Here and There
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Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-6, 5-4) |
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California Golden Bears (6-6, 4-5) |
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December 16th @ 8:15 p.m. |
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Independence Stadium | Shreveport, Louisiana |
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Texas Tech -1.5 |
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ESPN | ESPN+ |
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58, Showers |
Some Hither, Others Yon
While wondering whatever happened to Zech McPhearson. McPhearson is currently recovering from a torn Achilles tendon with the Philadelphia Eagles. Primarily a special teamer, he was seeing significant time in that role before that injury. McPhearson said that this injury was tough:
“When you first get injured it [stinks], like you’re in a dump,” he said. “I was in a dump for about two months. But then I was able to walk again, so I got more of a normal life and energy from that.”
McPhearson seems to have embedded himself in the Philly community and helping others out.
📍Eagles DL Milton Williams and CB Zech McPhearson are hosting their second annual holiday giveback right now at Creators Barber Studios in Marlton.
As part of the event, Williams and McPhearson providing meals, holiday gifts, and free haircuts to local youth. pic.twitter.com/eI6zbAqAaD
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) December 2, 2023
And was recently in Lubbock for the UCF game and got this shot!
The shooter → The shot 📸
Is there anything @ZMcphearson can’t do? pic.twitter.com/rJHfo6DVO8
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) November 19, 2023
Prologue
Last week I wrote a post comparing the 2022 and 2023 seasons from a statistical perspective. One of the questions was why I have kept hammering the point that the running the ball is nice, but passing the ball gives you a better offense. if anything, you can just chalk that up to “old man yells at clouds” and I’m writing out of frustration. I’ve always said that when I start a project, my process is to do the research and then write about what the research turns up. The lean on the running game has probably helped this team win games that it might not have won otherwise, but I also wonder how a more wide open offense would have benefitted this team. And it’s all related, the line, the receivers, the quarterback, etc. they all have to be humming and they have obviously not. We’ve had a redshirt freshman in Coy Eakin leapfrogging a handful of receivers who have now entered the transfer portal, J.J. Sparkman, Loic Fouonji (maybe), Jerand Bradley, Tyler King.
With that being said, we need to tackle some of the news and the presser that head coach Joey McGuire held on Friday of last week. Below is a non-transcript.
24/7 between visitors an bowl prep. Had really good practices, will be off on Sunday and practice on Monday and Tuesday and travel on Wednesday.
[On players that enter the portal] They are Red Raiders, not one guy that we didn’t expect, we’ve had good conversations, we were preparing roster wise. They did a lot for me and this program, they are a part of this team. I’ve told every kid that they are stuck with me the rest of my life. If you ended your career in legal trouble, it might be different, but if you did it the right way, I’m always going to have your back. I’m going to help guys find places, there’s 3,000 to 4,000 guys in the portal. I’d look at it as they are part of my family.
[On the receiver room] Feel really good, on December 20th we should have some good receivers, DJ Crest, Kelby, Aiden Meeks, T.J. West, they are really good football players. The vets we have with Brady, Loic, Coy, and Jordan Brown, lots of guys that started lots of games. With any of the guys that maybe are in the portal and aren’t far from graduating from Texas Tech, we’d figure out a way to help them get a degree if they were close. If they want to play in the bowl game and Loic wanted to play. He’s been in every practice, he still has a decision to make.
I always look at a portal guy as an injury guy, just a long-term injury. We have a great plan, I tease Blanchard when he takes a lunch and I joke that “the portal took a lunch break?” and they say they are good. Blanchard, Brian Nance, Sean Kenney and Jake Pittman, they are working non-stop and we feel like we have a great plan. We’re fixing t osign 22-24 high school guys. As we build this roster, this will be less and less, we hope. it is the nature of hte beast. We are playing NFL football without a salary cap because we don’t know the market value. I can tell you how much a kid is going to get that’s in the portal.
[Expectation of incoming transfers] With us coming in, our expectation is to sign 3 OL, 2 TE, 1 receiver, 1 DT, 1 cornerback, and best available. Always look at an edge guy. That’s how we’re going to sign the class.
[On defensive back A.J. McCarty, transfer from Baylor who sat out this year] He’s going to be a star. A.J. McCarty, he’s played a lot of stuff at corner, he’s going to play star. Next year, A.J. and B.J. at star, at free Chapman and Ramon-Edwards, and boundary C.J. and Jordan Sanford. Somebody could pop up, Sanford could play corner or boundary safety.
A.J. never redshirted, so he still has 2 years to play.
Maurion Horn and Bralyn Lux and Jalon Peoples and depends if there is somebody or a better safety, and Jordan can play safety or corner. Right now he’s playing safety.
[On the transfer portal] It’s going to be interesting, something has to be done. There’s no transparency, no one has been penalized for tampering. It really is the wild wild west right now. My job is to field the best team we can and develop the young guys.
[On new NCAA proposal] You can’t ask for much more than what we are doing. If there’s a mark that’s set, we will be there and there is no reason we won’t be there financially.
It’s exciting and we use it a lot, Tyree Wilson has been incredible for us. I have a power point of everything going on in the building, I think Myles Cole will get drafted, I think Tyler Owens and Malik Dunlap will test well. Showing that we are developing guys and can recruit guys become the player they want to become.
Keeler is not in the portal, he’s our 2nd tackle, everyone has said that he is, he is very serious about graduating from Texas Tech and I want to come back to Texas and this is where I want my life to be. Lux graduates in the spring and Linton, and could be grad transfers and it starts all over again.
The Bakay Index
Nick Bakay is an actor, writer and TV personality who made regular appearances on ESPN and wrote on ESPN’s Page 2. Bakay did a segment on ESPN called “Tale of the Tape” where he would give an advantage to one side or the other, or if it was close, then it was a “push”. Bakay was also the voice of the cat Salem on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Starters vs. Backups. It is at the point where because of the transfer portal that the back-ups will be forced to play when they haven’t played all year. We already have people saying that Texas Tech will be better off without starting receivers who disappointed this season and I’m not so sure. Of course, these young guys may be really eager to show what they can do. I’m interested to see how the young guys perform. Advantage? Young guys (but I’m hesitant to even think this).
Kicking Guys Out vs. Keeping Them Around. How about that, Joey McGuire doesn’t kick out the players who decide to transfer, they are in and around the facility and McGuire said that they are Red Raiders. I suppose the other way to work this would be to kick players out and wish them the best as you escort them out the door. Having bad relationships probably isn’t real healthy and telling those guys that they are either in or out isn’t helpful either. Advantage? Keeping Them Around.
Quickie Previews & Recaps
All games are on Saturday, November 18th.
This Week: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl – California vs. Texas Tech (December 16th at 8:15 pm on ESPN)
Obviously we’ll get to Texas Tech as the week progresses, but Texas Tech is favored by a field goal or so.
This Week: Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl – Georgia Tech vs. UCF (December 22nd at 5:30 pm on ESPN)
My gut tells me to take UCF here, but Georgia Tech has had a good year, former Aggie Haynes King threw for over 2,700 yards on the year with 26 touchdowns is pretty good. UCF is favored by 4.5.
This Week: Guaranteed Rate Bowl – Kansas vs. UNLV (December 26th at 8:00 pm on ESPN)
I had no idea that UNLV was 9-4, and despite that 9-win season, Kansas is favored by 12.5. I don’t know who plays quarterback for Kansas and that could make a difference, The Runnin’ Rebs also have a quarterback that threw for nearly 2,800 yards.
This Week: Duke’s Mayo Bowl – North Carolina vs. West Virginia (December 27th at 4:30 pm on ESPN)
North Carolina has maybe the top pick in the NFL draft in Drake Maye, 3,600 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Fightin’ Mack Browns. I sometimes don’t really understand how West Virginia won 8 games. Despite that terrific offense, West Virginia is favored by 3 and which coach do you want to see dunked in mayo more, Mack Brown or Neal Brown?
This Week: TaxAct Texas Bowl – Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State (December 27th at 8:00 pm on ESPN)
Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon is in the transfer portal and I have no idea if he will play. That probably sways things towards TAMU somewhat and they are favored by 3. Mike Gundy does it again, what looked like a middling Oklahoma State team ends up winning 9 games. Also, what program is going to hire Jimbo Fisher? The Aggies are favored by 3.
This Week: Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State (December 28th at 4:45 pm on ESPN)
Will Howard is in the transfer portal and that same quarterback that ran all over Texas Tech should get the start. Not only that, but the K-State offensive coordinator was hired at TAMU. Odds says that NC State may have the more stable team right now, but the Wildcats are favored by 3.5.
This Week: Valero Alamo Bowl – Arizona vs. Oklahoma (December 28th at 8:15 pm on ESPN)
The turnaround for Arizona has been nothing but amazing, just 3-6 in 2022 to 9 wins in 2023. Oklahoma has lost Dillon Gabriel to Oregon as a transfer so they’ll play Jackson Arnold who has 24 attempts all year. Arizona’s quarterback is a fun player, 2,500 passing yards, 73% completion and just 5 picks all year. Arizona is favored by 3.
This Week: AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Memphis vs. Iowa State (December 29th at 2:30 pm on ESPN)
Iowa State basically rose from the grave early in the year to win 7 games. The Cyclones are favored by 8.5, largely because of a terrific defense. Memphis has a quarterback, Henigan, that’s thrown for 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns this year.
This Week: Allstate Sugar Bowl – Texas vs. Washington (January 1st at 7:45 pm on ESPN)
Texas has been outstanding all year, save just 1 game against the Sooners. I’ve loved watching Penix play quarterback, 4,200 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Husky. Former Red Raider La’Lynn Polk had 60 catches and 1,000 yards for Washington. Texas is favored by 4.