KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -Stephen Sheffield had what most players would consider a career day, throwing for 490 yards and seven touchdowns in his team’s 52-point win.
He might not even be the starter this week.
Only at Texas Tech.
Red Raiders coach Mike Leach, the mad scientist at Tech’s quarterback factory, has yet to decide who’ll start Saturday against Nebraska.
Regular starter Taylor Potts is back after a concussion. Sheffield is ready to go if he gets the call again.
Who knows, with the way Leach likes to keep people guessing, maybe third-stringer Seth Doege will get the start instead.
“It’ll be a game-time decision,” Leach said Monday during the Big 12 coaches’ teleconference. “Despite the whole injury thing, nothing builds the drama and excitement as game-time decisions, so in our case it’ll be a game-time decision.”
Potts opened the season as Tech’s starter, leading the nation with 1,602 yards passing and 13 touchdowns the first four games. He suffered a concussion against New Mexico on Oct. 3 and had to be hospitalized overnight, opening the door for Sheffield.
The former walk-on replaced Potts in the second quarter, throwing for 238 yards and three TDs in a 48-28 victory, then got his first start against Kansas State on Saturday. The junior threw for a school-record 370 yards in the first half and finished 33-for-41, hitting five different receivers with scoring passes in a 66-14 win.
Sheffield was named the Big 12 Conference offensive player of the week on Monday.
Now, the player known as “Sticks” by teammates gets to wait to see if he’ll play again this week.
One person who won’t get caught up in the name-that-starter game is Cornhuskers coach Bo Pelini. The Red Raiders seem to be able to churn up yardage no matter who’s calling the shots and Pelini is more concerned about stopping 11 players, not just one.
Potts, Sheffield – doesn’t matter.
“They’re both good football players,” Pelini said. “But we’re going to defend their offense. They’re just one cog in the offense. They’re very multiple in what they do. They run it well. They throw it well.”
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REESING FOR HEISMAN: Kansas coach Mark Mangino has pledged to not start a Heisman campaign for quarterback Todd Reesing.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t think Reesing deserves it.
re impressed, but I think the true way you judge Todd Reesing is you have to watch him play.”
The senior has thrown for 1,579 yards and 13 touchdowns with three interceptions, completing 69.3 percent of his passes. Reesing had another big game against Iowa State on Saturday, throwing for 442 yards and four touchdowns while tying his own school record with 37 completions in a 41-36 win.
“When you watch him play, whether you’re an opposing coach or an opposing fan, broadcaster or journalist that covers the game, you walk away saying, ‘That kid is a pretty doggone good football player,”’ Mangino said.
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PRAISING SUH: Nebraska defensive end Ndamukong Suh was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the week.
It came as no shock to Missouri coach Gary Pinkel after what he did to the Tigers Thursday night.
“The numbers he puts up and the things he does athletically at that size, he’s a very dominant player,” Pinkel said. “As with everybody else he plays against, he gave us a lot of problems.”
The senior had six tackles, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass that set up the go-ahead touchdown in Nebraska’s soggy 27-12 win over Missouri.
And Suh’s been doing it all year.
He leads the Cornhuskers with 32 tackles, including seven for losses. Suh also has three sacks and ranks in the top-10 in passes defended with eight, including Thursday’s interception.
6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle.
“I can’t imagine there’s a lot of defensive tackles in the country better than him,” Pinkel said. “I’d like to see them.”
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EXTRA POINTS: Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said RB Kendall Hunter (ankle) returned to practice last week with the hope of being able to play Saturday against Missouri. … Baylor coach Art Briles said QB Robert Griffin is still rehabilitating his damaged right knee and is looking into the possibility of surgery. Griffin is out for the season after suffering an isolated tear of his ACL against Northwestern State on Sept. 26. … Texas coach Mack Brown said RBs Vondrell McGee (shoulder) and Tre’ Newton (concussion) will likely be limited in practice this week, putting their availability for Saturday’s game against rival Oklahoma in doubt.
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