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LINCOLN — Texas Tech coach Mike Leach wouldn't declare a starting quarterback for Saturday and never lent much more insight than to say it would be a game-time decision.

But he sure spent a lot of time Monday talking about junior Steven Sheffield.

“Sheffield's an incredible worker,'' Leach said. “He's been there for a long time. He's among the most coachable guys I've had — and just continually gets better — but always a guy who's focused on improving the things he does. He's a real grinder when it comes to details sometimes.''

Leach said Sheffield has good leadership qualities and that his passion for the game might have rubbed off on a Red Raider team that pounded Kansas State 66-14 in his first career start. Sheffield completed 33 of 41 passes for 490 yards and seven touchdowns Saturday night.

Leach wasn't totally surprised, saying Sheffield has practiced well all along and figured to be confident going in.

“I thought he played well, there's no question,'' Leach said on the Big 12 teleconference. “I thought he played well. But I think kind of the spark he brings and how the team feeds off him ... the extent of that, I think, was kind of impressive.''

In-season changes at quarterback have been non-existent at Texas Tech since Leach became head coach. Controversy is a little-used word as signal-callers seem to emerge in the offseason and regularly go on to post the usual huge numbers.

That was the case with Taylor Potts as he replaced Graham Harrell. And before a concussion just before halftime at New Mexico on Oct. 3, Potts already had thrown for 1,817 yards and 13 touchdowns — statistics that still lead the Big 12.

Sheffield relieved Potts at New Mexico and threw three TD passes before exploding vs. K-State and being named Big 12 offensive player of the week.

“I wasn't surprised at all,'' said Texas Tech offensive lineman Marlon Winn. “When someone else comes in, we expect them to come in and do the same things as the person in front of them or better. ‘Sticks' came in and lived up to the expectation.''

“Sticks'' is a junior from Pflugerville, Texas, a former walk-on whose nickname stems from his slight build when he arrived in Lubbock. The 6-foot-4 Sheffield is still listed at only 190 pounds.

“He's had it for a long time,'' Leach said. “I can't remember who gave it to him, either, for sure. But about the time he walked through the door that was his nickname. It's kind of like, ‘Gee, I wouldn't have thought of it,' but it makes sense.''

Leach eventually will have to make sense of this quarterback situation. Possibly as soon as Saturday when Texas Tech visits Memorial Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. game with Nebraska.

It's not exactly known if Potts was available or not for the K-State game because Leach has declined to discuss his condition. If ready, it creates a “problem'' that even Leach acknowledges hasn't come up before.

“Yeah, this is the first time that I've ever changed or potentially changed or any of that,'' Leach said later Monday at his weekly press conference.

The biggest difference between Potts and Sheffield is that Sheffield will venture out of the pocket and be comfortable doing so. The history of Red Raider quarterbacks is that they mostly stay put.

“I think they're both good players,'' Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said. “I think they both have shown they can make plays. We're going to defend their offense. They're just one cog of the offense, but they've shown they can be productive no matter who's back there.''

Who will it be? Leach isn't saying.

Will it benefit Texas Tech if Nebraska won't know? Leach isn't sure.

But then he had a little fun with it all.

“We'll find out one way or the other,'' Leach said. “I've been criticized for not doing what ‘big-time' programs do, so I've decided to accommodate the wishes of the media. And big-time programs like to have game-time decisions so we've got us a game-time decision on our hands, and I think that'll be not just big-time for everyone but exciting for everyone.

“So there's big-time for ya, how do you like that?''

Contact the writer:

444-1042, rich.kaipust@owh.com

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