Preview: Texas Tech at SMU

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SMU has yet to beat a Big 12 team from the former Southwest Conference. This is the fifth meeting between SMU and Texas Tech in six seasons. Tech QB Graham Harrell passed for a school sophomore record 4,555 yards and 38 touchdowns last season. He threw for 342 yards and five touchdowns vs. the Mustangs.

SMU senior DE Cory Muse (groin strain) is out, leaving the Mustangs with two freshmen and all new starters on the defensive line. The Mustangs must find a way to get past Tech?s inexperienced offensive line to pressure Harrell and help the secondary. The Mustangs couldn?t stop Tech in the red zone and on third-down situations in last season?s meeting.

SMU is going to try at least to keep up with Tech on scoring behind QB Justin Willis and his receiving crew. Willis needs the offensive line to give him time and allow junior running back DeMyron Martin to contribute. SMU needs to stay out of second-and-long and third-and-long situations to make the offense more efficient.

Tech finalized its starting defensive lineup Saturday, deciding on nose tackle Richard Jones and cornerback Jamar Wall, Willis? cousin.

Both defenses have something to prove, but the offenses are expected to be the story. If Tech and Harrell get going, it will be tough for the Mustangs to keep up.

Texas Tech wins if ...

Quarterback Graham Harrell and his new receivers and offensive line click and exploit an SMU defense with plenty of questions. The secondary slows SMU's big-play ability.

SMU wins if ...

The Mustangs can score with a balanced offense that gets in the end zone and helps keep Tech's offense off the field. The defense has to make key stops and force turnovers.

 

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Red Raiders football notebook

Rethinking return men

Texas Tech's Danny Amendola has 102 career punt returns and Eric Morris has six, but the team is looking for Morris to take some of the load off Amendola.

Morris is listed as the primary punt-return man on Tech's special teams chart going into Monday's season opener at Southern Methodist.

Special teams coach Ruffin McNeill said Saturday that he will give Morris - and possibly cornerback Jamar Wall - a chance.

"I like the way Eric catches the ball in the open field and makes people miss,'' McNeill said. "Most of the time on punts you have to make one guy miss, and Eric can do a good job of that.''

The last time Morris ran back punts in games was two years ago, when he had six returns for 69 yards. In his high school career at Shallowater, he returned 18 kicks and punts for touchdowns.

Amendola is third on Tech's career list for punt-return yards with 1,061, but his season averages have declined from 12.8 to 9.8 to 9.2.

Subbing in Morris is a way for the Raiders to keep from exhausting Amendola. Amendola will be a starter on four other special teams - the kickoff return unit (on the five-man front row), the holder on placement kicks and the ''hands'' and onside kickoff units.

In addition, his switch from "H'' inside receiver to "Y'' inside receiver will have him running more vertical pass routes.

Asked whether he was interested in seeing other return men or reducing Amendola's wear and tear, McNeill said, "Maybe a little of both.''

Morris, an inside receiver, returned 12 kickoffs for a 16.8-yard average last year.

The deep pairings on kickoff returns to start this season are Ed Britton alongside L.A. Reed and Shannon Woods with Mike Crabtree.

Hines an iron man

Junior safety Anthony Hines is slated to get more work than anyone on Tech's special teams. Hines will start on four units: kickoff coverage, punt coverage, punt return and kickoff return.

No one else is assigned to the first team on more than three of those groups.

"He's a big athlete that can run,'' special teams coach Ruffin McNeill said. "He's physical and he's matured a lot the last couple of years. I'm looking forward to him having a big year on special teams - and on defense as well.''

Players who are starters on three of the most often used special teams (not counting hands team and onside kickoffs) are Daniel Charbonnet, Lance Fuller, David Schaefer, Blake Collier and L.A. Reed.

Players starting on two include Jamar Wall, Darcel McBath, Jordy Rowland, Marlon WIlliams, Sandy Riley, Kellen Tillman and Brandon Williams.

On the shelf

Backup linebacker Julius Howard was on crutches and wearing a knee brace during the team's Saturday workout, an indication that he could be out for a while.

Tech does not release the nature or severity of injuries. Others who, by appearance, are out for the opener include FL Todd Walker, CB Brent Nickerson, CB Nathan Stone, DE Brandon Sharpe and DE Sean Estelle.

Traveling men

Inside receivers Detron Lewis and Tramain Swindall and defensive tackles Colby Whitlock and Bobby Agoucha are the only first-semester freshmen listed on the traveling squad for the SMU game.

The defensive tackles will play this year.

Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said during the week that he would like to redshirt Swindall and that Lewis is on the fence as far as playing this year.

Any freshman who burns a redshirt this season probably will do so first on defense or offense. There aren't any first-semester freshmen either starting or backing up on special teams, though second-semester freshmen center Justin Keown and flanker Lyle Leong are in position to play.