Published: September 11, 2009 09:05 am      

Texas Tech to play Rice in final tuneup before UT

By BETSY BLANEY

Associated Press Writer

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Mike Leach is nearly certain his Texas Tech team isn’t looking beyond Saturday night’s game against Rice.

The contest against the Owls is the Red Raiders’ final tuneup before they head to Austin to play No. 2 Texas in a Big 12 clash. The Longhorns will be looking to avenge their final-second, 39-33 loss last season in Lubbock.

“I don’t think so,” Leach said about the Red Raiders getting ahead of themselves. “If they’re that stupid, we’ve got a lot of problems. I mean, we’re only playing Rice this week.”

The two teams played regularly in the Southwest Conference and each are coming off one of their best seasons.

Rice coach David Bailiff wants his defense to play with a passion the Owls didn’t show in their opener, a 44-24 loss at UAB that ended a seven-game win streak dating to last season.

There were way too many missed tackles, he said. Rice (0-1) can ill afford those when facing the Red Raiders’ high-octane aerial barrage that regularly relies on receivers tacking on yards after a catch.

“When you play defense, you have to play like your hair’s on fire and not like you’re taking a chemistry test,” Bailiff said. “To play great defense you have to be passionate and willing to take great risk.”

Rice safety Andrew Sendejo, who ranks second nationally in total tackles (15 against UAB, including nine solo stops), realizes the Owl’s tackling must improve.

“Since they spread the ball out so much there’s a lot of open space around to make plays with their feet,” he said.

Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts’ first start last week had some hiccups. The junior from Abilene threw three interceptions, one more than he had in the two years he played backup to Graham Harrell.

He’s put that game behind and keeping his focus on the immediate future.

“We’re not thinking about week three right now,” he said. “We’re thinking about the Rice game. Right now, I’m thinking about what we’re going to do to be able to beat Rice and be real good this week.”

Tech’s running game didn’t sizzle in last week’s win over North Dakota as it did — at least for the Leach-led Red Raiders — last year when they averaged 118 rushing yards per game to finish 94th nationally. Nineteen carries Saturday brought 40 yards.

Potts still believes in his running backs, though.

“I feel that the running game is one of the strongest attributes on our offense,” he said. “For Baron (Batch) to pound through guys and get five or six yards when there is nothing there. For Harrison (Jeffers) and Eric (Stephens) to out run people and make the exciting moves on people is a lot of fun to watch. I expect a huge game from them on Saturday.”

Rice used two quarterbacks last week and will likely do the same against the Red Raiders. Fifth-year senior John Shepherd started the UAB game but Nick Fanuzzi, who last week threw for one TD and ran for another, will start Saturday, Bailiff said.

“If he leads us down the field and scores on the first couple possessions, we’ll probably leave him in,” he said. “But I think for the good of this football team, we’re going to continue to use two quarterbacks.”