Wednesday, August 21, 1996

Tech's schedule one of toughest ever

By MARK BABINECK
Associated Press

LUBBOCK (AP) - One of the toughest schedules in Texas Tech football history will offer the Red Raiders a chance to establish themselves in the brave new world of the Big 12.

A 9-3 record last year, including a 5-2 run through the dying Southwest Conference, was one thing. Similar success against a murderer's row of opponents would be quite another.

"The first thing you have to do is get competitive, then when you get competitive you have to become a contender," said coach Spike Dykes, who goes from being the dean of Southwest Conference coaches to dean of Big 12 Southern Division coaches in his 10th season. "Hopefully we're closer to being a contender than we were."

The obstacles to a championship grew steeper with the SWC's demise. Tech dropped three opponents that combined for a 4-29 record last year and replaced them with three that went a cumulative 42-4, including two-time defending national champion Nebraska.

League rivals Kansas, Kansas State, Texas and Texas A&M also finished in the top 25.

The Red Raiders closed their 1995 campaign with a stunning offensive display against Air Force in the Copper Bowl. Most of the cast from that 55-41 runaway returns, and expectations are as high as ever.

Running back Byron Hanspard and quarterback Zebbie Lethridge, both juniors, developed into bona fide stars by season's end. Lethridge played a virtually mistake-free season, at one point setting an SWC record with 211 straight passes without an interception.

Hanspard vaulted onto the scene in 1995 after an impressive freshman year. He posted eight 100-yard games, including four of 180 yards or more. His average of 6 yards per carry (1,634 yards on 272 rushes) opened up every facet of the Texas Tech offense and has evoked Heisman Trophy talk here on the Texas plains.

"All he needs is the smallest crack and he's through it," said senior offensive guard Casey Jones, one of four returning starters on the line. "That gives you so much confidence as a lineman."

Texas Tech might be deepest at receiver. Sheldon Bass, the team's leading receiver in 1994 before a shoulder injury knocked him out of action last season, returns to join an experienced cast.

Not among the offensive returners is coordinator Dick Winder, who joined Oklahoma's coaching staff last winter. Rick Dykes, the running backs coach who recruited Hanspard out of Dallas, takes over as father Spike's right-hand man.

"We'll probably do a few different things," Jones said. "What he's going to do is simplify things down and go with what we do best."

What the Red Raiders probably won't do best is defend, at least early in the season. Five starters are gone, including three in the secondary.

More importantly, Spike Dykes relied on linebackers Zach Thomas and Shawn Banks and cornerback Marcus Coleman to be the heart and soul of a big-play defense. All have moved on.
"We had a lot of leadership on the field and a lot of maturity," Dykes said. "When you lose them, it scares the dickens out of you because you've got some big shoes to fill."

Junior Tony Darden, who has thrown and caught passes for the Red Raider offense, now will try to intercept them at cornerback. Anthony Armour, a 214-pounder forced to play on the line last year, and Robert Johnson will anchor the linebacker corps.

Dykes admits it will be tough to reformulate 1995's chemistry.

"The offense will have to carry the defense for awhile," he said. "That was sort of vise-versa a year ago when the offense was sort of untested."

Texas Tech's Aug. 31 visit to Kansas State, ranked No. 6 after last season, will mark the first intraconference game in Big 12 history.

"Every Saturday there's going to be a heck of a game," Dykes said. "It's a fan's dream, but not necessarily a coach's dream, because it's Katy-bar-the-door each week.

"But that's part of becoming competitive."