Just got back from Jones Stadium

[RGV Pony]

...and here is my take.

Offense drove me crazy. The first drive looked efficient; thereafter it didn't look like we were so much out-athleted as in years past so much as the playcalling looked complacent, plodding, predictable and unimaginative. Tech adjusted to our first drive; we didn't adjust much. Discipline hurt us; three false starts in a row killed another drive that started out nicely. Fitz looked good; DeMyron looked like he was saddled with only one play. Willis threw a lot of balls at ankles. The pass protection held up for the most part; times when I remember the pocket collapsing Willis did a good job of escaping. Perhaps a more respectable score if we get points off the punt return and the interception.

The defense appeared to actually improve before my eyes as the game went on. The interior two linemen did a great job in the 3rd quarter of pressuring the QB. The long drives were kept alive time and again finding the soft spots in the middle of the field...the guy Johnson had what 14 catches? The Ponies pursued well, and tackled better than they did vs. A&M. Once again, if we could've sustained more drives, it would've been better.

Finally, I must comment on the Tech fandom. I'll qualify this by saying I've been a 'visiting' fan at Georgia, A&M, Tennessee, TCU, Notre Dame, and have seen how 'visiting' fans are treated at LSU first hand. That having been said, Tech fans are far and away the least hospitable; not even in a good way. Georgia fans are more rabid, but don't stoop to chanting "F*ck you S M U" during Varsity (and that was the entire student section) or multiple outcries of the p word that describes Sylvester. Nice!

[BRStang]

How did Willis look overall (other than throwing some balls at ankles)? Allowing a handicap for TTU, is he going to get the job done this year?

Sounds like our defense is promising for the rest of the season. Right?

How about special teams play?

Any other insights would be great...I didn't even get to listen to the game on the Ticket, tonight.

[RGV Pony]

How did Willis look overall (other than throwing some balls at ankles)? Allowing a handicap for TTU, is he going to get the job done this year?

Sounds like our defense is promising for the rest of the season. Right?

How about special teams play?

Any other insights would be great...I didn't even get to listen to the game on the Ticket, tonight.

Willis looked better than SMU's QB did in the first game of the season last year, the year before, and the year before that...IMO. I'm referencing the starter (i.e. Eckert's performance). I thought last year PB said we were becoming an "under center" team; didn't happen once tonight for a run play. We cannot afford to get zero yards on first and second downs. He kept dumb throws to a minimum. There were a couple "who the hell was he throwing to" passes.

I like our defense's chances in conference. A couple Tech fans I talked to on the bus afterward echoed those thoughts. Stallion mentioned on another thread our guys kept everything in front of them, and they did. McCann had some good plays. As pissed as I was at times, I had to remind myself that Tech lit up Cal in the Holiday Bowl, and at the time Cal was one of the 5 top defenses in the nation.

Special teams: the first punt was great; he had a shank that affected him some later on. The snaps are much quicker, and like the season preview said our punter now is a one-step guy-gets it off much faster. Tech still got good pressure on a couple. The one decent return I remember Tech having, the coverage was there & Amendola made the first guy miss and two others overran the play.

BRStang: You didn't go see the Tigers whip U La-La?

[BRStang]

BRStang: You didn't go see the Tigers whip U La-La?

I did, indeed. The score didn't necessarily reflect either teams' abilities. ULL played better than the score indicates, and LSU needs to settle down and work out the kinks...fumbled/muffed two catches off of punts for TOs.

Thanks for the info.

[StudPony]

I listened to the game over the Internet. The offensive output was really disappointing. I imagine the passes will be closer to the chest than the ankles as the season move forward, but I really hope the line plays better.

[westexSMU]

I just got back from the game and my thoughts are basically the same as my report on the team from the scrimmage in late August. Generally I thought the defense played good considering we only earned a few 1st Downs in the game after our only drive in the first quarter that produced points. The secondary played very well in the seccond half considering no offense. Offense....Well to be frank about it our QB and offensive line play need improvement in order for us to have any chance to play for a conference Championship. The play calling....a run up the middle and quarterback draw seemed to be the creative plays of choice. Passing ? no comment. Hopefully the QB problem was just a first game for a freshman against a good fast defense. I hope so because this team is so close to being very good if the QB can mange the game. Not tonight.

[tmustangp]

That having been said, Tech fans are far and away the least hospitable; not even in a good way. Georgia fans are more rabid, but don't stoop to chanting "F*ck you S M U" during Varsity (and that was the entire student section) or multiple outcries of the p word that describes Sylvester. Nice!

yes they are pretty sorry.. there is a reason they go to tech and not smu, a&m, baylor and texas.. they were screw ups in high school and tech was the only school they could go too..

[RedAttack]

I was at the game sitting relatively close to the SMU section. While one section of students did boo during the school song (which I am not proud of), the vast majority of the students (about 75%) sit on the south side, or opposite side of the stadium. So it wasn't the entire student body as is claimed.

Second, I'm surprised you could hearing some of the booing over the "Lubbock Sucks!" chants coming from the SMU section we heard several times. So your high horse may not be as high as you think.

As far as the game goes, your team played well despite the result, and I expect to see some upsets in your favor this season.

[mustangfan01]

they were screw ups in high school and they went to tech because it was the only school they could go **too**...

wow, you must have really hurt their pride with that one...

[RGV Pony]

I was at the game sitting relatively close to the SMU section. While one section of students did boo during the school song (which I am not proud of), the vast majority of the students (about 75%) sit on the south side, or opposite side of the stadium. So it wasn't the entire student body as is claimed.

Second, I'm surprised you could hearing some of the booing over the "Lubbock Sucks!" chants coming from the SMU section we heard several times. So your high horse may not be as high as you think.

As far as the game goes, your team played well despite the result, and I expect to see some upsets in your favor this season.

Booing I didn't mind. Mustangs suck wouldn't have been so bad. But "F*ck you S M U?" I don't recall hearing "Lubbock sucks." For that matter, aside from "SMU" and "defense," I don't recall any "chants." Our section was 13, in the endzone where the band was.

That having been said, Tech's offense looked consistent. I hope the Red Raiders beat Texas. And hang 70 on TCU. And pick off Palmer 5 times.

[Stallion]

for what its worth the vast majority of Tech fans over 12 are vocally expressing their displeasure at their own student body's behavior in booing the fight song on their message boards

[tmustangp]

they were screw ups in high school and they went to tech because it was the only school they could go **too**...

wow, you must have really hurt their pride with that one...

meant to write to, not too.. my intent mustangfan01 was not to hurt their pride but in some cases I am telling the truth..

[ALEX LIFESON]

I just got back from rainy Lubbock. I have been to Jones Stadium many times over the years, and I think their fan behavior took a turn for the extreem worse, when they turned the corner after Leach's arrival. We had seats in section 116, and had to move to section 13. The non stop curses hurled at us was unreal. I did witness a handful of SMU students chant Lubbock sux, midway through the 3rd quarter. It appeared to be in defense of the never ending F--- SMU chants, and middle finger salutes. I am sure others on the board witnessed the former SMU cheerleader (wearing a cowboy hat) get into it with Tech fans, and his father was actually hit in the back! At this point it was really starting to get physical as Don Stansbury and others joined in. I went to the top of our section, and nearly had to beg security to come and help. Moments later 7 or 8 security officers were trying to break things up, and restore a LITTLE bit of order. I have been to stadiums all across this country for many years, and with out doubt Texas Tech has the most nasty, belligerent, rude fans(mostly students) I have ever encountered.

[RGV Pony]

I just got back from rainy Lubbock. I have been to Jones Stadium many times over the years, and I think their fan behavior took a turn for the extreem worse, when they turned the corner after Leach's arrival. We had seats in section 116, and had to move to section 13. The non stop curses hurled at us was unreal. I did witsess a handful of SMU students chant Lubbock sux, midway through the 3rd quarter. It appeared to be in defense of the never ending F--- SMU chants, and middle finger salutes. I am sure others on the board witnessed the former SMU cheerleader (wearing a cowboy hat) get into it with Tech fans, and his father was actually hit in the back! At this point it was really starting to get physical as Don Stansbury and others joined in. I went to the top of our section, and nearly had to beg security to come and help. Moments later 7 or 8 security officers were trying to break things up, and restore a LITTLE bit of order. I have been to stadiums all across this country for many years, and with out doubt Texas Tech has the most nasty, belligerent, rude fans(mostly students) I have ever encountered.

Glad you posted that, Big Al. One really did need to be there.

[redraidersweetheart]

I am sorry that yall had a bad experience in your sections...I was there from 2 hours before kick off till after SMU played Varsity and as it was said before the majority of the student section, on the other side of the stadium weren't yelling F*** you SMU....me and my grandlil were sitting right near the SMU tunnel and the worse over there was the booing as the team came out. I am sorry that you had run-in's with the ones that succeed in giving us such a bad name. I can't speak for all of the thousands of students but I do know that my section wasn't participating and I would like to apoligize for the way yall were treated.

One other thing, just because you had a bad experience with the fans doesn't mean that Tech is a bad school. There are many students who got into UT, aTm, Baylor, SMU the list goes on and on. People CHOOSE Tech. As someone who was raised in an SMU family I hope that yall have an awesome season, I thought the game was closer than the score. Good Luck with an awesome season and hopefully a bowl bid...