BIG1217
Words from the Big 12 Writers from around the conference weigh in on their teams
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
Sheffield's absence felt on the field
By Alex Ybarra The Daily Toreador
LUBBOCK, Texas — Even while hobbling around on crutches, Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield's passion was evident during the Red Raiders' loss to Texas A&M Saturday.
Relegated to the sidelines because of a broken foot, he was constantly in the ear of quarterbacks Taylor Potts and Seth Doege, among other players.
That type of enthusiasm, which was a key reason for the Red Raiders' midseason resurgence, is one thing Texas Tech receiver Alexander Torres said the team missed during its 52-30 loss.
"Overall, some of the things that we lacked was our whole mentality and our demeanor on the field that gets us going under pressure," said Torres. "That's something that (Sheffield) helps us keep up: the tempo, momentum, and our attitude going."
Sheffield was injured in a 31-10 upset against then-No. 15 Nebraska Oct. 17. He
was named the starter against the Huskers after convincingly leading Texas Tech to wins against Kansas State and New Mexico when Potts was recovering from a concussion.
Torres mainly was talking about Sheffield's impact on offense, but linebacker Bront Bird admitted the quarterback's contagious personality even spreads to the defense come game time.
Bird said there's a "level of confidence" with Sheffield, and his ability to let loose have fun and ignore pressure provides a comfort factor.
"Whenever he plays, he's really just having a good time"; Bird said. "He's out there smiling, everybody is chest bumping each other"
Although he acknowledged Sheffield does a "great job" of generating enthusiasm and that it's an important role, Tech coach Mike Leach called his players' comments "just an excuse."
Leach said players need to "have their own damn enthusiasm" and those who don't can "get off their ass" and fill in for Sheffield's absence.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield throws against Nebraska in the first half of Texas Tech's 31-10 victory against the Cornhuskers in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17. The Red Raiders are looking to rebound after last Saturday's loss to Texas A&M.
KANSAS STATE WILDCATS
Snyder focused on improvements
Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas is chased by Colorado linebacker Jeff Smart as Thomas runs for a short gain during the third quarter of their game last Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas State won the name 20-6.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Greg Guggisberg Kansas State Collegian
While the win gave the Wildcats a two-game lead over everyone in the Big 12 North except Iowa State, Snyder was focused less on the standings and more on the improvement of his football team while addressing the media after the game.
MANHATTAN — The Wildcat football team managed to win the game Saturday afternoon, but they did not please coach Bill Snyder.
"I am proud wherever we are in the conference and that we have won however many games we have," Snyder said. "If that was the only deal, I would be a happy camper. But that is not what we are about and that is not what we are trying to be about. And I do not want them to feel good about playing poorly or coaching poorly."
Coach Snyder was particularly upset with the offense, which fell apart after halftime, scoring no points after the break. When asked about the play of his quarterback, senior Grant Gregory, he said only two words:
"Stinks. Bad."
"At halftime we were feeling pretty good. We felt like we could duplicate what we did in the first half but we didn't do much on offense," Gregory said. "Colorado played well defensively, but we did not do what we needed to do offensively."
While the offense fell apart, the defense gave up only six points and was able to come up with three turnovers, with the fourth coming on special teams. Holding Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen to 89 yards and no touchdowns was a positive point for the defense.
In the end, the Buffaloes turned to quarterback Cody Hawkins to orchestrate the offense at the end of the game. He didn't fare much better, although he did lead a drive the length of the field before throwing the game-ending interception that allowed K-State to run out the clock.
Winning this game was good for the Wildcats. Moving to 3-1 in Big 12 Conference play with home games remaining against Kansas and Missouri gives the Wildcats a decent shot at bowl eligibility.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE WAVE OCTOBER 30,2009