Claremore Daily Progress

Sports

October 15, 2012

Texas Tech's defense, offense serve notice in win

ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech fell from the top-ranked pass defense in the country to fourth after allowing 275 yards through the air to West Virginia on Saturday.

It's doubtful the Red Raiders mind in the least, or have any doubts about the effectiveness of their secondary, after a 49-14 throttling of the Mountaineers.

Texas Tech entered its game with West Virginia allowing a paltry 117.4 yards passing per game, even after struggling in a 41-20 loss to Oklahoma a week earlier. The Red Raiders are now allowing 143.7 yards passing per game, but they held Heisman Trophy hopeful quarterback Geno Smith, who was 29 of 55 passing, to only five yards per attempt.

The win was enough to allow Texas Tech to jump into the weekly Associated Press college football poll this week at No. 18.

It also served notice that the Red Raiders' pass defense is for real.

AIR RAIDERS: The performance of Texas Tech's defense might have shocked some across the country, but it was quarterback Seth Doege and the Red Raiders' offense that enjoyed a coming-out party on the national stage.

Doege's 499 yards passing led the country this week. The senior was 32 of 42 passing and had six touchdowns, helping Texas Tech jump from seventh to fourth in the nation in passing offense with an average of 369 yards per game.

For those who wondered if Texas Tech would continue its wide-open attack in the post-Mike Leach era, third-year coach Tommy Tuberville has answered that question once and for all. The Red Raiders were seventh in the nation in passing in Tuberville's first season with an average of 318.9 yards per game, and they upped that to 345.4 last year - again finishing seventh nationally.

Most importantly, they've already equaled last season's win total this season.

TIGER PRIDE: West Virginia wasn't the only Top 5 team to go down this week. No. 3 South Carolina, a week after dispatching of Southeastern Conference East foe Georgia, ran into one of the top rushing defenses in the country at LSU.

The Tigers held the Gamecocks and standout running back Marcus Lattimore to just 34 yards overall rushing in their 23-21 win. South Carolina entered the game averaging 181.5 yards per game on the ground, but LSU's sixth-best rushing defense took control and is now allowing 89.3 yards rushing per game.

ROLL TIDE, ROLL: Not to be outdone by its SEC West rival, Alabama reminded everyone exactly who the top rushing defense in the country is in a 42-10 win over Missouri.

Or, top defense overall, for that matter.

The Crimson Tide allowed only three yards rushing by the Tigers, bolstered by sacking Missouri quarterback Corbin Berkstresser for minus 50 yards. The defending national champions are now allowing a 55.3 yards rushing per game, 181.2 yards overall - both tops in the country.

EXTRA POINTS: Louisiana Tech might have fallen from the AP poll after its 59-57 loss to Texas A&M, but it leads the country in scoring offense with 53.8 points per game. ... Oregon is second with an average of 52.3 points per game. ... Nevada running back Stefphon Jefferson had 185 yards rushing on 34 carries in a 42-27 win over Duke and leads the country with an average of 162.9 yards. ... Marshall's Rakeem Cato didn't play last week, but he has now passed West Virginia's Smith and is tops with 385.2 yards passing per game.



 

Text Only
Sports
  • DSC_9471web.jpg Howe, Whatley shine at OU Showcase

    Claremore High School seniors Bryce Howe and Matt Whatley caught the eyes of several NCAA Division I and JUCO scouts Friday in Norman.
    Howe and Whatley, as well as Claremore’s Cole Weiesnbach and Cameron Smith, competed with the Bearcats — a competitive baseball team coached by Jenks’ Jeff Owens — at the University of Oklahoma Showcase.

    June 15, 2013 2 Photos

  • DSC_0119web.jpg ‘Staying close to home’

    Home is where the heart is.
    Claremore graduate Isaac Hollihan loves playing baseball and takes his academics pretty serious.
    For the next four years, Hollihan will continue his baseball career a short distance from his Claremore residence at Rogers State University.

    June 13, 2013 2 Photos

  • ORU announces soccer coaching changes

    With the recent resignation of longtime ORU men’s soccer coach Steve Hayes, the ORU athletics department has named Ryan Bush as the new head coach for the men’s soccer team, while Roger Bush will take over as the head coach for the women’s soccer team.

    June 17, 2013

  • ORU men's basketball to compete in Cancun Challenge

    Tournament officials announced the pairings for the 2013 Men’s Cancun Challenge, played at the Aventura Palace resort near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

    June 17, 2013

  • Turang signs pro softball contract with Akron Racers

    Brianna Turang became the third member of Oklahoma’s senior class to join the National Pro Fastpitch ranks this week as she agreed to terms with the Akron Racers, it was announced Tuesday.

    June 17, 2013

  • OU's Ricketts wins Honda Sports Award

    Keilani Ricketts added to her already stellar resume on Thursday by winning the Honda Sports Award for softball for the second year in a row and becoming a finalist for the 2013 Honda Cup, the Collegiate Women Sports Awards announced.

    June 17, 2013

  • OU releases 2013 women's soccer schedule

    Head coach Matt Potter and University of Oklahoma Vice President/Athletics Director Joe Castiglione announced the 2013 soccer schedule on Thursday.

    June 17, 2013

  • OU men's basketball schedules European Tour

    The University of Oklahoma men's basketball team will travel to Europe this summer as part of a 10-day trip in which it will play games against international competition in preparation for the 2013-14 season.

    June 17, 2013

  • OSU releases 2013 women's soccer schedule

    Oklahoma State released its 2013 women's soccer schedule today, a scheduled highlighted by matches against nine opponents that made the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship last season, including two who played in the College Cup.

    June 17, 2013

  • Tony Allen to host Basketball Skills Academy in Stillwater

    Former Cowboy and current Memphis Grizzly Tony Allen will be hosting the Grit & Grind Basketball Skills Academy, July 29-31, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. It is one of three camps the NBA player will be hosting this summer.

    June 17, 2013