Cumbie, You're No Joe Namath!!!

[MrMustang1965]

This story ran in the University Daily on September 3. Considering how the game went, it's obvious Cumbie is no Joe Namath!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Texas Tech's first offensive drive Saturday against Southern Methodist, the Red Raiders will have seven points as long as they can convert the extra point.

At least according to what first-time starting quarterback Sonny Cumbie said.

"We'll get a touchdown," Cumbie said of his first drive as a collegiate starting quarterback. "We're gonna drive it down and score a touchdown. We want to start fast. They're gonna show us some stuff defensively to try and get us in trouble, but we want to start fast and put some points on the board."

Cumbie, a fifth-year senior, is quick to fend off any questions regarding his being nervous before his first start.

"I've got a lot of things going through my head, but there's not a negative thought going through it," he said. "Throughout (training camp) I've felt so comfortable out there. (Running the offense) is second nature with everything we do. I'm gonna go out there with 10 other great football players who will make my job a lot easier."

Last season, Tech defeated SMU 58-10 in former Raider B.J. Symons' first career start. Symons threw for 297 yards on his way to setting the NCAA record for single season passing yardage. Cumbie wants to make a similar statement, but the gaudy numbers are not important to him.

"I think I'll be trying to make a statement, but it's not just for the SMU game," he said. "It's also the 10 other games we're gonna play this year to answer everyone's questions. Statistically, I could care less if we go for 100 yards or 500 yards. As long as we win the game I'll be happy, and that's the answer I'll have every week."

While Cumbie has no concerns, coach Mike Leach does; only ones he called "natural."

"It's no different than it was when Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons or (former Oklahoma quarterback) Josh Heupel first went in," he said.

Leach quoted Chicago Cubs' pitcher Greg Maddux to explain his outlook for Cumbie's first start.

"It's kinda like Maddux says when he pitches, 'If I do this right and that right, the ball's got no choice but to go where I want it to.'" Leach said. "If (Cumbie) does all the right things, odds are it'll work out."

Cumbie said while he has no worries about Saturday's game, Tech must be prepared to play if the Raiders want to win their season opener.

"It's important we start fast, move the ball and get everyone prepared like we know we will," he said. "There's no talk about practice No. 29 around here; this is game No. 1, and that's what we're focused on."

Cumbie will have plenty of help when he begins his career as a starter. Tech returns many productive players from last year, including wide receivers Nehemiah Glover and Jarrett Hicks and running back Taurean Henderson, but he has a number of relatively inexperienced players on the offensive side of the ball.

There are no worries in the huddle, Cumbie said.

"It's a great situation I'm in," he said. "I've got Hicks and Glover, who are two guys that have some experience. Then, on the other side, I've got (Cody) Fuller and (Joel) Filani. I'll tell you about those guys, it's a neat thing to see them in practice every day. They make strides every day, and are ready to go out there and make some plays."

Hicks said the entire offense is confident in Cumbie's ability, and he is ready to work with his new quarterback.

"Me personally, I want to go out there and get 200 yards and four or five touchdowns," Hicks said.

Since Cumbie began getting the majority of the plays in practice after being named starter, he said his timing is good with both his receivers and offensive line.

"The timing thing has really been worked out over these last 10 practices," he said. "Everyone is coming together well. Everyone had an idea about who (the starter) was gonna be, but until (Leach) made the announcement it wasn't final. Now we're all just anxious to get out there."

Regarding his anxiety, Cumbie said he has been waiting for one moment since he was named starter. That moment will come at 7 p.m. Saturday at SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas.

I've really been relishing the thought of running off the sideline out on to the field for the first time and breaking the huddle with 10 other guys," he said. "It's something I've dreamed about."

[MrMustang1965]

Just keep running your mouth, Cumbie. The Big 12 is gunnin' for ya!
This is from today's University Daily at Texas Tech.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twenty years of seeing your favorite team lose to the same team every season can be a bit irritating.

The Texas Tech football team expects a hostile environment when it travels to Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday for a 7 p.m. kick off against the University of New Mexico.

Quarterback Sonny Cumbie said the fans can be as loud as they want, but Tech will approach the game as if the game were at home.

"You talk about a hostile environment; that's exactly what we're going into," Cumbie said. "It doesn't matter if 10 people or 50,000 New Mexico fans show up, it's not gonna change anything we do. They can show up and cheer as loud as they want to until we take them out of the game, and that's what we plan on doing."

Tech has not lost to the Lobos since 1984 and has won the past three games in University Stadium, most recently in 2002 when Tech shut out the Lobos 49-0.

For Tech (1-0) to continue its streak against the Lobos (0-1), the Red Raiders must get a better start and continue their success throughout the game, something Cumbie said they failed to do Saturday against Southern Methodist University.

"I think we were so concerned with starting fast we kind of forgot to play after we started," he said. "The big thing was the red zone. We can't go down there seven times and score three times. We have to score every time."

Cumbie and the Tech offense rolled up 537 total yards against the Mustangs, but only had 27 points to show for it.

"We would've liked to score more points," he said. "When you have over 500 yards of offense, you'd like to score more than 27 points, and we should have. This week is our chance to do that."

The Lobos bring a solid running game into their second contest. Last week in their 21-17 loss to Washington State, running back DonTrell Moore had 167 yards rushing on 24 carries. Moore was injured in last year's game against Tech and was replaced by D.D. Cox, who ran for 187 yards against Tech's defense - 140 of those coming in the second half.

Cornerback Antonio Huffman said since Tech has played UNM regularly, the Raiders know what to expect from the Lobos running game.

"We've been preparing for what they're gonna run at us," Huffman said. "I think we'll execute it will. We know some of the stuff they're gonna try, because we played them last year. It's pretty much the same stuff."

Besides the running game, Tech's other concern for Saturday is the Lobos complex defensive system, Tech offensive tackle Daniel Loper said.

"Their defensive coordinator is probably a genius," he said. "I've never met the guy, but the things they throw together for blitz packages are really good. If you don't prepare extremely long and hard, you won't be able to stop it."

Leach agreed, saying the Lobos defense is one for which he spends extra time preparing.

"I think, schematically, they're as tough a defense as we'll play this year," he said. "They're certainly one of the toughest in the country, because they throw a lot at you. They put a lot of demands on you, and it's one of the defenses I admire most in the country."

UNM coach Rocky Long said while his defense may present problems, the action is mutual. He said his defensive scheme is ideally designed for teams that have two good receivers who can be covered man-to-man and have safeties to possibly double team, but with Tech, the situation changes.

"If you have four quality receivers out there, it becomes a true matchup, one-on-one, with a lot of grass area to cover," Long said. "If your matchups aren't very good at one point or another, they complete a long pass. They have good receivers in every spot."

Cumbie said he is ready for the challenge of facing multiple blitz packages and varying coverage.

[Pony4Life]

Tech has grown tiresome. Let's move on.