TEXAS TECH SMACKS NEW MEXICO: WINS 48-28

THE GOOD:
"Sticks" Rocks! Backup QB Steven Sheffield came in for the injured Potts and quickly led the Red Raiders down the field for a TD before the half. He continued to provide a spark for both the offense and defense in the 2nd half as the game was put under control. It's fun to have a reliable back-up...now the question is, will he remain the back-up going forward?

Harrison Jeffers is F-A-S-T.!: Every time Jeffers got the ball, he made things happen with his speed. He only had 31 yards rushing but he got 3 TDs; in addition he had 90 yards receiving with 1 more TD. I say let's get the ball in his hands some more this season.

THE BAD:
Taylor Potts = Jekyll and Hyde: I can't figure this kid out. His opening drive passes were right on target and it only took 2 attempts to get to the endzone, making me think we were going to roll offensively in this game. Then the next 2 possessions are back to back interceptions - both were not good throws [he is strong so why does he throw off his back foot]. This inconsistency is driving me crazy, and I can't tell yet if this is what you get with Potts, or if he is still learning. He ended up taking a head shot early in the 2nd Quarter, and we assume he has a concussion as he did not return to the field after the half.

The Offensive Line was "Offensive": The Tech O-line allowed 5 sacks in this game after only allowing 6 in the first four games. Plus the starting QB was knocked out of the game on one of those sacks. Granted, they are playing without the suspended Brandon Carter, and starting Center Byrnes went out with an injury, but our entire offense is predicated on protecting the QB to find the open passing lanes. I really hope to see some improvement next week.

No pressure "D": Lobos were getting 10 yard screens and big passes to open guys in the middle of the field...this is the bend don't break defense that is reminiscent of the "Lyle" days. NM is not known for being an offensive juggernaut, yet they converted 5-11 3rd downs in the 1st half, and 3-6 4th downs in the game, both of which meant our offense was stuck on the sidelines. I really hope we can get some better pressure on the other team's offense and soon!

Too Many Injuries: Good Grief, it seemed like alot of players went out of the game last night. We had 4 players leave the game due to injuries, plus we were already down 2 other starters because of injuries. And with Leach's policy of not disclosing injuries, we are not likely to know the status of any of these players until the game next Saturday.

Too Many Turnovers: It was a miracle that we can still win a game despite having 5 turnovers. Yep, you read it correctly, we had 5 turnovers and still got the "W". Obviously with Big 12 play starting next week, we cannot continue to expect to win games when you give the ball back to the other team.


THE UGLY:
"Pink" out the stadium = FAIL! I have seen the crowds' "Red-out" and "Black-out" stadiums before, but the crowds attempt to "pink" out the stadium for breast cancer awareness looked atrocious on television. And it seemed to suck the life out of the fans as well as they didn't seem nearly as loud as normal [but that could be due to the overcast skies as well].