Texas Tech football notebook

Mr. Popular

Plainview native Jamar Wall's game-saving interception of Nebraska quarterback Joe Ganz made his cell phone light up more than usual after the game.

"I had 60 text messages and like 10 to 15 missed calls," Wall said.

Nebraska trick play

Early in the fourth quarter, the Cornhuskers ran a fake field goal on fourth and seven from the nine-yard line that set up a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Joe Ganz. The score made it 24-17 and allowed Nebraska to tie the game at 24 on its next offensive possession.

With Nebraska down 14 and more than 12 minutes remaining, a field goal would not have been too helpful, and Tech coach Mike Leach said he could smell a fake. However, he added that the fake should have been stopped.

"Sure thought they could (run a fake)," Leach said. "I thought they could. (Daniel) Charbonnet kind of got caught up. I thought we should have played it better. The other thing is the guy is coming in to block it, as he pulled away from the guy we should have hit that guy in the mouth. We had two shots to shut that down, we just didn't do it."

Free time on the sideline

Tech center Stephen Hamby always provides an insightful, humorous interview, and he did not disappoint at Tech's weekly press conference Monday.

Nebraska was able to control the ball for more than 40 minutes despite losing 37-31 to Tech on Saturday. So how did Hamby and some of his teammates deal with the extra time?

"I didn't even know what to do on the sidelines because I had never been on the sidelines that long," he said. "(I was) walking around talking about not playing with (guard Louis Vasquez) and (guard Brandon Carter)."

Hamby said the 6-foot-7, 354-pound Carter, a fierce lineman that enjoys his job description, was having a hard time sitting on the sideline. Considering how half of Carter's face normally is covered with large amounts of eye black, Hamby had a witty suggestion for his buddy.

"(Carter) was about to have a heart attack, I think," Hamby said. "I didn't know what to tell him, but whatever, 'Put some more face paint on I guess.'"

Hamby is never shy to drop a joke or two. Earlier in the season, Hamby said fellow lineman Rylan Reed was his hero. The 27-year-old Reed battled back from a bout with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system causing tumors to grow from white blood cells.

"Rylan Reed (is my hero) for sure," Hamby said. "I think we complement each other well, he's 20-what? 35?"

In August, The Daily Toreador released a video in which Hamby lists the nicknames of several offensive linemen.

"We got Uncle Ray-Ray, Rylan Reed. We got the Burrito Tower, which is (guard) Louis (Vasquez), think about it," Hamby said. "We've got the terrorist which is (center) Shawn Byrnes because he's from Arizona. We've got (Carter), who is Mankind, we don't really call him that I just call him that sometimes, and then Byrnes is Kool-Aid." You can view the video at the following Web site:

http://media.www.dailytoreador.com/media/storage/paper870/news/2008/08/25/Sports/Getting.To.Know.Tech.Athletes-3402127.shtml

Because Tech is playing Texas A&M on Saturday, Hamby expressed his opinion on the tradition of the Texas A&M Corp. of Cadets by laughing for several seconds before sharing a personal story.

"I don't have anything to say about the core because my brother-in-law was in it, I think," Hamby said. "Needless to say he wore a kilt to my sister's wedding so that's all I have to say. They're just a different breed down there and I'm not too enthusiastic about their whole thing they got going."

"Every friend I've had go to A&M turns out different when they come back."

Leach prefers cheerleaders

In light of Texas Tech playing at Texas A&M on Saturday, Leach was asked whether he prefers cheerleaders or yell leaders, who use hand signals at games to synchronize the crowd's chants.

"Cheerleaders absolutely, I'm from Wyoming," he said. "At the University of Wyoming, for years, they just had cheerleaders. But as far as the core and (A&M's) tradition, I mean I think that's impressive and it's fun to watch and it captures everybody's attention."