Notebook: Defense improving
Tubervillepleasedwithpracticethisweek
TexasTechiswellintoitssecondweekoffallcamp,andheadfootballcoach
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TommyTubervillehasbeenpleasedwithhisteam'sprogressthelastfew
days.
"Prettygoodpracticesthelastcoupleofdays,"hesaid."Theenergyisgood.
We'regrindingrightthroughit.We'vegotalittlepushingaroundoutherein
practice,andthat'scausethey'retired.We'vegotatwo-a-daypractice
tomorrow,andit'sgoingtobeevenhotter,butwe'regettingbettereachday.
"Ifwecanjustkeepthemajorityofthemoutherepracticing,keepthemgoing
andlearningwithwhatwe'redoingintechniqueandfundamentals,we'llget
better.We'llbemuchbetterbythefirstgame,butwe'vegotalotofroomfor
improvement."
Thebiggestimprovementseemstohavecomefromtheteam'sdefense.
ArtKaufman'sunithasplayedwellthisweek,andtheoffensehasstruggleda
bitasaresult.Youwon'thearTubervillecomplain,however.
"It'sgoodtoseeourdefense,youknowthey'rehavingalotoffun,"Tuberville
said."We'vegotgoodleadershipoverthere.Theywanttoplaybetter,andthey
understandthesituationthatwewereinandthesituationthatwe'reinnow.
We'vegotamuchbetterchance.We'remakingprogress,butwe'renotthereyet.
Afterthatscrimmageyoucanseealittleprogresswithwhatwe'reteaching."
Defensewinsscrimmage
Tubervillewaspleasedwithhisdefense'splayduringWednesday'shalfscrimmage
andthoughttheoffensetookthedayoffmentally.
"Thedefensewonthescrimmage,"hesaid."Idon'tthinkwescoredbutonetime.
Ithinkwehadtoputtheballonthefouryardlinetodothat.Thedefensegot
muchbetter.
"Weweresloppyintherunninggameandsloppyinplayactiononoffense.
Offenseisallexecution,andyoucan'ttakeitforgranted.Theytookitfor
grantedyesterday."
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Tubervillenotedseveralplayersthathadagoodscrimmageincludingstarting
middlelinebackerWillSmithandcornerbackBruceJones.
"Ithoughtthelinebackersplayedwell.ItwasWillSmith'sbestpractice.Bruce
Jonesisgettingmuchbetteratcorner.Rightnowwe'vegot(Eugene)Nebohand
Cornelius(Douglas)inthetrainingroomwithgroininjuries.It'sgoodtoget
themhealthyandgetsomeworkwith(thebackups)onthefirstteam.
"IthoughtAustinStewartmadeoneofthebestmovesintermsof
gettingbetterondefense.Onoffense,SaDaleFoster,he'sgoingtobe
hardtokeepout.He'saguythatcanseethefieldwell.Hemakesgoodcuts."
Whiteoutwithbrokenfoot
TruefreshmanrunningbackQuintonWhitebrokeaboneinhisfoot
duringWednesday'sscrimmageandwillbeoutforatleastsixtosevenweeks.
"Itwasnon-contact,justplantedandbroketheoutsideboneonthefoot,"
Tubervillesaid."Tomorrowmorningthey'regoingtoputapininit.Hopefully
he'sbackinsixorsevenweeks."
White'sinjuryleavestheRedRaiderswithfourscholarshiprunningbacksonthe
roster--EricStephens,DeAndreWashington,
KennyWilliamsandSaDaleFoster.
Washingtonfeelinggood
ComingoffatornACL,sophomorerunningbackDeAndreWashingtontoldreporters
Thursdaythathefeelsgreatandisreadytogo.
"ThefirstweekIwasjustkindofgettingafeelforeverything,tryingtoget
myfeetbackontheground,butnowIfeellikeI'mpickingupwhereIleftoff
lastyear,"hesaid."I'malmostbackto100(percent).Ireallydon'tfeellike
Ihurtmyselfanymore.Imakemovesandcutsanddon'treallyfeelitanymore."
Sowhatwasthehardestpartofcomingbackforthesophomore?
"Ithinkthewholementalpartofit,"hesaid."Ineverhadamajorinjury
before,sojustbouncingbackandfiguringouthowtocomebackfromit."
ForWashington,therewasneveranyrealdoubtaboutwhetherhewouldmakeit
backforthebeginningoftheseason.
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"Weworkedhardwiththewholestrengthandconditioningstaffandallthe
trainers,"hesaid."Ijustprayedaboutiteveryday,andtheytoldmethatif
Ididwhattheytoldmetodo,they'veseenalotofplayerswiththisinjury
comebackreallysoon,soIjusttooktheirwordforitandkeptgoing."
Nowtherunningbackhasonlyoneobstacleleftintheway:realin-game
contact.
"I'mreadytogethitjusttogetthatfeelingoutoftheway,getthose
jitterbugsoutoftheway."
Brewernotusedtolosing
LastseasonmarkedafirstforquarterbackMichaelBrewer.Before2011,
Brewerhadneverbeenapartofafootballteamwithalosingrecord.Quitethe
opposite,infact.Brewerwonfourstatechampionshiprings--twoastheteam's
startingquarterback--atLakeTravisHighSchool.
Brewerredshirtedlastseason,whichmadetheexperienceofhisfirstlosing
campaignthatmuchmoredifficult.
"Honestly,Ithinknotbeingabletoplaymadeitevenworse,"hesaid."Madeit
harderonme.You'vegottositbackasaredshirtandjustwatchandobserve
andthere'snotmuchyoucando.Youcan'tgetoutthereandhelpyourteammates
out.It'saroughdeal."
ThisseasonshouldbedifferentforbothBrewerandtheRedRaiders.Theteam
shouldreturntothepostseason,whileBrewerisexpectedtoplaybehindstarter
SethDoege.
Brewer'sascensiontotheNo.2spotasaredshirtfreshmanisnotasurprise,
butitbecameamereformalityfollowingthedeparturesofJacobKaramand
ScottyYoungovertheoffseason.
"Ididn'treallyputalotofthoughtinto(thetransfersofKaramandYoung),"
Brewersaid."Iwasn'tgoingtochangemyworkethicwhethertheywerehereor
whethertheyweren't.MygoalwastobackupSeththisyearandgetalotof
experience,getinthegamesomeanddowhatIcantobetterhimandtherestof
theteam."
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