Rooster-spective 2002

October 5, 2002--Kyle Field

"Cinco de Rooster"

Attendees: Blake, Joe, Rob, Ron, Shane, Melba, Carol, Robert & Carol, Joe & Tammy, Fletch, Brad, Kyler, et al.......too many to list. The ATTM boys were there again, and admitted to setting our grill on fire.

Memorable events and defining moments:

• "The Tijuana Whore Bus"
• Game NOT FREAKING TELEVISED!!!
  
• 1st year to have T-shirts made
  
• Raider got blisters on his feet from chasing the frisbee
• Ron was MVC winner-barely made it from Seattle
• Shane and Blake tagged Rob's jeep
• 2 Missed PAT by John Pierson-never kicked at A&M again
• Welker
• Both teams had over 500 yards total offense
  

Rooster-spective 2001

Lubbock-November 3, 2001

"The Shutout"

Attendees: Joe and Blake (everyone else from our immediate group bailed at the last minute.)

Also in attendance: Robert and Carol, Melba, Carol, Joe and Tammy, Chuck, Stretch, Jessica and Dina, Minnesota Fats and the ATTM boys

Memorable events:

• Introduction of Jessica and Dina to the crew
• Our grill was set on fire by the ATTM boys
• Pouring rain in the post game celebration
• Stretch won the first MVC award, only to have it later revoked.
  
• Joe yelling at the karaoke dude and storming off
• After the game, Red Raiders fans tore down the goal post on the south end of the field and marched it the length of the field and taunted Aggies fans by putting it into the stands.

Final score: Tech 12, A&M 0

Rooster-spective '2000

A look back at the trip to Kyle Field in 2000.

Attendees: Joe, Blake, Ron, Shane

Memorable events:

• Ron talked a girl at Dudley's draw into lifting her shirt for a picture with his new-fangled "digital" camera.
• Blake performed the Rooster presentation ceremony wearing nothing but a Texas Tech flag (after a lap around the RV's with the same flag flying over his head.)
• The "Fake Field Goal"..

Final Score: Aggies 33, Red Raiders 15

Jerusalem on the Brazos

Well, Tech should manage to get back on track this weekend against those pesky Bears. I am, however, quite curious about this one - seeing how game (no pun intended) Baylor has been this season. To their credit, this is probably the best team to come from Waco since Grant "lips that taste wine will never play for thine" Teaff danced out of town.

The Bears don't score much, but they don't give up many points either and now lead the conference in pass defense - well, that is until this next Monday I guess. (UT dropped to 4th) They also lead the conference in kick-off returns, which could be an intangible this weekend, seeing how Tech has struggled on special teams this season.

Individually, Zeigler seems to be a playmaker, although he doesn't look to weigh much more than a Raggedy Ann doll - unless you count his inflated ego.

Ideally, I would like to see the offense start putting points back up on the board to back up the stats, play better on special teams, and not give up the big play.

Red Raiders 63
Bears 17

As for the other game, this is another opportunity for the Ags to "define" themselves. The stat sheet was less than stellar from last week against an admittedly "terrible" KSU team.

The X factor in this game will be the fact that it's played in the Land of Collie. At the beginning of the year, I predicted ISU would defeat the Men of Pyle, but the Cyclones have really thrown it in the toilet since their upset of Iowa.

Other than not committing many penalties and sunburning too easily on the sideline, the Cyclones don't appear to do too much, although I am curious to see what their run defense and kick-off return team can do against the Ags. Myer is an ok QB, and Coleman has some yardage this year on the ground, but ISU appears to be a fairly vanilla (if not disappointing) team - ironically, just like the state they'll be traveling down from.

Ags 31
'Clones 19

Weekend projections: October 30

Texas Tech (-11.5) @ Baylor

Just like their leader, the Branch Hanspardians will skip class on this one in Waco, but the Bears will show up to play. In the words of Blake, those Bears look "fiesty" this year. Just as important, the Red Raiders are totally unproven away from Jones STD stadium.

Baylor is 1-3 in conference play, but gave Nebraska a great game in Waco, and took A&M and OU to OT on the road. This is not the "same old Baylor", and Tech will find out the hard way. Looking ahead to the upcoming Roosterbowl matchup, the Red Raiders will make a game out of this one, but still escape with a win. For the record, I hope I am wrong here. I would much rather Tek get the standard blowout in Waco, so they're feeling very cocksure leading up to the Roosterbowl.

There's still a "W" in Waco this year: Tech 38, Baylor 32

Iowa State (+10) @ Texas A&M

Aggies hit on all cylinders this week against another weak opponent. In spite of what Blake says about Iowa State, they are not "tough". Along with Oklahoma State and Kansas, they are one of the weakest teams in the conference.

A&M will romp in their last home game before Thanksgiving. This is the last good chance for a home win for the Seniors, and they know it. After putting together 3 consectutive solid quarters against KSU, then falling apart for a scare in the fourth, A&M plays a complete game in this one, dominating from beginning to end, in what will end up being a primer for the upset in Lubbock. Look for the power running game to continue to evolve, along with the option as Courtney Lewis continues to get healthy. McNeal, Lane, and Lewis get 100+ each on the ground for a big win:

Fightin' Texas Aggies 55, Iowa State Cyclones 12

The Halfway Point

Not counting the 3 pre-season games, Tech is now halfway through the season, sitting pretty at 3-1. Honesty, if I had been offered 3-1 at the very beginning, I would have gladly accepted it seeing how the 2 road games were in Lincoln and Austin.

Although disappointed with the overall effort of the players and coaches on Saturday, I am still proud of this years team. Even if Tech had not made any mistakes, Texas is still 7-10 points better on that day, no doubt. Give Texas credit - they played the role of an upper-echelon team, while Tech is learning the hard way about how difficult it is to move up to that level of competition.

The top 10, especially the top 5, is a whole different realm of reality. It took Texas a while before they were ready for it, and I expect the same for Tech. It won't happen overnight, but it will definitely happen in a few years.

Tech has 4 games remaining, and oddly enough, the 2 road games are supposed to be "gimmes", although I don't look at it that way. It will be crucial for Tech to come out in Waco and really set the tone early on in that game for the second half of the season. Honestly, I don't think the Ags stand a chance in Lubbock, and for some reason, OU scares me a bit.

Tech will be favored to win all all 4, but anything short of finishing 10-1 will ruin the season for me.

Time to get your Roostergear!

Roosterchick Shannon modeling this year's hooded sweatshirt

Just a reminder to anyone who wants a T-shirt this year, I will NOT be bringing a box of shirts on spec again.

I went the Cafepress route, but you need to order now in order to have it in time for the big weekend. I got one of the hooded sweatshirts for Shannon, and it turned out great! The 2005 "Year of the Cock" logo is also available on several t-shirt styles.

Lewis will play

Good news for the Aggies I guess. They don't say if he's healthy........

A&M's Lewis practices, will play Saturday

01:35 AM CDT on Friday, October 21, 2005

By RACHEL COHEN / The Dallas Morning News

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Coach Dennis Franchione said on his weekly radio show Thursday that running back Courtney Lewis, who has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, has practiced this week and will play Saturday at Kansas State. Lewis has 339 yards on 71 carries.

A game for the ages

It was a beautiful Fall Saturday in Texas and the big day had finally arrived. A clash of the Texas titans...of sorts, and bragging rights were on the line.

One team sporting the most impressive offense in the country and thrashing everything in their path. Their newfangled offense had embarrassed defenses in route to an undefeated record. The key to their success...passing on almost every down, and running up the score in the process. Scoring an average of 59 points a game had their fans going crazy.

On the other side of the ledger, you had another great Texas team with similar success, but with a totally different mentality. Their squad was built on defense, grunt work, and smash mouth football. They too had dismantled opponents but with a different claim to fame...DEFENSE. Only one team had managed to score more than 20 points on them. Most teams simply could do nothing against this defensive powerhouse.

So the stage was set...offense vs. defense, finesse vs power...pick your cliche'! A classic matchup of the unstoppable passing game vs. the defense that could not be penetrated.

Sound familiar?

Well, it was actually 1989. The Houston Cougars were grabbing headlines and national attention with their run n shoot offense. As they rolled into college station that weekend, everyone was excited to see how they would fare against the vaunted "Wrecking Crew" Defense.

Well, it was a close game, but in the end, the newfangled Run n shoot had finally met it's match. When the game was over, the Cougar offense had only collected 13 points in a loss to the Aggies. Houston fans were baffled when they simply couldn't move the ball like they had in weeks past. The power of a skilled defense had simply taken it's toll on the finesse oriented Cougars.

History has a tendency to repeat itself. Good Luck RedFaders against the Horns tomorrow.

Spike Dykes interview

"Sleeping with the Enemy?"

The winningest coach in Tech history was interviewed in the Dallas paper for today. My favorite part is below:

Brush with greatness: Dykes had beaten Oklahoma in his final game at Tech in 1999. The next day, he was shaving when his wife said he had a phone call. It was Sports Illustrated, she said. "I nearly cut my jugular vein," Dykes recalled. "I was thinking, 'Here I've coached 50 years and Sports Illustrated has never called me." After rushing through the bedroom and nearly falling over the furniture, he made it to the phone with his heart racing. "They said, 'For $49.95, we'll send you 52 issues plus the swimsuit [issue].' So that was my claim to fame," Dykes said.

Ags/Raiders This Weekend

Let me make this clear: I do want the Ags to win against K-State - after all, I would hate for them to roll in the HUB in a couple of weeks with 3 or 4 losses and a losing record. It would take some of the luster off of the Rooster Bowl.

With that said, I must point out 2 glaring obstacles that stand in the Aggie's way in Manhattan:

1) The Ags are completely unproven away from Gomer Pyle Field - they have lost every time they've played on the road. I know Joe likes to take solace in the fact that the Ags "should have won" at Clemson, at the end of the day, the simple fact is they did not. The trip to Boulder last weekend.....well, it speaks for itself.

2) Bad defenses never win games - and the Ags have had their share of problems that are well-documented this year. Kansas State will score points on Saturday, and their defense should keep them in the game. I pick the Wildcats to win based upon the fact that they're much better coached and that the game is in Manhattan.

KSU 27
Ags 24

Now for the biggest game in Tech history (and it is):

Clearly, this is Leach's best team yet, and the Austin Yahoos are saying that this is Butterteeth's best team as well - mostly because he finally beat an OU team that quit after the first game of the season. (remember: this is always UT's best team/best recruiting class every year until Stoops cornholes them in Dallas) While it is true that this is the highest ranking Tech has had since 1977, it's also a fact that UT hasn't been undefeated this late in the season in over 20 years.

Tech's offense is better than UT's. Tech's second string receivers would be starting for the Horns, no doubt. Hendo is the best all-around RB in the league - he's proven that for the last 3 years with his stats. While UT's defense may be the best Tech has seen, let's remember that cuts both ways - Tech's offense is far and away superior to any other offense that the Horns will face.

Bottom line: I don't think the Horns offense can put points on the board like Tech can

Defensively, the Horns are once again one of the best in the nation. No surprise there. What is surprising is that Tech is vastly improved over last year, and leads the nation in recovered fumbles. Slay is 2nd in the country in forced fumbles, and quite possibly could be the hardest hitter in the country.

Botton line: Texas has the better D and players- no doubt. Tech, however, has a good defense that really pursues the ball well and lays the wood on the opposing teams.

We all know the common stats, but here are a few that not too many people take notice of:

UT commits more penalties than Tech, and Tech is second in the league in the catagory of penalties committed against them. Texas is 11th.

UT has missed 6 extra points thus far, while Tech is perfect (every Ag should understand the importance of this one)

What all of this means:

Vince Young, of course, scares me a little. I do wonder how the Tech defense will hold up late in the game, so the Tech offense will really have to make the most of every single possession.

While Tech has the most to prove, UT definitely has the most to lose. All of the pressure is on Butterteeth and his Horns.

Does Tech have a chance: Yes
Do I pick Tech to win: Yes
Will Tech win: Don't know - as I've said all season, if the team doesn't commit stupid penalties and continues to grind away, they should be able to outscore the Horns.

Red Raiders 37
Horns 32

Weekend outlook: Texas Tech @ Texas; A&M @ K-State

Texas Tech @ Texas

I have gone back and forth in my mind on Tech's chances against the Longhorns. I want Tech to win, and I do believe they have a chance, but I can't get past a couple of critical factors:

1. Tech is completely unproven. They have only played one road game, which they barely pulled off, thanks to a freakish fumble. I do admit, it was a great comeback win, and that kind of a win under adversity builds confidence and character. On the other hand, that is the best win they have, and it is of questionable quality. Nebraska played close with Baylor, and I have been told by Tech experts (hereby known as "Tech-spurts") that playing close with Baylor = bad team.
2. This is the clincher: Great defenses always win out over flashy, gimmick offenses. The Longhorn defense is too fast and too good for Tech to be able to execute with any consistency.

Prediction: Texas Longhorns 45, Texas Tech Red Raiders 27

Texas A&M @ Kansas State

This one will be a defining moment for the Aggie's season, no doubt. A&M is a 4 point favorite, but I see a much bigger victory for the Aggies. K-State has been nothing short of a total disappointment this season, with their only impressive victory over the powerhouse of old Tech nemisis North Texas State. They had a pitiful showing against Florida Int'l and Marshall, and then fell totally flat against in-state rival, and doormat of the North--Kansas. KU has one of the worst defenses in the NCAA, and K-State rung them up with 12 (twelve) points. Their defense is good on paper, but in reality, not that great buddy. D-stats were heavily padded with weak foes like FIU, Marshall, NTSU & KU, and was exposed when faced with a legitimate offensive threat.

I know you could make the same arguments about A&M, letting Texas State hang around, and the OT win (should've lost) versus Baylor, but my prediction here assumes:

1. Aggie defense will continue the improving trend.
2. Reggie and the offense will continue to click, and go off in a big victory on the road.

Prediction: Fightin' Texas Aggies 48, Kansas State Wildcats 13

Throwback?

Jessica's bringing up of the 2006 non-conference slate for Texas Tech gave me an idea. What if Tech, UT, and A&M could get together and have a throwback season? Each could schedule in the same year SMU, TCU, and Rice for their non-conference games, to sort of "recreate" a Southwest Conference season. If they did it in 2008, they could even include Houston, since 2008 is a 12 game season.

Just a thought............

more damage to A&M's already crippled secondary

A&M punt returner out for season

Chambless suffered torn ACL in win over Oklahoma State

03:47 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 18, 2005

By RACHEL COHEN / Dallas Morning News

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M punt returner and backup safety Jordan Chambless suffered a season-ending torn right ACL Saturday, coach Dennis Franchione said Tuesday.

Marquis Carpenter or Chad Schroeder will return punts, Franchione said. Filling in at safety will be freshman Devin Gregg, who started at nickelback Saturday, junior walk-on John Ray, who has regularly served as the Aggies’ 12th Man representative, and sophomore cornerback Brock Newton.

Chambless will be the eighth A&M player to undergo surgery this season, Franchione said. The redshirt freshman hurt his knee early in the second half against Oklahoma State but continued to play and didn’t realize the extent of the injury until after the game.

Chambless is also a standout pitcher on the Aggies’ baseball team and a pro prospect. Franchione said he has not discussed with Chambless how this injury might affect his future as a two-sport athlete.

Roosterchick #1 is home!

Shannon came home from the hospital yesterday. She is still in pain, and facing several weeks of recovery, but at least she is now in the comfort of her own home.

Here is her incision, just to give you an idea of how violent her surgery was:

She is in good spirits and already coming up with ideas for a suitable hairstyle while her hair is growing back. Get ready for a "Pat Benetar/Hit Me with your Best Shot" look..........

When is the last time?

When is the last time...

...Texas Tech was ranked in the top 10? I can only find the final polls. Blake mentions 1976, but in the final poll they were 13th. That gives us no indication of how high they got during the season.

...Tech and A&M met with one or the other ranked in the Top 10? I am guessing 1995? We all know what happened there.

...The Top 10 team won the Tech/A&M matchup in Lubbock? What was A&M ranked in '93 in Lubbock? They finished top 10 that year, but they were 2-1 going into Lubbock, so I doubt they were top 10 at the time.

This is going to be an interesting second half of the season. I think Tech has a legitimate shot to upset UT on Saturday. The Horns are a 14 point favorite right now, but that line will tighten up just on the betting volume in Lubbock frat houses.

Tech has not faced a defense like UT all year. The speed of UT's defense will be a new challenge for Tech, but Leach will have a good gameplan, no doubt, and UT hasn't seen anything like Tech's offense all year either. I can't believe I am saying this, but this may be the toughest defense Vince Young will face all season. This will be one of the best games of the year.

If Tech can pull off the upset in Austin, Blake's prediction of undefeated that he backpedaled out of may actually materialize. They would still have to face competitive teams from A&M and OU, but both games are in Lubbock, and Tech will be heavy favorites in both.

Great day!!!

Texas A&M and Texas Tech had similar games against outmatched opponents today, with Tech winning 59-20, and the Aggies winning 62-23.

Red Raiders exploded, as expected. What happened in the first half? I guess it doesn't really matter, since Cool Hand Cody had 644 passing yards (the fourth-most in one game in NCAA I-A history; trailing only David Klingler-UH, Matt Vogler-TCU, and BJ Symons) and 5 TD's, to an incredible 4 receivers having 100+ yard afternoons. Hodges is a tough bastard--reminds me of Kingsbury. Robert Johnson had a crappy outing (ha) as the third best receiver in red, with 7 catches for 108 and a TD.

That was certainly enough to win the weekly stat battle with Jason Carter, who had 4 catches for 58 yards. Both look irrelevant, though, with Joel Filani likely to take the top spot in Big 12 receivers after a huge day with 10 catches for 255 yards (Big 12 record).

Overall, Tech is carrying a lot of confidence into Austin.

The Aggies look to be back on track, as Reggie had a big day, and seems to have the touch back on his throws: 18/27 passing for 262 yards and 3 TD's, on top of 12 carries for 150 yards and another TD (412 total yards). Also a big day for the featured running back of the week, Jorvorskie Lane. Big freshman Lane had 22 carries for 139 yards and 3 touchdowns. I am already having Ja'Mar Toombs flashbacks! Offense was stellar with 694 total yards. The defense looked great today too. The 23 points was even a little deceptive, as at least 7 came on turnovers, and they gave up only 242 yards. Just need to carry that momentum into Manhattan next weekend.

This weekend's games

Question #1: How in the world is Texas A&M favored by NINETEEN over Oklahoma State? I understand that OSU is bad, but that line looks way out of whack to me, the way A&M's defense has been playing. I guess there's heavy betting on the Ags to win, but the line opened at 17.5, so it hasn't even moved much. I guess we'll be looking at something like 49-30? I'll be happy with a "W", no matter how we get it.

Question #2: How in the world does Texas Tech have ANOTHER freaking home game? Are they playing on the road the rest of the season? This is their 5th home game this year, out of 6 games. Am I reading that schedule right? Only 4 road games: @NEB, @Austin, @Waco, and @Stillwater???? I guess an upset in Austin makes undefeated look possible. Wow. Look for the Spread Raiders to destroy K-State at homecoming. Will a 6-0 Tech team slip into the top 10?

Question #3: Who will win the stat battle this week between Robert Johnson and Jason Carter? Carter won last week, but only by padding his numbers in garbage time. Both receivers were quiet on the road last week, and should light it up again tomorrow. If Johnson can get Cody to quit throwing it to Filani's side of the field, that is. Carter will continue to be McNeal's favorite target, especially with another receiver out with an injury (E. Taylor), and DeQwan "Dance Grooves" Mobley unable to hold onto the ball.

Peace out

Through another day

Shannon was moved out of the ICU this afternoon, and to a regular room on the 16th floor. Unfortunately, they had to stop her Precedex drip, and now her pain control is not as good. She still has IV toradol every 8 hrs and a morphine PCA. The nurse on the floor just told her this is one of the most painful surgeries a person can have. I am staying with her tonight (there's a couch on her room), and hopefully she will feel better tomorrow. At least her nausea has been minimal today.

On a good note, she already has regained some strength she had lost in her hands due to the chiari. Hopefully this is a good sign.

----
Joe Terry
214-914-1911
----
Sent from my Treo Handheld

Success!!

The surgery is complete and went exactly according to plan!

I added the pictures above when I got home tonight. They are both in pre-op holding before surgery. The one with the markings was to indicate where her incision would be.

She is now resting uncomfortably in ICU, and will move to a regular room tomorrow.

Finally, the surgery day is here.....

Shannon goes in for her surgery tomorrow. I will try to update here through my phone. This picture will give a better idea of what's going on. Here is a link as well: ARNOLD CHIARI MALFORMATION

Willie!

Almost forgot - caught Willie Friday and Saturday both at Stubb's.

Our next gub, Kinky Friedman, introduced him as the "Hippie Dali Lama".

Am I supposed to be upset about this?

Injuries knock out two A&M defenders

These guys are both returning starters, and are not the weak point in our defense, but I'm just not feeling the sting one might expect from losing defensive starters here. Our secondary can't get much worse. I think we should just line up prepared to blitz the corners on every down. They're completely ineffective in coverage anyway, so we may as well have them contribute by pressuring the quarterback or runner.

What about Courtney Lewis? His absence was sorely noticed on Saturday, as we don't seem to be able to execute the option at all without him back there.

Don't take this to mean I don't feel for these guys. It sucks that they were injured and out for the season.

Slocum on a Landline

(phone ringing)
RC: Halllo?
Fran: Hey RC - it's me, Fran (in a whispered voice).
RC: Who?
Fran: No, it's OK - I'm on a safe phone over at Gillespie's house.
RC: Oh. Well, OK. I don't trust that spook Byrne. What can I do you for?
Fran: Well, something weird happened.
RC: What - You mean that bottle of of Russian vodka from Molotov that Morriss left on your doorstep?
Fran: No, not that - when I went out to get the paper this morning, there were several "for sale" signs in my yard.
RC: Oh, yeah, well, that happened to me a few times.
Fran: What do I do?
RC: Easy - remember in Coaches Fish Camp how they taught us about diversions? Well, you need to divert the attention away from yourself.
Fran: Yeah! You're right - I've done worn out the cliches at this point, and everyone doesn't buy into that "I'm home" bit about being happy here much anymore.
RC: Yeah, that one even wore me out pretty quickly. Fran, my secret was to always fire a coordinator when the heat was on.
Fran: Well, the obvious choice is Torborgush.
RC: Ding, ding, ding - check out the big brain on Fran!
Fran: Thanks, RC. Oh, by the way, I've gained a little weight and my "Me and My RC" shirt is kinda tight fittin' these days...
RC: Say no more - a double X is on the way, Fran.
Fran: OK, bye bye.
RC: Yeah - talk to you in few weeks after the Tech game.

Anyone wanna 'fess up?

I spotted this carving at the entrance to the Dixie Chicken last weekend.

Battle of the "QB turned receiver"

The best two receivers in the Big 12 are Jason Carter and Robert Johnson, both former quarterbacks at A&M and Tech respectively. Carter leads the Big 12 in yardage and yards per game, while Johnson leads in receptions. This is particularly impressive when you consider how much both teams spread the ball around to different receivers.

Here are the numbers:

Jason Carter: 431 yards on 20 catches for 107.8 ypg and 21.6 per catch; 3 TD's

Robert Johnson: 419 yards on 25 catches for 104.8 ypg and 16.8 per catch; 2 TD's

I don't quite know what inspired me to post this, other than the fact that they are almost statistically identical, and lead the conference. It might be fun to track this through the season.

"Have you ever been to Roosterbowl?"

This is a conversation I overheard my 10 year old daughter having with her friend Hannah after school today. Try not to judge my parenting skills.

Hannah: I went to the College World Series last year

Madi: Cool. Have you ever been to Roosterbowl?

Hannah: No. What's that?

Madi: It's Texas Tech vs. the Aggies in football.

Hannah: Oh

Madi: I'm not allowed to go until I am old enough to drink beer.

Me: Madi, you have never been told that. What are you talking about?

Madi: Well, I'm not allowed to be around a bunch of drunk people until I'm 18.

Me: Madi, where are you coming up with this?

Madi: Okay, I guess I am just not allowed to be around crazy people.

Me: I said you would be bored

Madi: That's alright. Y'all would just make me stay in the trailer anyway.


(Insert redneck jokes here)

The Year: 1993

Every Aggie I know has mastered the concept of diversion to an art form. The most common form of this deviation, as we all know, is known as living in the past. Seeing how it's Friday and that I'm in such a good mood, I have decided to bond together with my Aggie amigos and relive the great year of 1993 with them.

(note: remember Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" ? - now change the lyrics to "Living in the Past", and you have the Aggie National Anthem)

The events:
Dallas defeats Buffalo 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII

Mosaic creates the first WWW browser
Lorena Bobbatt goes on trial
The Branch Davidian compound is blown up
Bill Clinton inaugurated for the first time

and.....

It was the last time the Aggies won a football game in Lubbock

Weekend Predictions

This is my first foray into blogging on Roosterbowl. My biggest fear is misspelling a word or having a typo...both of which will draw the ridicule of blake. My second biggest fear is accidentally saying something bad about Lubbock, which will cause Blake to go Postal.

In all honesty, this is a big weekend for both the Ags and the RedFaders. the outcome of these two games tell us a lot about the fate of these teams. I hate to admit it, but both squads could win big or lose big.

For the Aggies, a loss would confirm something that no Aggie fan wants to admit...we might have been one of the most overrated teams in the country. Conversely, a win means the embarassment of poor games against Texas State and Baylor are quickly forgotten and the ags are back in the top 25.

As for Tech, let's be honest...Nobody has a clue what Tech really is or isn't. The nonconference schedule told us nothing and the game against Kansas was pretty mediocre. Winning in Lincoln is a big accomplishment, even when Nebraska is down. I will tip my hat to Tech if they win. A loss to nebraska makes Tech look like a fraudulent team that "can't hang with the big boys".

As always, I will root for both teams so that the Rooosterbowl takes on more importance. Okay, okay, it's prediction time... I have no clue but here goes nothing.

I will take the Faders in a surprisingly low scoring game 22- 20. Out of frustration with his offense, Leach goes for two twice and it works even though it doesn't really make sense.

Aggies win 44-38 in a surprisingly high scoring game. Aggies get out to a big lead and piss it away. Reggie forced to make some plays at the end to keep the win intact. Reggie has a great game after two poor weeks.

Any thoughts?

Reasons I would love to see the Texas Tech/Florida Cotton Bowl matchup

1. Tech has only played in one Cotton Bowl, and needs an opportunity to redeem themselves
2. It would be the first time since '93 that an undefeated team has played in the Cotton Bowl
   
3. I would expect quite a shootout between Urban Meyer's Gators and Leach's Spread Raiders
4. I would love to see Raider Red get his ass kicked by the Gator Band:

Flashback to the Wreckin' Crew

Accuse me of living in the past, but Blake is the one that started the "Flashback" concept here.

"The Hit"
-1991 TCU game on Thursday night ESPN
(I was there!)

This was the UH game when the Cougars came in to Kyle Field with a top 10 ranking and got the run & shoot shoved where the sun don't shine. (I was there!)


Great "Wrecking Crew" highlight video....a must see!!

They need to show Fran, Torbush, and our defense fims of this era so they know what's expected of them!

What did you call her? Momma Moonbat?

What a fraud!

Leach quote of the week

When asked about playing at Nebraska this week, Leach responded, "Tommy Lee went there. The chance to play at the school where Tommy Lee was in the band for a brief period is pretty exciting."

Flashback: 1995

"Corey....NO!!!"

"Fornication was my drug."

"If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."

Heading to Lincoln

Winning in Lincoln won't come easy if Tech continues to commit 9-15 penalties (mostly stupid ones) per game. 1/3 of the way through the season, this first road game should prove whether Tech is as good as I think.

While Kansas has a good D line, the Raiders' O line has to step up against the Black Shirts and give Hodges a chance - and Cody has to have better awareness of his surroundings and protect the ball (4 fumbles Saturday) when necessary.

It's a great venue with rabid fans, and I expect a dogfight early on - but I also expect the better team to pull away, and that team should be the Raiders.

Red pants this week? Black? Who knows..

Weekend wrapup

What a great feeling to start conference play. If anyone cares, here's my wrapup of the Big 12 weekend:

Aggies 16/Bears 13
I was present to watch the potent A&M offense get totally manhandled by Baylor. Believe me, it was worse in person. I have to give the Baylor defense credit, though. They played very well. I was surprised how prepared they were for pass defense and containing the option. They were helped, of course, by Reggie's terrible passing. I have never seen Reggie throw the ball so poorly. Glad he put it there when it counted though. The defense played well, especially in the red zone, but they kept giving up big plays. I think they held Baylor to something like 2/10 on third down conversions, which is an improvement. They also hit Shawn Bell (Baylor QB) a lot. You probably couldn't see it on TV, but he was on the ground often, and was slow getting up after many hits.

So we escaped with a W, and have a lot of things to work on before going to Boulder for the Saturday night matchup with Colorado.

Red Raiders 30 /Jayhawks 17
I listened to this one on the way home from College Station. I finally found it on Sirius 147, which is the "Trucker" channel. Sounds like Tech had their biggest challenge of the season, which is no surprise, but they took the ball away enough to stay ahead in the second half. The called back Kansas TD on the INT return would have made it a 6-pt game.... Kansas tried to come back, but they were just in too big of a hole, especially at Jones STD at night.

Undefeated Tech travels to their first game away from home this season to face Nebraska next week.

Colorado 34 /Okie State 0
Wow. A&M's defense better get their act together if they are to have a chance in hell in Boulder. I know Okie Lite is weak this year, but the Buffs really put it to them for their first win over a B12 South team since demolishing Tech in '02.

Nebraska 27 /Iowa State 20
This definitely makes the Red Raiders' trip to Lincoln more interesting. They are now facing an undefeated Nebraska team that is rolling, just knocked the Cyclones out of the rankings, and knocking on the door of the top 25. This will be a great game day in Lincoln.

Good to be "home"

Nothing like a Deathburger and a Miller Lite for breakfast at the Chicken.

Beat the Hell Outta Baylor!

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Sent from my Treo Handheld