Tech football notebook: Red Raiders keep fingers crossed for two key defenders

HOUSTON — The Texas Tech football team will be grateful to have back cornerback Rayshad Williams and linebacker Tyrique Matthews next season, both opting to use their Covid-bonus year for one more go-round with the Red Raiders in 2023.

More pressing at the moment: How they progress through the week to be able to play in the Texas Bowl.

When the Red Raiders had their first on-site practice Saturday, Williams and Matthews were running on the side — in shorts rather than pads — during the periods open to media. Tech coach Joey McGuire said Matthews suffered a "pretty bad" strained calf early in bowl practices back in Lubbock and Williams suffered a strained groin last week.

He said he expects both to play when Tech (7-5) tees it up against Mississippi (8-4) at 8 p.m. Wednesday at NRG Stadium.

Matthews, McGuire said, is "on the back end" of his recovery, "so we feel good about that."

"We've been real cautious with (Williams), just for the number of (few) corners that we have," McGuire said. "He's played so many snaps, he knows the defense. It's just making sure he can play at 100 percent during the game."

Williams has started every game this season. Matthews backs up field-side linebacker Krishon Merriweather.

Should either be unavailable or limited, it would hurt how Tech likes to play. Kobee Minor, one of the four corners the Red Raiders used during the regular season, has had his name entered into the NCAA transfer portal and is no longer with the team. Matthews rotates in regularly to keep Merriweather from being overworked.

Tight end Mason Tharp, though with the team, will miss the game. Tharp didn't play in the last two regular-season games after suffering an injury McGuire has declined to divulge.

Hullaby sidelined again

Among the Tech signees in the 2021 recruiting class, safety Landon Hullaby is the first-year winner for having the worst luck. Hullaby joined the team last January and was shut down midway through spring practice with a hip problem that led to surgery. He recently underwent surgery again to repair a shoulder injury and will miss spring practice.

McGuire said Hullaby got hurt in practice the week of the regular-season finale against Oklahoma.

The freshman from Mansfield Timberview is wearing a stabilizing brace for his right shoulder.

"It's tough on Landon," McGuire said, "because he had bounced back from his hip and we were expecting him to play in the OU game, at least special teams-wise. He dove and hurt his shoulder, and it's one of those deals you want to go ahead and get cleaned up right now as soon as you can."

Hullaby had close to 30 scholarship offers and was listed among the top 80 recruits in Texas by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN.

Welcome to H-town

Tech will work out daily through Tuesday at Rice, and Ole Miss will work out at the University of Houston.

The Red Raiders' team charter arrived in Houston around lunchtime Saturday. McGuire estimated about 35 to 40 players were on the flight. A larger number, using travel vouchers supplied by Tech athletics, made it to Houston on their own. They'd been given a few days to go home after the last practice in Lubbock.

The Arctic cold front wreaking havoc all over the country has extended all the way to the Gulf Coast, the uncharacteristic cold touching Houston, too. It was 41 degrees when the Red Raiders got off the bus at Rice, though they worked out indoors.

"That's something new to me," said cornerback Adrian Frye, who grew up in Houston. "I've never been to Houston where it's just consistently cold. Normally, it's cold night at night or when the sun goes down, but the majority of the time when the sun's up, it's pretty warm."

The high temperature in Houston was 34 degrees on Friday and 43 on Saturday. The National Weather Service forecast calls for 47 on Sunday.

Bowl before the bowl

One of the traditions of the Texas Bowl is the Rodeo Bowl, a lighthearted competition between the two teams in rodeo-themed events. Think: Herding calves. Stacking hay bales. Racing in horse-styled outfits. "Branding" calves, albeit not with a hot iron.

Usually a seven-event series, the Rodeo Bowl is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday at NRG Arena. The participants are treated to dinner as well.

"I'm throwing hay bales," said Dennis Wilburn, Tech's 320-pound center. "He asked me did I want to do it. I said, 'Let's do it.' So I'm throwing hay bales."

Kicker Trey Wolff said he's part of the Tech lineup in calf "branding".

"I think our guy just kind of texted around the guys he thought would be interested," Wolff said, "and said, 'Hey, which one of these events would you want to do?' So we got it figured out that way."

Uniform talk

For Wednesday's game, Tech plans to wear black helmets, scarlet jerseys and scarlet pants. McGuire noted they wore the same combination while beating Texas this season in overtime. And it was a popular look during the Mike Leach years.

"I call it the Danny Amendola special," McGuire said, referring to the former Red Raiders receiver. "Since he's from Houston, we're going to honor him wearing that combination."

During practice only, the Red Raiders are sporting white helmets with a special logo: The skyline of Houston in white against a backdrop of the state of Texas in scarlet, overlaid with the Double T. McGuire said the idea was to honor the several Tech players from Houston.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Tech football notebook: Red Raiders keep fingers crossed for two key defenders