Preparing for the worst (weather): Icy cold in Iowa awaits Texas Tech football team
When Joey McGuire walks onto the field Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium, no one's likely to confuse the Texas Tech coach and his team for Bud Grant and Grant's rugged he-men players of yesteryear.
It's going to be bitter cold, and McGuire doesn't intend to play mind games pretending it's not. The National Weather Service forecast for 6 p.m. Saturday in Ames, Iowa — kickoff time for Texas Tech at Iowa State — calls for 16 degrees with a wind chill temperature of 4, dropping by 10 p.m. to 9 degrees with a wind chill of minus-2.
The Red Raiders will be dressed accordingly. None of that Bud Grant's bare-armed Minnesota Vikings approach for the Tech coach.
"I don't believe in not talking about it," McGuire said Monday. "I don't believe in tough guys not wearing a coat. I just don't believe in that, because, guess what, when they get out there, they're going to know it's cold, so you might as well prepare and talk about it."
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Back in January, on a cold early morning of winter conditioning in Lubbock, McGuire repeatedly told the Red Raiders they were getting ready for a November game in Ames, Iowa. Someone snapped a picture of linebacker Tyrique Matthews with icy flecks in his beard. McGuire closed a PowerPoint presentation on Sunday by showing that picture as a reminder of what's ahead.
It's what McGuire experienced on this week four years ago. The 2018 Iowa State-Baylor game in Ames, also on the second Saturday in November, had a game-time temperature of 25 with a wind chill of 18.
"It was the coldest game I've ever coached in," said McGuire, then a Baylor assistant. "(Baylor coach) Matt Rhule's a lot tougher than me. He came out there, and I think he was sleeveless or short sleeves. Man, I looked like Gumby. I think I had Gore-Tex rain gear and everything like that. It was green, so that's why I looked like Gumby.
"I'll be bundled up, man. I'm going to be comfortable and fired up. (Equipment operations director) Zane (Perry) will have all kinds of cold gear packed. Vaseline and Right Guard so your feet don't sweat. We're going to definitely be comfortable and playing fast."
McGuire said the Red Raiders talking about the weather and preparing for it is similar, just on the other end of the spectrum, to other teams coming to Jones Stadium in September and getting smacked by oppressive heat.
"You can say you're prepared for the heat and playing in 100-degree weather until you get in it," McGuire said.
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The Red Raiders practice at 8 a.m. Tuesday, 4 p.m. Wednesday, 9:15 a.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday. That's their normal schedule. The Friday walk-through normally is indoors in the Sports Performance Center, but the others are outdoors on the practice fields.
The National Weather Service forecast for Lubbock shows 24 degrees at 8 a.m. Tuesday with a 16-degree wind chill and 35 degrees at 9 a.m. Thursday with a wind chill of 27.
Tech strength and conditioning coaches Aaron Hall and Beef Watson spent time at Wyoming. Red Raiders staff member Sammy Morris played for the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. They might have some useful insights, McGuire said.
"We're going to talk about it," McGuire said. "I don't believe in this tough-guy thing of not talking about it, because there's a reality when it hits you in the face. I want to them to know about it before we get there, that this is what it's going to be like and then, 'Now we've got to just shut up and go play.' "
Quick hits
▶ Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson has been ruled out this week, but other than confirming Wilson suffered an injury to his right foot in Saturday's game against Kansas, McGuire had no other specifics during his weekly Monday press conference. He said Tech medical personnel still are evaluating the injury daily, but when asked for more details and what X-rays showed, he had none.
"We've got such great doctors with (Michael) Phy and (Kevin) Crawford," McGuire said, "but with a guy that's projected possibly top-10 (NFL draft) pick, you're definitely going to double check and triple check. He had X-rays Sunday. He's having, I think, another group today, and then they will get together and see ... He won't play this week for sure, but can he play (on Nov. 26) against OU."
If the Red Raiders win a sixth game, McGuire said he expects Wilson wouldn't play in a bowl even if healthy because of his projected high draft status.
He said sending Wilson to a foot specialist in Green Bay is a possibility. That was a reference to Dr. Robert Anderson, a renowned foot and ankle specialist who's treated more than 200 NFL players and other professional athletes.
Meanwhile, the Senior Bowl announced Monday that Wilson has accepted an invitation to participate in the game. It's scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in Mobile, Alabama. ...
▶ Quarterback Tyler Shough will start his second game in a row Saturday, McGuire said, with Donovan Smith deployed in special packages, much like last week. Behren Morton, still recovering from an ankle injury, will know the game plan and travel for the Iowa State game, but would be used on an emergency basis only.
Wide receiver Jerand Bradley, who missed Saturday's game while in concussion protocol, will be back this week, McGuire said. Offensive tackle Ty Buchanan is questionable with the ankle injury he suffered in the Nov. 5 game at TCU. ...
▶ Tech kicker Trey Wolff on Monday was named Big 12 special teams co-player of the week. The senior from Klein went 3 for 3 on field goals, good from 33, 51 and 30 yards. The 51-yarder matched his career career long from earlier this season.
Wolff shared the weekly honor with West Virginia punter Oliver Straw, who punted six times for a 43.8-yard average in a 23-20 victory against Oklahoma, landing four inside the 20-yard line. ...
▶ Tech's Nov. 26 regular-season finale against Oklahoma has been set for 6:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 1. The Big 12's television partners made their selections and kickoff-time assignments for the Thanksgiving weekend games on Monday.
Baylor at Texas will be at 11 a.m. Nov. 25 on ABC or ESPN. The other Nov. 26 games are West Virginia at Oklahoma State, 11 a.m. on ESPN2; Iowa State at TCU, 3 p.m. on Fox or FS1; and Kansas at Kansas State, 7 p.m. on Fox.
College football
Who: Texas Tech at Iowa State
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa
TV: Fox Sports 1
Records: Texas Tech 5-5, 3-4 in the Big 12; Iowa State 4-6, 1-6
Rankings (CFP/AP/coaches poll): Both teams unranked in all.
Line: Iowa State by 3 1/2
Last game: Texas Tech 43, Kansas 28; Oklahoma State 20, Iowa State 14
Last meeting: Texas Tech 41, Iowa State 38 last year in Lubbock.
Fast fact: Texas Tech snapped a five-game losing streak in the series by winning last year. Iowa State had won by double digits four times in the five victories.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Preparing for the worst (weather): Icy cold in Iowa awaits Texas Tech football team
