The Morning Stake | 2018.09.12

Leading Off

You’re going to find this incredibly doubtful, but I’m gotten to the point that I’d rather watch a soccer match that anything else on Saturday morning (it’s because I enjoy the soccer that much, not for any other reason). So last night, USA hosted Mexico in Nashville in what’s called a friendly (i.e. the game really doesn’t mean anything, just two teams playing each other). But this game always means something as there’s a relatively significant rivalry between the U.S. and Mexico. At any rate, this high level trash talk happened.

That is high level trash talk (simple, effective, gets point across, makes opposing team react). The U.S. ended up winning 1-0 on a Matt Adams runner to the goal (although Mexico out-played the U.S. for most of the first half, at least until Green checked into the game). And in the big scheme of things, this doesn’t mean anything, Mexico has scoreboard because the U.S. didn’t make the last World Cup, but sometimes sports is just fun.

Texas Tech Soccer

Texas Tech Baseball

Hell yeah.

Texas Tech Basketball

Hell yeah x 2.

Texas Tech Football

LOL. There’s 14 minutes of the post-practice media session (FROM SUNDAY) and there’s no way I’m going to be able to do a non-transcript (yeah, this is how long it takes and I’ve got some miles to run on the treadmill at 5:00 a.m.).

Kliff Kingsbury: Kingsbury initially talked about the penalties and how you just can’t have that (noting that most of them came in the second half). Kingsbury said that they did a good job of protecting the ball and keeping the ball out of the end zone as well. Houston has talented wide-outs and there’s a much bigger challenge this week opposed to last week. Antoine Wesley has come back from injury, needs to get bigger and stronger, but like what he’s done. Quarterbacks you have to fake it til you make it and Bowman is usually pretty poised. T.J. has helped with those contested catches, everyone is still learning and growing together. Will continue to rep Jett and Alan together. Oliver is a tremendous player, plays hard every snap, and will have hands full. Wanted to get a 2:00 minute opportunity with Alan and wanted to give Jett the second half. Colt Garrett threw a dime and some of the graduated quarterbacks texted me, excited about the throw. He’s a significant factor in that room the way that he helps that group.

De’Quan Bowman: Try to take advantage of every special teams opportunity. Just take whatever they give you. Schier told Bowman that he should have downed the ball inside the 10 against Ole Miss, thought that if everyone did their job it could have been a big return. Got to get rid of the penalties, need to get more disciplined. We talked this week on playing for us and executed things perfectly, but playing together as a team was what he took from it. There’s always something to improve on. Just need to be smart on the penalties, he had a penalty out of effort and have to be smart about that. Penalty punishments are different by position coaches. Coach Jones does suicides if you have a fumble. Very difficult to sit and wait, but learned from the older guys to hold in there.

Jordyn Brooks: Executed on more defensive calls than a week ago against Ole Miss. After watching this film, knowing we beat them by a lot of points, there are still things to improve on to help you next week. Execution, about 3 big runs that Ole Miss had that had nothing to do with athletic ability, just execution. Houston is a fast-tempo team and have to get lined up, we should be fine. A dual-threat quarterback, everyone has to do their job, should be fine.

A-J Media’s Don Williams talked with cornerback Adrian Frye, who had two interceptions on Saturday and he thinks he’s only had two interceptions ever. Here’s Frye discussing his touchdown:

β€œI was just in press man and I bailed out, and I saw the receiver shut it down and run the hitch,” Frye said, β€œso I broke on it and saw the ball. When the ball fell, I just grabbed it and ran with it. The second one, I was in man (coverage) again, actually. He ran a hitch-and-go, I was there right on top of it, so I just ran to the ball.”

A-J Media’s Don Williams also has a notebook from yesterday’s media availability, which you can read there, or you can wait for the Quote Board which will be published at 7:00 a.m.

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