‘He’s an NFL QB;’ Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire talks Bo Nix, Dan Lanning, and the Ducks
The Texas Tech Red Raiders have a lot to prove this weekend when they host the No. 13 Oregon Ducks in Lubbock for their home opener. Joey McGuire and his squad didn’t get off to the best start in Week 1, blowing a 17-point lead and losing to the Wyoming Cowboys in double-overtime.
Texas Tech had high expectations going into the season, being picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 this year. Despite the season-opening loss, they still have those high expectations, and they hope to get things back on track this week with a statement win against an Oregon team that put 81 points on the board in the first week of the season.
On Monday, McGuire met with media members to preview the matchup, talk about his team, and go into detail on what it is about the Ducks that makes them such a team. Here are some of the most notable quotes from his press conference when talking about Oregon:
Early Excitement
Evan Williams — Oregon Ducks vs. Portland State Vikings (Photo Courtesy of Ethan Landa)
McGuire: “I’m excited to see those guys take on a great team, you know, the Oregon Ducks. I got to watch a lot of film of them from last year and then, of course on Saturday, they’re a really talented football team, so it’s gonna be a great test for us.
Dan Lanning
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McGuire: “I don’t know Coach Lanning very well. I met him at the at the draft, you know, they had a corner drafted last year and you know, I know a lot of people that do know him. Great guy. He’s done a phenomenal job. You know, last year he did a great job in year one and you know, he and I are sitting in the same boat here at our schools.”
Will Stein
McGuire: “I do know their offensive coordinator really well. Will (Stein) was a Texas high school football coach. He was at Lake Travis, was at UTSA as their offensive coordinator, did a phenomenal job with them.”
Chris Hampton
McGuire: “Their co-defensive coordinator, I know him really well — Chris Hampton. He was at Tulane and he recruited you know Cedar Hill for a long time. So I know him really well, excited to see those guys.”
Offensive Firepower
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McGuire: “You’re talking about an extremely talented team. We’re looking at the number of snaps that they’ve taken. They’re one of the few teams probably in the country that are a little bit older than us. They’ve got a great quarterback, an NFL quarterback in Bo Nix, and they’ve got to NFL running back, you know, in Bucky —#0 — Bucky Irving, and then they’ve got an NFL receiver. I know that they have other NFL players on offense but those three guys really stand out and are really good football players.”
Defensive Physicality
Casey Rogers — Oregon Ducks vs. Portland State Vikings (Photo Courtesy of Ethan Landa)
McGuire: “And then defensively, their defensive line really stands out, very physical as a defense and you expect that from a head coach that was a defensive coordinator. You know, he was at Georgia and the way they played, you know, you expect the guy that’s their defense gonna play really hard. So we’re gonna get that out of Oregon.”
What You Learn from PSU Game
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McGuire: “Yeah, just their playmakers. You know, Bo’s a year older too, and he’s a seasoned quarterback. I mean, he’s a guy that could have come out and he would have got drafted, you know, then he decided to come back and man I love whenever guys do that. I think it’s great for the player to keep growing. I think it’s great for the university. And so you see that he’s more decisive throwing the football. He’s got a big arm so you know, you saw that last year.”
“But you know, you see their playmakers. I mean they’re extremely explosive on offense. This is going to be one of the best backs and backfields that we face all year long. That’s probably the best back we will face all year long and so you see that jumps off and then they have acquired… they’re different on defense. I mean, they have some returning starters but they also have a bunch of guys that this will be their first year starting for Oregon, not college football, but its first year starting at Oregon and so you see the improvement on that side of the ball.”
