 "Photo: Sam Grenadier")
Trailing by two touchdowns to Texas A&M just before the half, it was loud and clear what fans wanted Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.
“No more Potts,” chanted the student section as Texas Tech players motioned with their hands to quiet down.
Those chanters got their wish after two possessions to start the second half. Potts was rooted in the pocket and sacked by A&M’s Von Miller. The ball squirted out of his hands and the Aggies recovered.
In came quarterback Seth Doege, who immediately showed more mobility and awareness than Potts. It didn’t change the outcome though, which was a crushing 52-30 loss to a rejuvenated Texas A&M team.
All the blame can’t be placed on Potts though, as Mike Leach, receiver Alexander Torres and defensive lineman Colby Whitlock put it after the game: This was a team loss, plain and simple.
“We have a great play and then not a real good play,” Leach said. “I mean, you can go through any position you want and the same description applies to all of them. You want safeties? How about linebackers? You know? Running backs? D-line? Quarterbacks? Hell yeah on quarterbacks.”
Some may question whether the absence of quarterback Steven Sheffield had any impact on the game.
Leach has said in previous weeks Sheffield brought a certain enthusiasm and leadership quality to not only the offense but the entire team.
He said Potts looked “statue-like” in the pocket and he never got in a rhythm. Potts turned the ball over three times while passing for 310 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-36 passing.
As for his assessment on Doege, Leach thought he played well considering the circumstances. The redshirt freshman threw for 146 yards on 18-of-25 passing in his effort to jumpstart a stagnant offense in the second half.
Leach said it will be another game-time decision as far as the starter for this week’s game against Kansas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium.
After a fumble on their first drive, it was clear the Aggies were on a mission. They reeled off 31 unanswered points, running for 321 yards and six touchdowns and spoiling Leach’s bid at tying Spike Dykes for most career wins.
“As we got hit in the mouth by them, then we had a group of people out there trying to make too much happen, and essentially we just played street ball,” Leach said. “Football is the ultimate team game. So a bunch of 11 individuals running 11 different directions isn’t going to be really effective.”
Torres, who had a career night with 128 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions, said he didn’t believe the team overlooked the Aggies, but acknowledged certain “distractions” may have led to mistakes.
“Frustration,” said Torres in reference to the team’s mood. “I mean we’re definitely upset.
And that is just one thing that we all as a team just put upon ourselves. We put ourselves in this situation. So as upset as we are, there is no one that’s going to be able to turn it around but us.”
Whitlock said the Red Raiders didn’t respect the Aggies, which isn’t in line with the phrase Leach drills into his players minds on a regular basis: Fear no one, respect everyone.
It’s a let down of a loss considering how Tech jumped into the rankings after upsetting then-No. 15 Nebraska a week ago. The Red Raiders outside shot at reaching the Big 12 Conference title game is eliminated and all of a sudden everything is not so pleasant in Lubbock.
Leach takes his shots at the media on a regular basis, but after the game Saturday, he acknowledged its importance in regards to generating attention to a wide range of people.
In light of that, he expressed his disdain for players getting caught up in the glorification that follows a win such as the 31-10 win against the Huskers last week.
“We thought that we could read our press clippings and still go out and play good. But you know what? Nobody can,” Leach said. “I mean, this is sad. But this one’s over. It’s out of our hands, and there is nothing we can do. So now we know how the other guy feels.”
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morning that his home had been vandalized. Reports are that eggs were
thrown at the Tech coach's home sometime during the early morning hours.
A Lubbock police spokesperson said that they are almost 100% sure the
suspect is Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts because of the 250 eggs
that were thrown, only 5 actually hit the home. "PRICELESS.I can't stop laughing.I just passed this item onto a comedy writer/producer who has a top ten show on Television.
AP- Texas Tech coach Mike Leach reported to Lubbock police on Sunday
morning that his home had been vandalized. Reports are that eggs were
thrown at the Tech coach's home sometime during the early morning hours.
A Lubbock police spokesperson said that they are almost 100% sure the
suspect is Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts because of the 250 eggs
that were thrown, only 5 actually hit the home.
GO TECH!