The Daily Toreador - Student Newspaper of Texas Tech

Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Karl Anderson

Having spent several seasons as a coach with Appalachian State in the 1990s, Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill understands the mindset of a smaller school trying to prove something to the nation.

It happened to Michigan in 2007, and in order for it not to happen to the Red Raiders - who play Eastern Washington at 6 p.m. Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium ­­- Tech needs to realize that the Eagles will hold nothing back, McNeill said.

"I think they're coaching hard on fundamentals," he said. "I think they'll limit and play their best football players in the game. I think Appalachian played only a handful of numbers against Michigan, I think you'll see that. I think you have to be aware of any kind of trick type stuff on all sides of the ball."

Eastern Washington, a member of the Big-Sky Conference, is no cellar dweller in the Football Championship Subdivision.

In the preseason poll of FCS schools, Eastern Washington is ranked No. 7 in the nation due to a successful 9-4 campaign in 2007 that ended with a 38-35 loss to three-time defending national champion Appalachian State in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.

Coach Beau Baldwin returned to EWU this season as head coach after a one-year hiatus at Central Washington in 2007 steered him away from his previous position as offensive coordinator of the Eagles from 2003-2006.

Preparing for Tech, whose No. 12 ranking is the highest since the school was No. 8 in 1977, should not be too hard of a task for Baldwin, considering many of the players that are now juniors and seniors were freshman and sophomores when he was offensive coordinator in 2006.

In that season, EWU started with losses to then-No. 6 West Virginia and Oregon State by a combined score of 94-10. However, Baldwin said he believes he has a more mature team in 2008.

The game pits two potent offensive systems that have racked up plenty of yards against opposing defenses. EWU's average of 462.3 yards per game ranked fifth in FCS in total offense and was eighth in passing with 295.4 yards.

While Tech plays close to a pass-only spread offense, EWU will step away from its passing options to run the ball if necessary, Baldwin said.

EWU running back Dale Morris ran for 930 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Eagles last season.

Tech coach Mike Leach complemented the Eagles' style of play, which might as well be a distant cousin of Leach's offense.

Continued...

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