 "Photo: File Photo")
It's difficult to confidently choose whether Texas Tech's offense or defense has had the upper hand through the first several spring practices.
Some days, quarterback Taylor Potts and the offense look dominant, but then the defense answers with plenty of sacks and turnovers the next practice.
Either way, both sides of the ball will get plenty of chances to show improvement during the annual Red-Black game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium, where admission is free.
"Like coach (Mike) Leach always says (this spring), 'Not one side of the ball has won any practice two times in a row,'" linebacker Bront Bird said. "The spring game is kind of the big high point of the spring, so everybody is looking forward to that. You get put in a game environment instead of just coming out here and doing the same thing everyday."
Fans will see lots of new faces with the safety position completely reloading and several defensive and offensive players - such as receiver Alexander Torres and defensive lineman Richard Jones - emerging this spring.
But a new wrinkle to this year's game includes the elimination of Saturday practices and the addition of three practices after the spring game. So while the spring game normally marks the end of practices before fall, Tech's will continue.
A similar situation took place during last year's Red-Black game - which the defense won 29-23 with nine sacks and three interceptions - when Leach said after the game he was not satisfied with his squad's performance, so he made them scrimmage again during the week.
"It'll be really competitive this year I think," Potts said. "I think last year, a lot of people were just glad spring was over with because it had been a long spring. It'll be really exciting. Hopefully we can get a lot of people out here, and it'll be a really fun game."
For senior right tackle Marlon Winn, it will be his last Red-Black game, but he's trying not to dwell on that. Getting defensive looks the offensive line has not seen during practices is something he looks forward to.
As for the times when the defense dominates the offense, like a practice in early April when it recorded 12 sacks, Winn said days like that are helpful for both sides of the ball.
"I think that our defense is one of the best defenses in the country," he said. "They practice against us everyday, and we work hard. We try to push them to be the best and they try to push us to be the best.
"So in all, we're all getting a good workout out of the deal. Everybody is gonna get better for it. As long as everyone is going full speed, giving it their all, I think everybody will accomplish something."
Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill made his defense do up-downs for almost 10 minutes during Wednesday's practice after the offense scored on three consecutive possessions.
It probably was a good indicator as to what McNeill does not want to see on Saturday.
"There's just a couple things I ask of the defense," he said. "That we play with effort every single day we come on the field, and we play with great fundamentals and that we tackle well. If I don't see any one of those things, then they know I'm not a very happy camper, and they shouldn't be."
If Tech's defense outdoes its performance from the 2008 Red-Black game, then McNeill should have plenty to smile about.
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