Few, if any, outside the inner circle of the Texas Tech football team were allowed to watch the Red Raiders’ first practice game on Saturday, but anyone near Jones AT&T Stadium could hear it.
Exposing his players to game-like pressure was one of the takeaways Tech coach Joey McGuire took from his visit with Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell. McGuire said last month he wanted to put his offensive players under as much pressure as possible by having them run down the visitors’ tunnel, occupy the opposing sideline and deal with crowd noise.
“We turned it up really high,” McGuire said of the sound system. “I think the sound system is even better than that. Gio (senior assistant athletic director Robert Giovannetti) was trying, I think, to be nice to all the neighbors around the stadium, but it was great for us.”
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Related: What Joey McGuire noticed at the Texas Tech football team’s first practice game
The NCAA approved experimental use of communication devices in helmets in bowl games last season, including the Independence Bowl, where Tech beat California. Communications in helmets are approved for unrestricted use this season, with one player allowed to wear a device on each side of the ball.
“We played the crowd noise whenever we were on the big Jumbotron side,” McGuire said, “and all of our quarterbacks had to cover their ears because the guys could barely hear the communication in the helmet.”
Here are other developments McGuire discussed with reporters in a post-game meeting:
Wide receiver screen game shows signs
Technical coaches focused this offseason on improving the wide receiver screen game, which was lacking in 2023. They studied teams that did it well, particularly Washington and Florida.
Drae McCray took advantage of some opportunities in the practice game and McGuire said new receivers Josh Kelly and Micah Hudson blocked each other well.
“We have to be better (at blocking from the perimeter) because it’s easy to get yards. It’s all about layups,” McGuire said, “and then we have too many guys at the skill positions — I’m talking about Drae McCray, Josh Kelly, Caleb Douglas, Jordan Brown, guys who are really, really good block guys. Micah Hudson — that come in so suddenly. We have to get better on the perimeter.”
Related: The Texas Tech football team has made great efforts to improve the WR screen game
Cameran Brown is waiting for the real games
McGuire said second-team quarterback Cameran Brown felt his performance on Saturday was OK. McGuire reminded the West Georgia transfer that his skills aren’t on full display in scrimmages, where quarterbacks aren’t allowed to make contact. Tech recruited him so he could run the football as much as throw it.
“You don’t see it in practice games,” McGuire said, “because I don’t want him to get hit. But the quarterback’s running game takes it to a whole new level every time he comes into the game.”
Related: Cameran Brown didn’t end up at Texas Tech football by chance. He fulfilled a special need
Texas Tech Football gets creative with Braylon Rigsby
Saturday was only the ninth practice session, so experimenting at this stage may not lead to anything. But Braylon Rigsby, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle, could be more.
“We’ve done a lot with him, let him play all over the place,” McGuire said. “I think our bigger (defensive front) packages can be more effective than they have been, especially in the first two years, just because of our depth.”
AJ McCarty and Brenden Jordan present different looks
Through the first eight games of last season, Julien (CJ) Baskerville and Brenden Jordan formed a solid one-two punch at Texas Tech’s field safety/outside linebacker position, which has been dubbed the star position. AJ McCarty and Jordan could provide the Red Raiders with a similar one-two punch this season.
“I’d say AJ will go out as the starter,” McGuire said, “but I have a good feeling about both of them. AJ does a really good job in coverage and is a really good blitzer. He’s very sudden and he takes great angles.”
“BJ (Jordan) has a little more experience in this defense, he played last year and he’s 210 pounds. So lining up over a tight end, being physical on the edge and setting edges is what he does really well.”
Related: Brenden Jordan and AJ McCarty are fighting for the safety spot on the Texas Tech football team in Spring Ball
The young defenders J’Koby Williams and Adam Hill show
True freshman running back Cameron Dickey, ranked No. 3, did not participate in Saturday’s practice game because of a sprained ankle.
So two other freshmen made the most of the extra opportunities. Tech posted a highlight on social media of Adam Hill running 22 yards for a touchdown and J’Koby Williams, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound Beckville graduate, running for 25 and 35 yards, McGuire said.
“This kid is special,” McGuire said.
Hill played both seasons for two-time state champion Albany and joined the Red Raiders as a preferred walk-on. Although Hill’s position could change over time, Tech moved him to the offensive line because there is less depth at the running back position than at the inside linebacker position and fewer running backs with good size. Hill is 6’1″ and 215 pounds.
“We want to have a bigger running back back there who can keep up with the passing game (protection),” McGuire said.
This article originally appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech Football: What we hear after the first practice game
