The Iowa State Cyclones make the trip to Lubbock, Texas, hungry for a win.
On the season, ISU sports a 1-4 record under new head coach Gene Chizik. Iowa State’s offensive statistics are less than stellar, but that won’t stop the Cyclones from giving a great effort on the road in a pivotal conference matchup.
Iowa State Offensive Notes
-Senior QB Bret Meyer leads the Iowa State offense. On the season, Meyer is 112 for 179, a 62.6 completion percentage. He’s thrown for 1,092 yards (6.1 yards per attempt) with 4 TDs and 8 INTs.
-The Cyclones’ rushing leader is Jamicah Bass, who has 96 carries for 380 yards (4.1 yards per carry with 4 TDs).
Bass was held out of last week’s game, and Jason Scales played in his place. Scales has 115 yards on 31 carries with 2 TDs. That’s 3.7 yards per carry.
Bass is expected to play this week, but no official announcement has been made.
QB Meyer has 195 yards on 51 totes (3.8 yards per carry) with 1 TD.
-The Cyclones’ leading receiver is once again Todd Blythe. The former ISU QB has 24 receptions on the year for 291 yards (12.1 yards per catch) and 2 TDs.
R.J. Sumrall is next with 28 catches for 277 yards (9.9 yards per catch). Derrick Catlett has 6 grabs for 26 yards and 1 TD. Wallace Franklin has 2 receptions for 5 yards and a TD.
Texas Tech Offensive Notes
-Where the Iowa State offense has struggled, Texas Tech has lit up opposing defenses in 2007. Graham Harrell, the nation’s leader in passing yards and passing TDs, directs coach Mike Leach’s aerial assault.
Harrell is 192-267 for 2,301 yards with 24 TDs and 2 INTs. That’s 8.6 yards per attempt and a 71.9 completion rate.
-Junior Shannon Woods paces the Red Raider’s running game. He has 43 rushes for 269 yards (6.3 yards per carry) with 7 TDs.
Kobey Lewis is next on the list with 27 carries for 95 yards and 2 TDs. Freshman Aaron Crawford has 19 carries for 58 yards.
As the season progresses, the Red Raiders are going to have to find a way to run the football. Eventually, Texas Tech will face a defense that is athletic enough to slow down the passing game.
-Redshirt freshman Michael Crabtree continues to lead Texas Tech (and the nation) in receiving. He has 60 catches for 920 yards (15.3 yards per catch) and 14 TDs.
Danny Amendola has recorded 44 catches for 593 yards (13.5 YPC) with 3 TDs. RB Shannon Woods has 22 catches for only 62 yards, but does have 2 TDs.
That’s not too good for last year’s Big 12 leader in all-purpose yardage—but Red Raider faithful have to believe that Woods will come through in the clutch.
Eric Morris has 21 catches for 215 yards with 3 TDs, and Grant Walker has hauled in 13 catches for 175 yards and 2 TDs. True freshman Detron Lewis has 2 grabs for 63 yards and 2 scores.
Intangibles
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about 1 year ago
I think you are dead on, thanks for the article. Lets go Raiders!
about 1 year ago
Nice write-up. I can't believe Harrell has 24 TD's to only 2 INT's after only 5 games. And he's only a junior!
about 1 year ago
Texas Tech seems like a pretty easy puzzle to solve... if they play a team with enough offense to keep up with them, their defense isn't good enough to win. If they play an impotent offense like ISU, they run away with it.
John, what do you make of the argument that when your defense plays against a spread offense like TT every day in practice, they soften up? Can a TT defense ever be as tough as say... a USC defense that practices against powerful rushing attacks daily?
from about 1 year ago
Texas Tech has changed defensive coordinators mid-way through the season. The jury is still out on how that effects the rest of the season but the defense is improving. Will anybody play defense like USC does? I don't think so. Texas Tech is adding some stellar JUCO defensive talent that could have the Red Raiders challenging the nation's elite in the next couple of seasons. Texas Tech will improve defensively
from about 1 year ago
To answer your question more directly, Trey, Texas Tech's defense has made several changes: The defense practices tackling, young, athletic players are getting a chance to play on defense rather than veterans who knew the system but were a liability because of inferior athletic ability. Most importantly, the mentality has changed. Texas Tech is expecting big things from their defense this season and beyond.
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