TicketCity Bowl Preview

Northwestern vs. Texas Tech

                Northwestern’s offensive coordinator Mick McCall must do a good job in his play calling. Northwestenr has lost their starting quarterback Dan Persa and is not likely to have starting runningback Mike Trumpy. In an offense that features a spread passing attack and a zone read rushing game, losing experienced players at those two positions severely handicaps the offense. McCall needs to counter that by giving backup quarterback Evan Watkins a few easy passes to get him comfortable and confident. If Watkins can settle down, he’ll have opportunities against the worst pass defense in college football this year. Texas Tech’s safeties (Cody Davis and Tre’ Porter) are often out of position and the linebackers aren’t fast enough to match-up man-to-man against underneath coverage. Northwestern has the advantage there with wide receiver Jeremy Ebert and athletic tight end Drake Dunsmore being able to work the middle of the field with their speed and savvy route running. Northwestern will likely not focus on the running game much, with backup runningback Stephen Simmons lacking elite quickness and speed, which is necessary to produce well in this offense.

                Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Potts is very experienced in the spread offense that Texas Tech runs. That spells a lot of trouble for the Northwestern defense. Potts knows where to go with the ball and, if not pressured, will carve up the Northwestern secondary. Northwestern will have to pay especially close attention to wide receiver Lyle Leong, who has caught 217 touchdowns this year. He has good ball skills and stretches the field well. Texas Tech barley runs the ball, but Baron Batch and Eric Stephens work well within their system and can be problematic if Northwestern simply ignores them. Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz is caught in a bit of a catch-22 when trying to defend this offense. The best way to disrupt the Texas tech offense is to bring a lot of pressure, to which Tyler Potts does not react well. However if he does it too often, he opens up the possibility of the big play being hit behind the blitz. The best way he could handle this is too bring five or six during the first quarter and gauge how well Potts reacts. If their defense is being picked apart, then they need to address the matter a different way. If they are consistently hitting Potts and forcing him into making bad throws, then stick to the blitz.

Prospects to Watch

                Northwestern

                                Quentin Davie – Linebacker: Davie is an athletic linebacker with good range and a tall frame. He can rush the quarterback and has shown a nose for the ball. However he doesn’t do any of this exceptionally and he has problems with his footwork. He might get shot in the 6^th or 7^th round, but at that point, it’s anyone’s guess who will go where.

                Texas Tech

                                Baron Batch – Runningback: Batch is the proto-typical spread runningback; great at catching the ball and working in space, but is not able to succeed in pro offense. He doesn’t have the strength to pound the middle nor does he have consistent vision, so he will occasionally run right past the holes his offensive line opens up for him. He isn’t someone you want trying to trying to block on-coming pass rushers, but his pass-catching abilities are outstanding. He also has good quickness and lateral vision. He may not break a long run, but he is elusive enough to get first downs when thrown the ball. He’s got a chance to be drafted in the 6^th or 7^th round.

Final Pick

                Texas Tech – As bad as the Texas Tech pass defense has been, I have less faith in a backup quarterback who has struggled in his few starts.