But there is one group of fans out there that has flown under the radar. They do not get much recognition for their outburst of hatred for ball clubs that enter their stadium, but Texas Tech takes a backseat to nobody.
“To me it seems like their fans are right on top of you, over your head,” said Oklahoma’s Chris Chester. “It kind of reminds me of Oklahoma State where they are right there yelling at you. They have a really good crowd and really good fans that get excited for their team but they can get pretty rowdy too.”
Senior J.D. Runnels, who has been part of many Oklahoma Texas Tech contest knows exactly how rowdy the Red Raider fans can get. He knows exactly what his team will be getting into when the Sooners travel to Lubbock on Saturday to take on No. 21 Texas Tech.
“They are a vicious crowd and we hear it, but it’s part of the game and we try to put it past us,” said Oklahoma senior J.D. Runnels. “Anything that is not on the turf isn’t going to help us so we realize they (the fans) are part of the game, but they are 20 feet away and they are not a factor.”
The Red Raider fans are just one component to this budding rivalry. Tech is coming off a crushing defeat to Oklahoma State and are in a dogfight with the surging Sooners for the No. 2 spot in the Big 12 South.
Through in the fact that Tech coach Mike Leach worked under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and has a never beaten his former boss (0-5), this game has a lot riding on the line. Texas Tech also has a perfect record at home this season, so something has to give.
“The first thing we have to do before playing Oklahoma is to assess the situation,” Leach said. “As coaches, we have to let our team know that we missed an opportunity to win a conference game. We need our team leaders to step up and have a good week of preparation.”
Oklahoma (6-3, 5-1) has a half-game lead on Texas Tech (8-2, 5-2) in the conference. In order to keep that lead, the Sooners will need quarterback Rhett Bomar to continue his impressive play from last week. In Oklahoma 36-30 victory over Texas A&M, Bomar passed for 298 yards on 20-of-28 passing. He also threw one touchdown pass and ran for another score.
For the first time this season, Bomar played a complete game looked like the highly recruited standout Sooner fans and coaches felt he would become.
"I thought that Rhett (Bomar) was very sharp,” Stoops said. “Early in the game, in his first 11 or 12 passes, he was great”
Just as impressive was tailback Adrian Peterson, who the Sooners rode early and late. He carried the team with 135 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Now that Peterson is seemingly back to full strength, and with Bomar playing at another level, the Red Raiders will have a tough time keying on one facet of the Sooner’s offense.
Yet, the Red Raiders are not entering the game with a pop gun for an offense either. They are averaging 44 points and 520 total yards per contest. Quarterback Cody Hodges has passed for 3,769 yards and 28 touchdowns. They have four receiver that have at least 55 receptions, led by Robert Johnson and Danny Amendola.
“On defense, we need to be great at tackling,” said Stoops. “I think one of the better players in the league is their running back, Taurean Henderson. And we all know that (Cody) Hodges, their quarterback, is also a major factor. We have to be very disciplined on our positions on the ball and in our routes.”
The Sooner defensive backs will have its hands full. They have faltered at times in the past. But if there is one week they can not afford any major slip-ups, this it.
“Basically we’re just going to try to hold them and try to defend them the best way we can,” said Oklahoma cornerback Marcus Walker. “Discipline is a key thing in playing an offense like Tech’s. They do a lot of things and if one person misses their job, it could lead to a big play.”
Reach Michael Kinney at sports@altustimes.com
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