Random Wednesday Texas Tech News

• Michael Crabtree was on one of the radio stations here in town. FOX 34 News has the video, plus an interview.
  
  FOX 34 Video
  
  
• The dates and times for the Texas Tech football coach's shows on News Talk 950 have also been released.
  

FOX Talk 950 is your station for inside information on the Texas Tech Football team. This season is shaping up to be perhaps one of the best in Red Raider history. Listen to weekly discussions with those in control on the sidelines.

Every Monday evening during the season listen for the Tech Talk Coaches Corner. From 6p to 7p, Robert Giovannetti and Chris Level talk with the assistant coaches, including Defensive Coordinator Ruffin McNeill, reviewing the previous week's matchup and looking ahead to each game.

Then, tune in every Thursday evening as we go one on one with Coach Mike Leach. Red Raider Football with Mike Leach is on the air from 5p to 7p, with your hosts Robert Giovannetti, Chris Level and Drew Dougherty. Plus, you can watch the show on the FOX AccuWeather Channel.

Don't forget, we're also bringing yout he latest developments on Red Raider Sports like no one else can during Tech Talk, weekdays 11a to 1p on FOX Talk 950.

• ESPN's Tim Griifin ranks Red Raider defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill has the seventh best assistant coach in the Big 12.
  

7. Ruffin McNeill, Texas Tech defensive coordinator -- Productive first season as interim coordinator last season, but will be facing immense challenge with heightened expectations riding on his work.

Conference of Quarterbacks

The Lawrence Journal-World has a good story on the quality of quarterbacks in the Big 12.

Here's the portion of the article that talks about Graham Harrell:

(From the Lawrence Journal-World) Sign No. 17 that the Big 12 has the best collection of quarterbacks of any conference in the country: The Graham Harrell conundrum. Not many conferences exist in which a quarterback can lead the nation in passing yards and touchdowns thrown and fail to be named the league's best player at his position. This is very much the situation of Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, however, who threw for 5,705 yards and 48 touchdowns last season but earned only second-team all-Big 12 honors (behind Daniel) and barely received a second look in the race for the Heisman. Harrell, a senior this year, represents a statistical wunderkind. Assuming he stays on his current pace — and avoids injury — he could very well own the conference records for yards gained in a career, passing yards in a career, completions in a career and completion percentage in a career by the end of the 2008 season. What's more, he averaged 438.8 yards per game in '07, to go along with four rushing touchdowns and a 71.8 completion percentage. "I think one of his strengths," Red Raiders coach Mike Leach said, "is he really doesn't have any weaknesses."

Random Tuesday Evening Texas Tech News

• Which football program is the most hated football program in the Big 12? ESPN's Tim Griffin has his list of most despised teams in the conference. Right now, the Red Raiders are not high on this list, but that might change if Texas Tech has a great football season.
  
• Griffin also ranks the Big 12's best rivalries. The Tech/A&M rivalry is number four on this list even if A&M doesn't consider the Red Raiders a rival.
  
• The Big 12 Conference has released the Lady Raiders 2008-2009 conference basketball schedule. Tech will open up conference play at home January 10 against Texas. The first conference road game will be at Texas A&M on January 13.
  

The Big 12 Conference schedule for the Texas Tech women's basketball team:

January

10 vs. Texas

13 at Texas A&M

17 at Kansas

21 vs. Kansas State

24 vs. Baylor

28 at Colorado

31 vs. Oklahoma State

February

8 at Texas

11 vs. Texas A&M

14 at Nebraska

17 vs. Oklahoma

21 at Oklahoma State

25 at Baylor

28 vs. Iowa State

March

4 at Oklahoma

7 vs. Missouri

The Big 12 tournament will be held March 12-15 in Oklahoma City.

Graham Harrell/Chase Daniel Comparison from Football 365.com

Football365.com has an interesting comparison between Big 12 quarterbacks Chase Daniel of Missouri and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. Daniel has won both head-to-head meetings between the two premier signal callers in the conference and would not meet this season unless the Tigers and Red Raiders meet in the Big 12 Championship.

(From Football365.com) "If you look at the legend on Chase Daniel three or four years (from now), it's not going to be based on my yards, it's not going to be based on my touchdowns or my interceptions," he said. "It's going to be based on wins. That's how it is for any quarterback on a big level." For those who do it by the numbers, Harrell rates as their favorite. The Red Raiders' fifth-year senior has accumulated 10,682 yards and 89 touchdowns in his career. He needs only 43 scoring passes in 2008 to break Colt Brennan's major-college record of 131 set just last year.

Random Sunday Texas Tech News

• The Oklahoman has a story about neutral site Big 12 football games and how the number of these games is increasing. Of course, Red Raider head football coach Mike Leach has his own opinion on these games.
  

(From The Oklahoman) Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, whose program plans a series with Oklahoma State in the Dallas area, said, "Dallas is not as good as games in Lubbock, but it's better than staying in Stillwater."

• The Susan Polgar National Invitational Chess Tournament for Girls will take place on the Texas Tech campus today through Friday. The field includes 51 young women under the age of 18 that have won either state or regional titles. The tournament is scheduled to be held at the Texas Tech campus for the next ten years.
  
• The El Paso Times reports that Texas Tech could soon open a school of nursing in El Paso.

Football News Picking Up

Now that Big 12 media days has come and gone, the football news is picking up regarding the Red Raiders.

• GoCyclones.com has the story on the Texas Tech football team eyeing double-digit wins this season.
  
• NewsOK.com reports that the Tech football team has plenty to prove this upcoming season.
  
• The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a story on former Red Raider assistant coach Dave Brown.
  

In non-football news, Guy Bailey has officially been named the university's 15^th president. Here are a number of links regarding Tech's new president.

• Houston Chronicle
  
• KCBD-News Channel 11
  
• Lubbock A-J
  

And last but not least, Chancellor Kent Hance has announced that a Texas Tech alum has pledged a $15 million donation to the university. No details on the donation have been released.

Big 12 Releases Red Raiders 2008-2009 Conference Schedule

The Texas Tech men's basketball team will open Big 12 Conference play on January 10^th of next year at Baylor. The Red Raiders first conference home game will be played on January 17^th against Texas.

January

10 at Baylor

17 vs. Texas

20 vs. Colorado

24 at Missouri

28 at Texas A&M

31 vs. Nebraska

February

4 at Oklahoma State

7 vs. Baylor

11 at Kansas State

14 at Oklahoma

18 vs. Oklahoma State

21 vs. Texas A&M

25 at Texas

28 vs. Oklahoma

March

4 vs. Kansas

7 at Iowa State

Random Tuesday Texas Tech News

Big 12 Media Day was held yesterday and that means college football is officially just around the corner. Media day also kicked off a flurry of Texas Tech related football news. Here are just a few of the articles from around the country.

• The Tulsa World has a question and answer sessions with Red Raider head football coach Mike Leach.
  
• The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Leach is happy with a large number of players competing for a running back position.
  
• USA Today has a story on All-American receiver Michael Crabtree.

New TTU Campus Pictures-7/21/2008 Edition

There is a flurry of activity around campus as the start of fall semester looms just around the corner.

This entire group of photos that has been posted at Raider Power includes shots of the Engineering Renovation of the Livermore Auditorium, the new pedestrian bridge that crosses the Marsha Sharp Freeway near Jones AT&T Stadium, the shopping center demolition near Hastings, the Marsha Sharp Freeway/4th Street Interchange, the new North Overton Hotel and Conference Center, other shots of North Overton, the new Leisure Pool construction near the Rec Center, and the Animal and Food Science Building.

The Livermore Auditorium renovation has reached the point where a lot of brick work is now being completed. Also a number of the new windows have been installed.

The work is moving along quickly on the pedestrian bridge near the northwest corner of Jones AT&T stadium. This should be completed by the opening of the football season and will help with foot traffic from the area near the old Town and Country shopping center that is currently being razed. Hastings will remain the only tenant still standing after this is done.

The construction in North Overton is moving at a lighting pace. The Centre II, directly east of The Centre, is starting to take shape. The Overton Hotel and Conference Center now stands between seven and eight stories tall and brick work has begun on the conference center portion of the building.

The Marsha Sharp Freeway construction changes almost daily. A portion of the University Avenue bridge over the freeway should open soon. Traffic is now moving on the freeway over Quaker Avenue.

The construction of the new Leisure Pool is also moving along as a lot work below ground level is taking place at the site.

The first picture below is the Animal and Food Science building and the second is the new Overton Hotel and Conference Center.

Please feel free to leave any comments or questions.

Random Sunday Texas Tech News

• HuskerExtra.com has a story on how spread offenses are making their mark in the Big 12.
  
• The Lubbock A-J ran a story on Saturday on how hosting the state FFA convention helps Texas Tech recruiters.
  

  Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance on Tech hosting the FFA convention:
  

(From the Lubbock A-J) "I think it's great," said Tech Chancellor Kent Hance. "I think it allows us to show them Texas Tech. It allows them to know what we are, what our culture is, and I wish we had them every year. It's an excellent convention for Lubbock and for Texas Tech. I was very excited to know that we're going to have that many youngsters here."

• I should have a new batch of campus pictures this week. The most notable thing around campus right now is the demolition of the Hasting's shopping center just north of Jones AT&T stadium. Hastings will remain open, but the demolition has begun on the west end of the shopping center.

Closing Down Shop for a Couple of Days

Due to a family emergency, I will not be posting for a few days. Hopefully, posts will resume by this weekend.

Take care and be safe!

Guns Up!

How does Big 12 Football Stack up Against SEC Football?

Nebraska StatePaper.com has an interesting story comparing Big 12 football to SEC football. The article suggests that LSU would have a hard time keeping up with the Red Raiders.

(From Nebraska StatePaper.com) Texas Tech fulfills its promise:Just as Missouri and Kansas did in 2007. It's unlikely that Tech can run the table with a tough seven-game stretch that includes games at Kansas and Oklahoma, and of course the Red Raiders feast on their regular diet of pastries in the non-conference season, but Mike Leach and his team have been provided, by ESPN and others, a one-year tryout in the spotlight. If Tech is able to break the OU/UT stranglehold on the top of the Big 12 South, producing points at its usual clip while playing just a dash of defense, the Red Raiders will be the new South Florida, Rutgers, Kansas, you name it.

Saturday Morning Random Texas Tech News

• The official website of the Texas Tech Athletic department has a question and answer session with Lady Raider basketball player Dominic Seals.
  
• The official website also has a story on Red Raider baseball players Chris Hall and Brian Cloud being named to the Sierra Baseball League all-star teams.
  
• Double T Nation has their projections on the numbers that Texas Tech wide receiver Edward Britton will put up during the 2008 football season.

New TTU Campus Pictures-First Group Ever Posted 7-31-2004

I was looking through my campus shots today and realized it has been just about four years to the day since I started posting the "New TTU Campus Picture" threads on Raider Power. The first group I posted was on July 31st of 2004. It's amazing how campus has changed in just that short of time, and it continues to do so today.

The shots below show are the student union, animal and food sciences building, and the admin building and bell tower renovation. The complete group of first photos can be seen at Raider Power.

Neighbors want Wiffle Ball Field Shut Down

The New York Times has a story about a wiffle ball field that was put together on an empty lot by a group of kids in Greenwich, Connecticut. Local kids cleared a lot and constructed an outfield wall so the neighborhood kids could play wiffle ball; however, neighbors near the field want it shut down.

One wiffle ball player says it's just kids having fun:

"It's just old-fashioned fun," said Vincent Provenzano. "We did it on our own. Maybe people think that's unusual."

When I was a kid, this is what we did. We had an empty area where we played all day without the supervision of any adults. It was one of best times of my childhood.

Random Thursday Evening Texas Tech News

• The Daily Toreador has a story on the Texas Tech Police Department opening a new substation in the Student Union.
  
• The Houston Chronicle reports on "Shadow Turf", a new blend of grass developed by researchers at Texas Tech, which will grow well in the shade.
  
• The Lubbock A-J has the story about a group of Tech students and professors as a key group in the cleanup of Iraqi nuclear facilities.
  
• The Lubbock A-J also reports that some offices in the Texas Tech Administration Building may be relocated to provide more classroom space near the center of campus. There is also a tidbit on the Jones AT&T Stadium east side expansion. A fund-raising campaign is expected to start on September 12^th to help fund the expansion.

Random Tuesday Texas Tech News-Part II

• Six former Red Raider student-athletes and one former coach will be inducted into the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor this fall. The induction ceremonies will take place during the Texas Tech-Texas football weekend October 31^st through November 1^st.
  

Texas Tech Hall of Honor - 2008 Class Women's Basketball – Alicia Thompson Golf – Robert McKinney Baseball – Mark Brandenburg, Joe Dillon Football – Robert Hall, Don King Football Coach – Jim Carlen

• Double T Nation talked with the folks with a University of Massachusetts blog about the Minutemen and what Texas Tech fans can expect when UMass visits Jones AT&T stadium this fall.
  
• The Lubbock A-J reports that three former Red Raider track athletes will represent their home nations in the Summer Olympic Games.

Road Warriors-Tech Football Set to Pile up Miles on the Road in 2008

This year's Texas Tech football team will travel furthest to a regular-season road game since the 2003 season when the Red Raiders travel to Reno, Nevada to face the University of Nevada Wolfpack in a non-conference game. The round-trip from Lubbock to "The Biggest Little City in the World" in September is 2,150 miles.

The Red Raiders have not traveled that far for a regular-season game since venturing to Raleigh, North Carolina in 2003 to face another Wolfpack team in North Carolina State. The odometer hit 2,654 miles for the round-trip back east in 2003.

In 2003, Tech averaged 1,213.3 miles per road trip in six games, while this year's team will average 1,095.6 miles a trip in five games.

Here's a breakdown of the miles of the regular-season road games since 2002:

Year	Number of Regular Season Road Games*	Average Miles/Round Trip	Total Miles Traveled
2002	7	1026.9 (3)	7188
2003	6	1213.3 (1)	7280
2004	6	751.3 (7)	4508
2005	4	765.5 (6)	3062
2006	6	813.3 (5)	4880
2007	6	1013.3 (4)	6080
2008	5	1095.6 (2)	5478

* Bowl games not included.

Random Tuesday Morning Texas Tech News

• The Daily Toreador has a story on Guy Bailey being named the new Texas Tech University president.
  
• The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports on Texas Tech students being involved in the largest study in Texas on prairie chickens, with a video included in the report.
  
• The official Texas Tech athletics website has a story on two former football players being named to the 75^th Anniversary All-Sun Bowl Team. Former Red Raider's Zach Thomas and Herschel "Red" Ramsey were two of the 75 players selected to the team.

Texas Tech Football Desktop Wallpapers

I created four desktop wallpapers featuring the 2008 Texas Tech football schedules back in the early spring and posted them on Raider Power. Since the season is now less than two months away, I've decided to post them again just for the heck of it.

If you click on the images below, it will bring up a desktop with a resolution of 800x600. If you need a 1024x768 or a 1280x1024, just leave a comment and I'll get one e-mailed. I have also resized them and have a 1440x900 wide-screen version of them too.

Harrell Tries to Shake “System” Label

Pro Football Weekly has a good story on Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell and his chances of succeeding in the National Football League. The story focuses on how former Red Raider quarterbacks have been labeled as system quarterbacks under Mike Leach's spread offense.

My question is, doesn't everyone have a system? Texas Tech quarterbacks just excel in theirs.

Graham Harrell on playing in the spread offense:

(From Pro Football Weekly) "It's been said so much since high school, so it's something I just get used to and it comes with playing at Tech," Harrell said. "If it was so easy, then every school in the country would be running the spread and putting up the numbers that we do."

Best Offensive Linemen in the Big XII

The Columbia Tribune has a story on the best offensive linemen in the Big 12 and two Texas Tech players are on that list. Rylan Reed makes the top-12 list at number-nine, while teammate Louis Vasquez is number-11. Tech's Brandon Williams was mentioned as one of the top defensive linemen.

(From the Columbia Tribune) 9. Rylan Reed, offensive tackle, Texas Tech: One of the Big 12's best stories. This former Chicago White Sox minor league pitcher once retired Barry Bonds in spring training. The 26-year-old left tackle also survived cancer, made the Texas Tech roster as a walk-on tight end, broke the school's bench press record and protected the back side of an offense that gave up just 18 sacks on 763 pass attempts. In the Gator Bowl, Reed neutralized Virginia defensive end Chris Long, the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, and held him without a sack. 11. Louis Vasquez, offensive guard, Texas Tech: Next to Reed stands this 6-6, 335-pound left guard - and another reason Texas Tech has the country's largest offensive line.

1976 Texas-Texas Tech Football Revisited

Since it's the holiday weekend and there is not a lot of Texas Tech news out there right now (plus I'm just being lazy over the holiday weekend), here's a video of the Red Raiders 31-28 victory over Texas in 1976 at Jones Stadium.

New TTU Campus Pictures-4th of July Edition

I just posted a large group of photos of the Texas Tech University campus and the surrounding area at Raider Power.

This group of shots includes pictures of the newly completed public artwork by artist Farley Tobin. The artwork is located on the north and south sides of the new Children's Development Research Center.

Also featured in this group are shots of the Engineering renovation of the Livermore Auditorium. The renovation is beginning to blend in with the architectural style of campus.

The three pedestrian bridges that will cross the new Marsha Sharp Freeway are all progressing nicely. Hopefully, the one near Jones AT&T stadium will be ready by this fall. Meanwhile, the MSF is changing the landscape all the time and it is beginning to look more like a freeway.

The Horticultural Gardens that is located north of the United Sprit Arena may be one of Tech's best kept secrets. The plants are in full bloom this week.

The North Overton Hotel and Conference Center now has about five to six floors visible as the construction continues along with other construction taking place directly to the east of "The Centre."

Enjoy and have a safe and happy 4^th.

Bailey Named New TTU President

Here are some various links from around the country on new Texas Tech University President Guy Bailey.

• Kansas City Star
  
• Houston Chronicle
  
• Kansas City Business Journal
  
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
  
• KCBD-TV
  

Tech Set to Name New President-Name Released

The Lubbock A-J reports this morning that Guy H. Baily will be recommended as the sole finalist for the university's new president. Baily is currently the chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Baseball Talk/Events Abundant Heading Into Holiday Weekend

There is a lot of baseball talk around the Texas Tech and Lubbock area as the 4^th of July weekend approaches. Here is a quick rundown of what is going on this week.

The week has started off with Texas Tech head baseball coach Dan Spencer naming Ed Gustafson as an assistant coach. Gustafson joins Trent Petrie, Daren Hays, and Andy Jarvis.

Spencer on Gustafson joining the Red Raider staff:

(From Texas Tech.com) "Ed brings to Tech a wealth of baseball experience from both the college side and the professional baseball side," said Texas Tech Head Coach Dan Spencer. "Ed has a tremendous network to recruit from and the ability to coach all facets of the game.

The College Baseball Foundation will name the Brooks Wallace Award winner on Wednesday, July 2^nd at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. This year's finalists are all consensus All-Americans and include shortstop Gordon Beckham of Georgia, pitcher Brian Matusz of San Diego, and catcher Buster Posey of Florida State.

There is a story on Buster Posey from the official Florida State website, the University of Georgia student newspaper has a story on Gordon Beckham, and the official webpage of the University of San Diego has a write-up on Brian Matusz.

The class of 2008 will also be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Here is the schedule for this week's events:

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Tuesday, July 1st:

6:30 p.m. – VIP Dinner; National Ranching Heritage Center

Wednesday, July 2nd:

10 a.m. – College Baseball Symposium; Merket Alumni Center

6:30 p.m. – Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Banquet; Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane

Thursday, July 3rd:

11 a.m. – City Bank Showcase and Vintage Class Induction Ceremony; City Bank, 5219 City Bank Parkway

7 p.m. – Induction ceremony for modern-era Hall of Fame class; Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane

Friday, July 4th:

8 a.m. – 4th on Broadway Parade

10 a.m. – 4th on Broadway Fan Fest