Texas Tech Football Notebook: Joey McGuire Discusses TCU

Another week and another non-transcript. The good news is that I think that head coach Joey McGuire is being as clear as he can be regarding the quarterback and said that Behren Morton would take first team reps. I think it goes against his nature to name a starter for whatever reason. Regardless, I’m good with McGuire saying that Morton would walk out with the first team today. McGuire also discussed how there’s going to be competition at both tackle spots and giving up six sacks was not acceptable.

Head Coach Joey McGuire

  • Injuries — Questionable: Landon Peterson – shoulder; Dimitri Moore – ankle; Monroe Mills – knee.
  • Excited to play TCU, Sonny Dykes is a good friend and have known him forever. Sonny is proud to be out here, sister and brother live out here. Garrett Riley, known him for a while, Perry coached with him at SMU, that QB is playing at a level he hasn’t played before. Running back to play well, was leading the state and nation in high school, one of the best receivers in the country. Defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie is a good friend, does a phenomenal job, does a good job with odd stack and very aggressive. Going to be a great game, probably know this staff as well as anyone. Our guys are excited, found out today there is a saddle on the line and hope to bring that back to Lubbock.
  • Frustrating, our 24 hours are up, have to move on. The biggest thing is getting beat up front, thought we did a good job with wide zone, they adjusted and we didn’t adjust quick enough in the first half. For it to be 24-17 and have 5 or 4 turnovers, our guys were still playing hard. Not going to win games turning the ball over, told them yesterday. Have to take the ball away on defense, have to take the ball away and have to protect the ball, part of that is protecting the quarterback and not being late with the ball.
  • A lot of it during the week, going in and out of the meeting and making sure we know what we’re doing and what we can attack and what I’ve seen on film. I believe you want to have a game plan, the longer you sit in a room the more you can play with, but you have to allow your players to play fast. The game is more coming after with the pressure, who is going on the field, who we can attack.
  • If we started today, it would be Behren Morton taking the reps and walking on the field first. Behren with tempo and gets the ball out fast. West Virginia and Oklahoma State, have to do a little bit that’s a strength and protects the offensive line. I know how hard protecting it was on Saturday, I think they are the best team we’ve played thus far. Donovan has more quarterback run game and he’s had more drops, I’ve been proud of our receivers, we’re a tempo team with receivers. Shough does goth together, can get us in and out of players. There’s a lot of “or’s” on our depth chart, can’t be the brand and be part of competitive and not have people competing for that job. Left tackle and right tackle. Probably do more good-on-good to create pressure. Caleb Rogers and Ethan Carde have those guys battle it out. Have Monroe Mills, Matt Keeler, and Ty Buchanan competing at right tackle. I tell the players, we can’t give up 6 sacks, has to do with me, Kittley, Hamby, and offensive line. We all have to look at our players and look in the mirror, how can I be a better version of ourselves against TCU. We’re going to compete this week and put the best Texas Tech team on there on Saturday.
  • We’ll see in a couple of weeks when we’re fully healthy, Ethan Carde has played both guard and tackle, got reps as Caleb’s back-up and just trying to get the best 5 out there.
  • Derrick Lewis is healthy, hard to get on the field with Krishon Merriweather and Kosi Eldridge, with Tyrique Matthews.
  • The biggest thing, when the ball was taken from us at the touchdown, the biggest thing is why is that happening, guys have to take the time going one-on-one, why were we late, and there are sometimes they are on time and they call a good defense. A lot of it is film study and getting the ball out on time. Of each one, should the ball have gone there, was that your first or second look, if that’s your 1st look, throw it to them. Same thing with sacks, there was a play where Bradley may have gotten 2 yards, but go there because the play is over, some of that is getting older and understanding that.
  • If you look at that team, it’s an old team and trying to think he has 4 offensive linemen that played last year and the running back when we played him at Baylor, he’s just a freak, have an old offense and quarterback who has played a lot of football. They have a young noseguard and guys that play a lot. I’m not waiting to win in 3 years, expecting to win this weekend, Matt Rhule, we’re going to beat people up in year 3 because we’re old. We want to grow our guys up, TCU is a seasoned team and with his temperament, Dykes is a good fit with TCU.
  • I hope so, Myles Price was shocked he had one drop early in the game, we’ve discussed trying to get him and Xavier White on the field the same time, same amount of reps, it wasn’t that he wasn’t on the field. I think he’ll feel a lot better, he said he felt great. Ton of guys recovering and rehabbing, I do think he’ll make an impact he’s practicing at full speed and figure out away to get Xavier out there.
  • Tony Bradford and Jaylon Hutchins, Tyree, and Jessiah Pierre, have two old linebackers, seeing those guys play well, that’s one match-up that will be a war in the trenches with their old offensive line.
  • I think now that Tyler took a good hit, I asked him if he’s okay, I do think this is a good week to pull out our 3-quarterback package, regardless we still feel good with Donovan in short-yardage, and see that as a plus for us. Think it is good competition.
  • With Tyree Wilson, he’s got a motor, in 2019 the 3 defensive linemen all played in the NFL, James Lynch led the Big 12 in sacks, Lockhart had a cup of coffee with Pittsburgh. You don’t see guys throw their body like Tyree, he has a great motor, have to play better around him, he pressured us to where we should have been. Have to play better around him, he’s getting an offensive tackle and a tight end. We create some of our pressure with some of our games.
  • If we come down with the ball, when we didn’t get to 31-24, there was a point where we wanted to see where he was at. We felt it was time to put him out there and it was unfortunate to throw a field out and a pick-6 and  the last 2 touchdown look different, I don’t know that it would feel any different. Just going to put him in there and seeing where we’re at. Behren has done a good job, Tyler won the job. I didn’t put him back in, I thought at that point it was a good time to see where he was at in live situations. I’m all for what we’re doing with Donovan to get the 1st and go tempo. The good thing when we can do that, most people are subbing and we’re able to keep those guys on the field.
  • Quinten Johnston saw him a lot, thought we had a good chance, #9 is a Temple kid, he did a good job and a change in coaching staff and guys that we were recruiting that went other players and he’s a big receiver, and I’m excited, we have 2 long corners who have played good and be a good match-up. They have another one in #18, don’t know if you’ll see that as much in the nation.
  • I think it will be good and a challenge, he’s a good challenge, Malik and Rashaad believe they can play in the NFL, they believe in themselves, they’ve played well this year, will be fun to watch on Saturday.
  • Kendre Miller, we did not offer him at Baylor, had a over-scholarshipped running back room, went to East Texas, Blanchard was begging Rhule to offer him, but we didn’t because we didn’t have room, wanted to let him be a linebacker and he’s that good, was committed to UTSA and TCU came in at the end and think he led the state of Texas or maybe nation in rushing as a high school senior.

Red Raider Sports’ Justin Apodaca summarizes the pressers for defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley.

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