INSIDE SLANT

Mike Leach is having trouble shuffling quarterbacks.

“I probably should have kept (Taylor) Potts in the whole game,” Leach said, second-guessing himself following a 24-17 loss at Oklahoma State on Nov. 14.

Consistency is the issue Leach constantly harps about, and his patience wears thin when quarterbacks fail to execute properly. He gave Potts four series to produce as the starter at Oklahoma State before inserting Steven Sheffield, who was clearly bothered by a broken left foot he suffered four weeks earlier in a win at Nebraska.

Although he stayed in until the middle of the fourth quarter, Sheffield didn’t provide the typical spark that separated him from Potts earlier in the season. Sheffield took over as the Red Raiders’ starter after Potts suffered a concussion in a win against New Mexico.

Sheffield managed to give Tech a 10-7 halftime edge with a touchdown pass, but he also threw two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown to give Oklahoma State a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. The loss dropped the Red Raiders to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12 heading into a Nov. 21 home game against Oklahoma.

“I don’t need to mess with a bunch of shuffling around,” Leach said.

It is rare for Leach to substitute at quarterback, which is the key position in any offense but especially critical to Tech’s fortunes because of its tendency to throw. The last time there was any rotation at quarterback was in 2006, when Graham Harrell started all 12 games as a sophomore but was replaced in a couple of midseason games that year by Chris Todd, who later transferred to Auburn.

Despite the questions he raised over the shuffling of quarterbacks, Leach did not name a starter for the Oklahoma game.

“We’ve got five to pick from, so hang on,” Leach said..

NOTES, QUOTES

• Texas Tech coach Mike Leach was displeased about the play of his receivers in a Nov. 14 loss against Oklahoma State. He said the receivers were content to “just eat, ride and warm up” for the road game. In addition, he was disappointed in RB Harrison Jeffers, who has had just seven touches (five carries, two receptions) in the past three games after logging 32 touches during a three-game winning streak against New Mexico, Kansas State and Nebraska.

• Texas Tech is 0-3 against the Big 12 South, with this being the longest stretch in a season for the Red Raiders to go winless against division rivals since the conference was formed in 1996. With 45 league wins since 2000, Texas Tech is the third winningest program in Big 12 play, but well behind Oklahoma and Texas, which share the lead with 66 conference wins.

Series History:   Oklahoma leads Texas Tech 12-4 (last meeting, 2008, 65-21 OU).

Scouting The Offense:   With problems sustaining any consistency in the passing game, the Red Raiders need to work to establish the run, which was outstanding against Kansas but almost nonexistent against Oklahoma State. Three interceptions against the Cowboys doesn’t bode well as the Red Raiders face both a strong secondary and strong pass rush from Oklahoma. The Tech line protected well at OSU, allowing just one sack, but also needs to open holes for the run game.

Scouting The Defense:   Texas Tech is at its best defensively when it generates pressure. Often, the front four manages to get that done with help from LB Bront Bird. DE Brandon Sharpe ranks among the nation’s sack leaders, but other linemen are capable of closing in on the quarterback when opponents double-team Sharpe. The Tech rush defense was poor at Oklahoma State, allowing 207 yards on the ground in the second half.

Quote To Note:   “We need to forget (last year’s 65-21 loss at Oklahoma), because all that counts is the next game. Nothing in that game’s got any impact on this game. There’s not one play we made or they made that counts for this game, so any reflection on that is a complete waste of time.”—Texas Tech coach Mike Leach.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

This Week  ‘S GAME: Oklahoma at Texas Tech, Nov. 21—The Red Raiders were 10-0 and in the mix for a berth in the national championship game last season before they were humbled 65-21 in a loss at Oklahoma. Tech coach Mike Leach consistently mentions that revenge is never a factor, particularly when analyzing a game from the previous season, but OT Marlon Winn was among a handful of Red Raiders who clearly remembered the disappointment. “The most spoiled milk in the world; it kind of tasted like that in your mouth, and it was just an awful feeling,” Winn said.

Keys To The Game:   The matchup could depend entirely on which team Oklahoma brings. After failing to score a touchdown in a Nov. 7 loss at Nebraska, the Sooners rebounded with a 65-10 drubbing of Texas A&M. QB Landry Jones threw for a career-best 392 yards and five touchdowns, while RB DeMarco Murray tied the OU single-game record for receiving yards (143) by a running back. The Red Raiders have won the last two meetings in Lubbock.

Players To Watch:  

QB Taylor Potts—He ranks fifth in passing yards among Big 12 quarterbacks despite missing two games because of a concussion. His 301.4-yard average is still tops in the league.

KR Eric Stephens—The swift freshman ranks third in the Big 12 with a 25.4-yard average, though he has yet to break a runback for a touchdown.

DE Brandon Sharpe—He ranks second in the Big 12 with 10.5 sacks, while DE Daniel Howard ranks sixth with 7.5. With 33 sacks as a team, Tech shares the Big 12 lead with Oklahoma.

Roster Report:  

• QB Steven Sheffield wore a special shoe in the Oklahoma State loss to protect his surgically repaired left foot. The shoe drew laughs among teammates, including LB Bront Bird, who said “it was like a size 16 with kinds of padding inside.”

• OT Chris Olson started against Oklahoma State, his first start since the fifth game of the season. Olson started at left tackle, while OT Marlon Winn moved back to the right side, where he is most comfortable.

• CB Jamar Wall apparently is fine after a jarring tackle of Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson left both players woozy late in the Nov. 14 game. Texas Tech does not release injury information, but when asked about Wall, coach Mike Leach said, “he’s fine. Both of them got jacked up pretty good.”