Notebook: All about the option

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TexasTechcruisedtoa44-6season-openingvictoryoverNorthwesternState

Saturday,butthingsaregoingtoheatupthisweekendagainstaTexasState

teamstillflyinghighafterpullingabigroadupsetofHouston.

TheRedRaidersareridingsomemomentumoftheirownfollowingitsdefensive

performanceagainsttheDemons--oneofthemoststatisticallyimpressive

outingsinprogramhistory.ArtKaufman'sunithasnotimetoreston

itslaurels,however,asitwillfaceaBobcatoptionattackthatwillchallenge

theteaminwaysNSUdidn't.

Saturday'sgamewillbeasignofthingstocomeforTech,asotherteamsonits

scheduleincorporatesomeoptionelementsintotheiroffense.

"Itgivesyouanideaofwhatyou'llface,"middlelinebackerWillSmithsaid,referringtotakingonamobilequarterbackinNorthwesternState'sBradHenderson."ButIfeellikethequarterbackatTexasState,ShaunRutherford,ismoreversatile.LikeIsaidearlier,juststayingdisciplinedinwhatyou'reassignedtodo."

Lastseason,theRedRaiderscouldn'tstoptheBobcats'runsthatwentoutsidethetackleveryeffectively,butaddinganextralinebackerintothemixinthenew4-3defensiveschemeasopposedtothe4-2-5schemelastyearshouldhelp

makethatalittleeasier.NorthwesternStatecertainlydidnotgainmanyyardsrollingoutsidethetackles.

Stoppingtheoptionisasmuchaboutbeingintherightpositionasanything

else.Lastyear,theRedRaidersfailedthattaskmoreoftenthannot.

"Wetalkalotaboutknowingwhatyourjobis,"first-yeardefensivecoordinatorArtKaufmansaid."Westressedthatinthespringandthroughfallcampandnow10daysoutwehavetoknowourjob.Youjusthavetofitintothesystem.YouknowwhatyourjobisandIthinkasthe(NorthwesternState)gamewentontheysawthedifferencebetweentheplaysmadeandtheplaysthatweren'tmade."

WhileTexasState'soffenseisdefinitelyground-centric,theytheBobcatswill

stilltakeshotsdownfield.

"They'reanoptionteamandit'sgoingtocomedowntoassignmentfootball,"Kaufmansaid."Everybodyhastomakesuretheytakecareoftheirjob.OurD-tackleswillhavetokeeptheirpadsdown.Theirquarterbackisanexcellentrunner.Whattheydoistheyplayrun,run,run,runandthentheygouptopandhityouwithaplayactionpassorsometypeofpass.Sowe'vegotourworkcutoutforus."

Bullitt'sinjuryisnotserious

LinebackerTerranceBullitt,whoplayedmostoflastseasonwithaninjured

shoulderthateventuallyrequiredsurgeryovertheoffseason,leftSaturday's

gameagainstNSUafterapparentlyinjuringthesameshoulder.

TubervillesaidMondaythatBullitt'sinjurywaslessseverethanfirstthought.

"He'llbefine,"hesaid."He'llpracticethisweek.Nostructuraldamageat

all,sogladtoseethat.Hewantstoplay."

[MoreRRS:

Leveland

DickensbreakdownTech'swinoverNSU]

Withconcernsaboutapotentiallyseriousinjuryalleviated,thesituation

turnedintoateachingmomentforTuberville.

"He'lltellyouhegothimselfinthewrongpositionreachinginsteadofmoving

hisfeet,"Tubervillesaid."Sohegetsanotherchance.Sonowhe'sgotto

becomemoreundercontrol,butit'sfrustratingwhenIfeltlikewejust

couldn'tgetabreak.ButlookslikewegotoneorTerrancegotone."

ThetypeofbalanceTubervillewants?

TheRedRaiderswerebalancedonoffenseagainstNSU,registering46rushing

attemptsfor179yardsand47passattemptsbetweenSethDoegeandMichaelBrewer

thatresultedin321passingyards.

Shouldfansexpectthiskindofbalancemovingforward?Maybenot.TommyTubervilleexpressedinterestingettingDarrinMooreandJavonBell

involvedagainstTexasStatecreatingmorebigplays.

"Weneedtomakemorebigplays,"Tubervillesaid."Wedidn'tdoalotontheoffensethisgame.Wewerealittlebitmoreconservative.WehadtwooffensiveprospectivestartersoutinJavonBellandDarrinMoorewhowillbebackthisweekandaddalittlefirepowertowhatwecando,alittlespeed.

"Butwewentintothatgametryingtobefundamentallyrightandtechnicallyright,doingtherightthings.Notputtingourtwoguardsintoasituationwheretheydidn'tknowwhatwasgoingon.They'remuchfartheralong.Wejustdidthatinprecaution.Wecouldhaveplayedanotherteamthat'sbetter,andIthinktheywouldhavedonejustaswell.Butyoujustgoinandtrytocreateanatmosphereofbeingpositiveandsomethingpositivehappened.Wehad500yards."

Stephenswilleventuallyditchthebrace

Onelastnoteregardingthereturnofrunningback

EricStephens.

Stephenssaidpartofthereasonhedoesn'tlookasfastthisyearisthekneebraceheiswearingonhisleftknee.He'sgoingtotrytopracticewithoutitafewtimesinthenearfutureand

maynotwearitingameslaterthisseason.

[MoreRRS:

PhotosfromtheRedRaiders'openingwin]

"ThebiggestthingwiththekneebraceisIdon'tgetfullflexionsoIcan'treallyrun.,"Stephenssaid."IfeellikeI'mscootingmylegwhenIrun.I'vebeenrunningwithitforacoupleofmonths,soIgotusedtodoit.Ijustwanttogetoffofit,becauseI'mabletorunalittlebetterwithoutit."

Hostileterritory

TheBobcatsandtheirfansareunderstandablyexcitedabouttheirupsetwinagainstHouston.

IthasbeencalledthebiggestwininTexasStatefootballhistory.

Tubervilledidn'tseemthatsurprisedbytheBobcats'success.

"TexasStatehasdoneitright,"hesaid."Theyputmoneyintoit.They'vehiredacoachingstaff,andthey'vehiredacoachthat'sbeenthereanddonethat.They'renotawannabe.They'reputtingtheirmoneywheretheirmouthis,andwe'rewalkingintoatoughsituation.We'llhaveseveralofthosethisyear,andwehavetolearnhowtodoit.Itwillbeagoodexperienceforus."

TechplayersadmittedtheywerealittlesurprisedthatFranchione'steamtopped

UH.

"Youcouldsaythat,"Smithsaid."Youwouldn'tthinkTexasStatewouldcomeoutasstrongastheydid.It'sawake-upcall,butnomatterwhoitis,wehavetocomeoutreadytoplay."

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