LUBBOCK – Mike Leach is known for being a mad scientist when it comes to calling plays for Texas Tech's potent spread offense.

But Leach wasn't looking to blow up his formula Monday, two days after the Red Raiders' national-best offense fizzled in a 41-10 loss at Missouri.

The message Monday from Leach and Tech's players: Don't panic. The Red Raiders are OK.

"We went out and pressed much of the game and continued to press," Leach said. "The unfortunate fact was we never really had momentum, and as you face adversity, you have to go take momentum, but you can't do it if you're frustrated.

"What I think is the cause, everybody is trying too hard. Everybody is trying to do too much. We just need to settle down and just focus on what we do."

Leach called the loss an "unfortunate missed opportunity."

Texas Tech (6-2, 2-2 in the Big 12) has to recover quickly with an improved Colorado team (4-4, 2-2) visiting Lubbock on Saturday.

The Red Raiders need wins against Colorado and at Baylor next week because they close the regular season against Texas and Oklahoma, which are a combined 12-2 against Tech under Leach.

"We're fine. The attitude in the locker room is good," said Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, who against Missouri had four interceptions for the first time in his career. "No one feels like anything is wrong. We don't need to go in and change anything or fix anything. We just have to go out and make plays, and we didn't do that last week."

For the first time all season, Tech struggled moving the football. The Red Raiders dropped eight passes and were 3-for-7 on fourth-down attempts.

"People drop passes for two reasons. One is a lack of concentration, which that wasn't our issue," Leach said, "and two, they're too tight, and that was what our deal was."

Tech's defense, which has been rejuvenated under interim coordinator Ruffin McNeill, kept the Red Raiders in the game in the first half. But Missouri scored on all four of its second-half possessions.

McNeill said Tech's problem in the second half was getting off of blocks. He said Tech's players didn't make the proper transition from being blocked to getting to the football to make the tackle.

On Sunday night, Tech reverted to a tactic that worked a month ago following a road loss at Oklahoma State.

For only the second time in Leach's eight-year tenure, Tech practiced in pads a day after a game.

"We did simple, fundamental drills," Leach said. "Square one stuff."

Senior cornerback Chris Parker of Sunset said the practice went well.

AP

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell is sacked by Missouri's William Moore in the fourth quarter.

"Everybody had their head up," Parker said. "We're trying to put that game behind us as quickly as possible. You don't expect to go out there and play bad. We just got out there on the field, and it was a stunner to us how they were playing and how they were scoring. It's just something you don't expect."

Tech faced a similar situation last season, after Harrell had five turnovers in a 38-21 home loss to Missouri. The following week, Tech traveled to Boulder, Colo., and lost, 30-6, against the winless Buffaloes.

Harrell said because of Tech's unity, he doesn't expect the Red Raiders to have a hangover this season following another disappointing loss against Missouri.

"Last year, we had a lot of people kind of looking around and saying, 'What's the problem?' " Harrell said. "This year, there is none of that going on. No one is hanging their head. They're still smiling and enjoy being here."

Colorado (4-4, 2-2 Big 12) at Texas Tech (6-2, 2-2), 11 a.m. Saturday (Ch. 8, KHYI-FM 95.3)