 last year in Lubbock
• Line: Missouri by 3 1/2
Tech coach Mike Leach said after Saturday's game that the potential to be ranked didn't concern him.
"The most important thing we can do is see how much better we can become as a team tomorrow, and then do it again and do it again,'' said Leach, whose team is in a four-way tie for the South Division lead at 2-1.
This week's game is a dandy matchup between two of the most productive quarterbacks in college football - Missouri's Chase Daniel and Tech's Graham Harrell. Harrell passed for 425 yards and accounted for four touchdowns Saturday, but just as vital to the victory against A&M were Tech's running game and defense - two traits not often mentioned in connection with Leach.
Tech running back Shannon Woods had a career-high in carries (21), and Woods and Kobey Lewis accounted for 209 yards rushing and receiving.
A surprise to many, but not to the Raiders.
A lot of the runs were plays Harrell checked into at the line of scrimmage after surveying A&M's defensive setup.
"They were really trying to get their linebackers back - almost ignoring the run and trying to get back in our passing lanes,'' Harrell said. "Coach did a good job pointing that out on film, because they played Baylor last week and did a similar thing to them. We knew if they did that, we were going to have to run the ball to be successful.''
Tech's defense continued to trend upward since the shakeup three weeks ago when Tech coach Mike Leach changed defensive coordinators and promoted Ruffin McNeill. Though Tech yielded 233 rushing yards to A&M, that was still 43 fewer than A&M's average, and the Aggies were shut out after scoring an early touchdown.
"He has the if-then theory,'' senior safety Joe Garcia said of McNeill. "If he cares about us, we're going to care about him, and it shows out there. We'll do anything for him, and I like it.''
The if-then theory called for some tough love, though, after the Aggies shoved it down Tech's throat on their first drive and used 10 straight rushing plays to score.
Back on the sideline, McNeill chewed out his players and slammed down his towel.
"I asked them not to let that happen anymore. Please,'' McNeill said later, grinning. "I thought that first drive, they may have been trying too hard. But I love our kids. They know how I am. I might raise my voice to them every now and then, but they know I love them.''
McNeill has said he wanted to simplify the defense and ask his players to be aggressive and enthusiastic. It's worked so far. In McNeill's first two games as coordinator, there was a 20-series sequence in which Tech didn't allow Northwestern State or Iowa State to cross midfield. On Saturday, the Raiders didn't allow A&M to cross midfield on three third-quarter possessions, when the Aggies had a south wind at their backs and the chance to cut into a 21-7 deficit.
Leach said McNeill has brought "an incredible amount of energy.''
Harrell said his defensive mates' willingness to get after it has made a difference.
"With just about any defense, I really don't think scheme's that big a deal,'' Harrell said. "It's about how hard you play and running to the football. Right now, Coach Ruff's got them playing really, really hard and has them running to the football. When you do that, you're going to be a good defense.''
Star freshman receiver Mike Crabtree didn't catch a touchdown pass for the first time this season, but each of the other three starting receivers did. The TD pass to Edward Britton was the first Harrell has thrown to a split end this season.
Crabtree did, however, catch eight passes for 170 yards and set up a pair of touchdowns by breaking middle screens for 54 and 47 yards. Among the single-season major-college records on his radar are those for yards by a freshman receiver - he needs 22 to break - and the mark for overall and consecutive 100-yard receiving games - both 11. Crabtree has seven.
link (http://redraiders.com/stories/101507/foo_101507014.shtml)