2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University
in the college football
season of 2008/09. The team was coached by Mike Leach. The Red Raiders
played their home games at Jones AT&T Stadium
in Lubbock, Texas
. The football team competed in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly I-A. With an 11–1 record in the regular season, the Red Raiders finished in a three-way tie with the Oklahoma Sooners
and Texas Longhorns atop the Big 12 South. In order to break the tie, BCS standings were used to determine who would face Missouri in the conference championship game. The Sooners, ranked #2 in the BCS polls at the time, were chosen to represent the South Division in the game.
s Stewart Mandel
has Tech ranked at #10 in his preseason poll and later #8 in his college football power rankings. The team is also ranked #10 in the preseason by Fox Sports
. ESPN.com
writer Mark Schlabach
ranked the Red Raiders #12 in his preseason poll and later #11 and #8 in revised editions of his preseason polls. In a March 26, 2008 article, Yahoo! Sports
writer Olin Buchanan declared that Tech could challenge Oklahoma
and Texas for supremacy in the Big 12 South in 2008. As plusses, he cited a strong quarterback
(Graham Harrell
), experienced wide receiver
s (including Michael Crabtree
), and five returning starters on the offensive line. As a weakness, he mentioned the defense's trouble stopping the run but speculated that a year of experience and new talent may help to alleviate this problem. Another weak spot he pointed out was the Red Raiders' trouble moving the ball on the ground on those rare instances when a rushing play is called.
Texas Tech was ranked #14 in the preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll, their highest ever preseason ranking since the 1977 season
when they came in at #8. The Associated Press
's preseason poll put the team at #12.
and Michael Crabtree
were featured on the cover of the 2008 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football
. The magazine predicted that the 2008 Red Raider football team would be the best in Texas
and would challenge for the Big 12 South title.
was hired as the team's defensive coordinator
. He had held the position in an interim capacity since Lyle Setencich
was reassigned during the previous season. After McNeill took over from Setencich, the Red Raiders' numbers for the 2007 season
improved in all areas: rushing defense per game (198.1 to 157.1), passing defense per game (206.8 to 190.8), scoring defense per game (28.2 to 24.5), opponent first downs per game (22.5 to 19.9), and opponent third-down conversions per game (47.8% to 39.3%). For the McNeill-coached games, Tech’s average yield of 347.9 yards was the lowest allowed in the Big 12 Conference
, and the scoring defense was fourth-best in the conference for that time frame.
On February 1, 2008, offensive coordinator
Dana Holgorsen
resigned his position with the Red Raiders. He announced that he had been hired to the same position with the Houston Cougars
.
Source:
The Tulsa Golden Hurricane
were scheduled to travel to Lubbock for this game but backed out of the deal, choosing to play the Arkansas Razorbacks
instead. On February 7, 2008, Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers
announced that the Red Raiders would play the Eagles of on August 30. During the previous season, the Eagles made it to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before being defeated, 38–35, by three-time defending national champion Appalachian State
. They came into the game ranked #7 in the FCS. Texas Tech came in with a #14 ranking in the FBS.
The Eagles won the coin toss and opted to receive the ball. On the first play after kickoff, Matt Nichols
's pass was intercepted by Tech's Brian Duncan. The resulting drive ended in a two-yard rushing touchdown by Shannon Woods, followed by successful point after try by Donnie Corona. The Red Raiders scored twice more in the first quarter while shutting out the Eagles to bring the score to 21–0.
Eastern Washington was able to respond in the second quarter by scoring two touchdowns and a field goal. Meanwhile Texas Tech was held to a single touchdown with successful PAT. Going into halftime, the score stood at 28–17 in favor of the Red Raiders.
In the third quarter, both Eastern Washington and Texas Tech added seven points. In the final quarter, the Red Raiders extended their lead when Aaron Crawford and Baron Batch both scored rushing touchdowns to bring the final score to 49–24.
During the game, the Red Raiders rushed 25 time for a total of 103 yards. Quarterback Graham Harrell
completed 43 out of 58 pass attempts for 536 yards, two touchdowns and was intercepted once. He was named AT&T ESPN All-America Player
of the Week for his performance. The team had a school record 18 penalties for 169 yards.
drive, the Wolf Pack successfully kicked a field goal giving them the lead, 0–3. On the next drive by Texas Tech, Graham Harrell
's pass was intercepted by Uche Anyanwu. The next Nevada drive stalled on a three-and-out. Nevada was forced to punt to Eric Morris
who took it 86 yards for a touchdown, giving the Red Raiders the lead, 7–3. Texas Tech and Nevada failed to score on their next drives with Nevada missing a field goal with a few minutes remaining in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Nevada's only points came from a field goal. Texas Tech drove 68 yards on five plays and scored on a one-yard run by Shannon Woods. The key play was a 50-yard pass from Harrell to Michael Crabtree
who ran it all the way to the one yard line. On the next Nevada drive, defensive end Brandon Williams tipped a pass which landed in the hands of defensive tackle Richard Jones. Both teams went scoreless the rest of the half. Nevada received the kickoff to begin the second half and immediately drove the field. Nevada's quarterback Colin Kaepernick
dove into the endzone in what appeared to be a touchdown. However, after a lengthy review, the officials agreed that Texas Tech's Daniel Charbonnet forced the ball out of Kaepernick's hands resulting in a touchback. The next Red Raider drive, Mike Leach decided to go for a first down on fourth down, which they failed to make again. Nevada's resulting drive stalled, but they were able to kick a field goal due to good field position after the failed fourth down attempt. The only other points in the third quarter came on Texas Tech's next drive of six plays and 39 yards, scoring on Eric Morris' 13-yard run giving the Red Raiders the lead, 21–12.
Harrell was intercepted to begin fourth quarter and the resulting Nevada drive went three-and-out. On the next drive, Harrell and Crabtree connected for another big play, this one resulting in 82-yards and a touchdown giving Texas Tech a 28–12 lead. Texas Tech's celebration did not last long, as on the very next drive Nevada's Kaepernick passed for the team's only touchdown, a 48-yard pass to Marko Mitchell to make the score 28–19 in favor of Texas Tech. The Red Raiders scored on their very next drive on a 21-yard run by Woods with 6:18 remaining. The next Nevada drive resulted in a turnover on downs and the Red Raiders held on to the ball and the win, 35–19.
The story of the game was Texas Tech's defense, not the offense. So much so, that as the Red Raiders were walking off the field, Texas Tech fans in attendance chanted, "De-fense! De-fense!" Although they allowed 488 total yards, the defense held the Wolf Pack to four field goals in six red zone attempts. Harrell, after being named Player of the Week last week against Eastern Washington, went 19 of 46 (41.3%) and 297 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and set a career low in completions and completion percentage. There has been only two other times in Harrell's career in which he had completed less than 60 percent of his passes. This is the first time Texas Tech has won one of those games. Michael Crabtree had 7 catches for 158 yards and one touchdown.
Nevada's place kicker Brett Jaekle went 4 of 6 on field goals from distances of 27, 26, 43, and 31 yards. Nevada quarterback Kaepernick had a huge game going 24 of 35 for 264 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was also the team's leading rusher, gaining 92 yards on 17 carries.
The Mustangs received the kickoff to begin the game. On the first play from scrimmage, SMU quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell's pass was intercepted by Daniel Charbonnet. Tech's following offensive drive ended in a Donnie Carona 35-yard field goal. The Red Raiders scored twice more in the first quarter. The first on a 43-yard rush by Baron Batch, followed by failed Carona point-after try. The second on a 23-yard pass from Graham Harrell
to Michael Crabtree
, followed by failed two-point conversion. Tech scored once in the second quarter to bring the score to 22–0 at the half.
In the second half, the Red Raiders scored three more times before putting in backup personnel.
The Mustangs only score of the game came with 3:29 remaining when Logan Turner passed to Aldrick Robinson
for a seven-yard touchdown, followed by a successful Thomas Morstead PAT.
Texas Tech safety Daniel Charbonnet had a school-record three interceptions and was later named Big 12
Defensive Player of the Week.
Tech's first score of the third quarter came when Darcel Mcbath returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. Their second score was an 18-yard rushing touchdown by Shannon Woods. At the end of the third period of play, Texas Tech led 56–7. The only score by either team in the fourth quarter was a 2-yard rush by UMass's Korrey Davis with 51 seconds remaining on the game clock. The final score was 56–14 in favor of the Red Raiders.
During the game, Texas Tech's Graham Harrell
completed 27 of 34 passes for 322 yards. Backup quarterback Taylor Potts was 4 of 9 for 37 yards. The Red Raiders had a total of 359 yards passing with 11 players catching passes. They also had 179 yards combined rushing from 5 different players.
Coming into the game, K-State had lost the last 3 of 4 to the Red Raiders. Their last win against Texas Tech
was in 2000 in Manhattan, Kansas
. Texas Tech was favored by seven.
The Red Raiders scored first, on a 1-yard pass from Graham Harrell
to Lyle Leong. The Wildcats responded by scoring on the following drive on a 33-yard TD pass to Ernie Pierce. Texas Tech made another touchdown, followed by successful PAT, to bring the score to 14–7. Facing fourth-and-inches from their own 29 late in the first quarter, the Red Raiders sent Shannon Woods on a sweep. But he was stopped and, four plays later, Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman
scored on a 1-yard run, bringing the score to 14–14. A moment later, Texas Tech’s Richard Jones recovered Lamark Brown
’s fumble on the Kansas State 34 and Baron Batch capped the ensuing drive with a 9-yard touchdown run on the following play to make the score 58–21.
On successive possessions in the second quarter, Harrell led quick-hitting drives of 53-, 70-, and 54-yards. Freeman, however, misfired on 9 of 10 passes, several of which Tech defenders got their hands on. The Kansas State junior, who a week earlier had become his own school’s career passing leader, was 13-for-28 for 170 yards. Ernie Pierce scored on an 18-yard return of a blocked punt late in the game.
K-State's defense gave up 626 yards in the game. It was the third consecutive game that the Wildcats gave up more than 600 yards on defense. Graham Harrell
threw six touchdown passes, matching his single-game career best. During the game, he also broke the school passing-yards record of 12,429 yard set by Kliff Kingsbury
from 1999 to 2002. For his performance, Harrell was also named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week as well as the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week.
Lyle Leong snared three touchdown passes from Harrell, who was 38-for-51 for 454 yards. Texas Tech scored on seven straight possessions and did not attempt a punt until Taylor Potts replaced Harrell late in the fourth quarter. Heisman candidate Michael Crabtree
had nine catches for 107 yards and two TDs. With six, Harrell tied his career-best for touchdown passes, getting the ball to ten different receivers.
. Coming into the game, the Cornhuskers led the all-time series with Texas Tech, 7–2. However, the Red Raiders had won the previous two games. At Texas Tech's 2004 homecoming, they dealt Nebraska their worst loss in school history, 70–10. The following year, the Red Raiders won, 34–31, in Lincoln. This was Nebraska's first loss at their own homecoming in 37 years.
To begin the game, both the Red Raiders and Cornhuskers were forced to punt. On Texas Tech's next drive, Graham Harrell connected with Michael Crabtree on a 35-yard pass for the only score in the first quarter. This touchdown gave Crabtree the most touchdown receptions in school history. On the ensuing Nebraska drive, Quentin Castille scored on a 4-yard run and tied the game at 7–7. Texas Tech's Donnie Carona successfully kicked a 26-yard field goal on the Red Raider's next drive. After forcing a Nebraska turnover on downs, Shannon Woods gave Texas Tech a 17–7 lead on a 4-yard run. Nebraska later missed a field goal to end the half.
Nebraska began with the ball in the second half and drove 75 yards and scored on an Alex Henery 21-yard field goal. On the ensuing Texas Tech drive, Harrell again found Crabtree in the end zone this time on a 4-yard pass. Texas Tech had the lead 24–10 to end the third quarter.
To begin the fourth quarter, the Texas Tech defense forced a Nebraska fourth down and 1 in field goal range. The Cornhuskers brought out the kicker but faked the field goal and passed for a first down to the 1 yard line. Nebraska's Joe Ganz then scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to pull Nebraska within 7 points with 12:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. After a Red Raider punt, the Cornhuskers once again drove the field and scored on a Ganz 2-yard pass to Dreu Young to tie the game at 24–24. On the very next drive by Texas Tech, the Cornhuskers forced the Red Raiders to a fourth down with 5 yards to go on Texas Tech's own 36 yard line. Mike Leach decided to go for it, and Harrell found Crabtree again for a 47-yard reception keeping the drive alive. Harrell later said of the play, "If he was just a little covered, I would go to him. I threw it up there and he made the play." A few plays later, Harrell scored on a 1-yard run to give the Red Raiders the lead 31–24. Nebraska then drove the field 79 yards in 8 plays and scored on a 17-yard pass from Ganz to Todd Peterson to tie the game at 31 a piece with 29 seconds remaining in the game. Texas Tech failed to score on the next drive and the game went into overtime.
In overtime, Texas Tech received the ball first. The Red Raiders utilized a screen pass to running back Baron Batch to the 1 yard line. Harrell then handed the ball to Eric Morris for a 1-yard touchdown run. On the extra point, however, Carona's kick was partially blocked which kept the score difference at 6, 37–31. On Nebraska's first overtime try, Ganz's pass was intercepted by cornerback Jamar Wall after Ganz tried to throw the ball away to avoid being sacked. This interception gave Texas Tech the win preserving their top-10 ranking.
Harrell's two touchdown passes to Crabtree gave the tandem the most touchdown connections by a quarterback-receiver combination in Big 12 Conference
history with 32. Harrell ended the game completing 20 of his 25 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Crabtree caught 5 passes for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Baron Batch rushed 10 times for 89 yards.
Nebraska's Joe Ganz completed 36 of his 44 passes for 349 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The Cornhuskers held the ball for 40 minutes and 12 seconds in contrast to Texas Tech's 19 minutes and 48 seconds.
led the all-time series with the Red Raiders, 34–31–1, they have not beaten Texas Tech since an overtime victory at Kyle Field
in 2004. Mike Leach had a 6–2 record versus the Aggies. Sports bettors favor Tech to win by 21 points.
The Aggies scored first on a 46-yard Randy Bullock field goal. The Red Raiders were able to answer with a touchdown to take the lead. However, A&M responded with a touchdown of their own, bringing the score to 10–7 in their favor. Thirty-nine seconds into the second quarter, Tech's Baron Batch scored on a three-yard run but the point after try was blocked. The Aggies scored two more field goals before the Red Raiders scored on an eight-yard pass from Graham Harrell to Baron Batch. Cory Fowler's extra point was good and Tech held a 20–16 advantage before A&M scored another touchdown to take a 20–23 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Texas Tech scored a touchdown and a field goal while holding A&M scoreless. Going into the final period of play, the Red Raiders led 30–23. With seven minutes remaining in the game, Texas Tech scored on a one-yard run by Graham Harrell. The extra point was blocked by Texas A&M and returned 97 yards by Arkeith Brown for the Aggies' final score of the game. The Red Raiders added one more touchdown to bring the final score to 43–25.
With nine straight victories, Texas Tech came into the game against Kansas
with the nation's longest winning streak, tied with Penn State
and Utah
. Prior to play, the Red Raiders led the series with the Jayhawks, 9–1.
Texas Tech placekicker
Matt Williams
made his debut during the game. Williams came to the attention of Coach Mike Leach when he kicked a 30-yard field goal during a halftime contest at the game versus UMass. Following Tech's victory over Kansas, Williams was recognized as the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week
.
The series between Texas Tech and Texas originated in Austin
in 1928 and the two teams have met annually since 1960. Texas led the series 43–14 entering the game, with the Red Raiders last win coming in a 42–38 upset of the #3 Longhorns in Lubbock in 2002. In the 2006 contest, #5 Texas narrowly came away with a 35–31 win over an unranked Texas Tech team at Jones AT&T Stadium
. In the 2007 game, #14 Texas won 59–43.
On the day of the game, ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Lubbock for the first time.
Texas Tech and Oklahoma State first played in 1935. Coming into the game, the Red Raiders led the series over the Cowboys, 20–12–3. Oklahoma State last won in 2007 in Stillwater
, 49–45, in a game that came down to the final possession. However, the Cowboys had not won in Lubbock
since 1944.
in 2006
. The only road game Tech had won in the series was during the inaugural season of the Big 12
in 1996. Under head coach Bob Stoops
, the Sooners had lost only two games at home. The Sooners are 7-point favorites.
The Red Raiders opened the game with a kickoff return to their 32-yard line. The Sooners forced a punt, and fielded their offense at their 27. The Sooners scored a touchdown with 8:59 left in the first. DeMarco Murray
contributed 48 rushing yards in the drive. Tech returned the ensuing kickoff to their 22, and a Sooner personal foul after the return gave the Red Raiders 15 yards. Texas Tech lost 10 of those yards due to a delay of game and a false start. Starting at their 27, the Red Raiders were stopped at the Oklahoma 48, where they punted again. The Sooners got the ball on their 20. On the second play of the drive, Oklahoma was punished again with a 15-yard penalty. After three failed attempts to pass the ball for a first down, the Sooners elected to make their first punt. On the next Tech possession, Graham Harrell was sacked on two consecutive plays, once by Adrian Taylor and the other by Gerald McCoy. Coming into the game, the Red Raiders ranked second in the nation in sacks allowed, with only 5. The Sooners ended the first quarter with a 42-yard reception by tight end Jermaine Gresham and two rushes by Chris Brown for a combined 12 yards.
Once the second quarter commenced, both Brown and Gresham moved the ball for a touchdown on three different plays. Tech started their next drive at their own 38 and advanced the ball through the air to eventually get to the Oklahoma 15. Two incompletions caused the Red Raiders to face a 4th-and-3. Tech decided to go for it. Woods was unable to catch a pass by Harrell to convert and Tech turned the ball over on downs. Murray rushed the ball for 23 yards on Oklahoma's first play of the drive. Murray followed with a 31-yard reception, which put the ball on the Tech 30. After two rushes by Brown, Gresham scored a touchdown on a 19-yard catch, and the subsequent extra point extended the Sooners lead to 21–0. Oklahoma's defense forced Tech to four plays on the next drive, with the fourth play being a 4th-and-4, Tech's second 4th down conversion attempt. With 9:31 remaining, Oklahoma completed a 1:44 scoring drive, which was capped by Juaquin Iglesias
' 28-yard scoring reception. On the following possession, the Red Raiders reached the end zone, thanks to Harrell's 25-yard throw to Tramain Swindall. Matt Williams
' extra point brought the score to 28–7. With 6:28 left in the half, Oklahoma began to drain the clock using their running game. The Sooners eventually scored on the 12th play of the drive. Once Tech got the ball, about a minute was left on the clock. On the second play, Harrell threw an interception to Travis Lewis, who returned the ball 47 yards. Tech offensive guard Brandon Carter, who stopped Lewis at the Tech 1, received a personal foul. Murray scored on a 1-yard rush to increase the Sooners' lead to 42–7. Tech got the ball again after the Sooner touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in the game. Harrell threw a shovel pass to Baron Batch, who ran 21 yards to the Tech 28. The half ended with Tech receiving a 16-yard personal foul. The Red Raiders left the field facing their biggest deficit of the season (35 points).
Tech attempted an onside kick to start off the second half, though the Sooners grabbed the ball at the Tech 34. OU ended the drive on a 33-yard field goal. Tech fumbled on their next possession, Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton recovered the fumble and return it 53 yards to the Tech 3. The Sooners added another 7 points to extend their lead to 52–7. Tech cranked up its passing game on its next possession, eventually scoring a touchdown and extra point with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter. On the subsequent drive, the Red Raider defense forced their first sack on Bradford, and also forced the Sooners to punt. The Sooner defense countered in the next drive by forcing a three-and-out. The Sooner offense then added another score on a 66-yard reception by Manuel Johnson. The Tech defense blocked the extra point, and the score remained at 58–14.
In the fourth quarter, Tech failed to convert another fourth down, producing another turnover. Oklahoma scored immediately afterwards, improving their lead to 65–14. On the next possession, Tech was able to make three pass completions of at least 12 yards, though on the final play of the drive, Harrell lost the ball to the Sooners on a sack. With 10:50 left in the game, the Sooners started to run out the clock. The Red Raiders stopped them from scoring on a 4th down from the 1. Tech got the ball back with 4:48 on the clock. After a few plays, Tech faced another 4th down, and this time was able to convert it with a 13-yard throw to Crabtree. Tech later score their third touchdown with 11 seconds left, and Williams tacked on the extra point to change the score to 65–21. Tech attempted an onside kick and recovered the ball. The final play was a short-yard catch by Woods.
Since the Sooners won, Tech, Texas, and OU all tied for first in the division at 6–1. If all three teams win their regular season finales to tie again at 7–1, the highest ranked team in the BCS standings will earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. Sports columnists have also stated that the quarterback of the winning team would be the front runner for the Heisman Trophy.
At the start of the second quarter, the Tech offensive line gave up another sack on Harrell, which cost them 10 yards. The Red Raiders, however, were able to complete the drive with a touchdown to regain their lead at 14–13. On the second to last play of the drive, Michael Crabtree
injured his right ankle with about four minutes left in the half. Crabtree's right ankle twisted as he got tackled while making a 6-yard reception at the Baylor 1-yard line. Crabtree hobbled to the Tech bench, and was later taken to the locker room on a cart. He did not return for the second half. Baylor was forced to kick a field goal on their next possession, though Parks missed it from 29 yards. Once Tech got the ball back again, Harrell got sacked on the second play of the drive, and lost the ball in the process. Baylor recovered the fumble and fielded their offense at the Tech 16. Griffin led his team to another scoring drive, which ended on a successful two-point conversion. Baylor left the field leading 21–14 at halftime.
The Bears opened the third quarter with a 9-play 78-yard offensive drive that produced another touchdown. The longest play was running back Jay Finley's 47-yard rush. On their next drive, the Red Raiders scored again, though still trailed 28–14. Early on in the drive, Antonio Johnson sacked Harrell and forced a fumble, but running back Baron Batch was able to recover the fumble.
The Red Raiders compiled 7 points with 12:20 remaining in the game. On Baylor's next drive, Tech intercepted the ball at the Baylor 38. They soon converted the interception into a touchdown. On Baylor's final possession, which lasted 5 plays, Griffin was sacked twice. The second sack occurred on a fourth down, which caused the Bears to turn the ball over on downs. Tech ran out the clock and preserved their 35–28 victory.
on January 2, 2009. The Red Raiders and the Rebels have met in bowl games twice before—1986 Independence Bowl
and 1998 Independence Bowl—with Ole Miss winning both. The teams also met during the 2002 and 2003 regular seasons with Texas Tech winning both games of the home-and-home series.
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
in the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
season of 2008/09. The team was coached by Mike Leach. The Red Raiders
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
played their home games at Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. The football team competed in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly I-A. With an 11–1 record in the regular season, the Red Raiders finished in a three-way tie with the Oklahoma Sooners
2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2008-2009. It was the 114th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
and Texas Longhorns atop the Big 12 South. In order to break the tie, BCS standings were used to determine who would face Missouri in the conference championship game. The Sooners, ranked #2 in the BCS polls at the time, were chosen to represent the South Division in the game.
Rankings
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
s Stewart Mandel
Stewart Mandel
Stewart Lance Mandel is an American sports writer who focuses on college football and college basketball. Mandel was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, attending Sycamore High School, and is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism....
has Tech ranked at #10 in his preseason poll and later #8 in his college football power rankings. The team is also ranked #10 in the preseason by Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
. ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
writer Mark Schlabach
Mark Schlabach
Mark Schlabach is an author and columnist for ESPN.com. Schlabach joined ESPN.com in July 2006 as a college football and college basketball columnist. He is notable during college football season for the weekly "Bottom 10" article....
ranked the Red Raiders #12 in his preseason poll and later #11 and #8 in revised editions of his preseason polls. In a March 26, 2008 article, Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports was launched on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc., employs various writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American sport...
writer Olin Buchanan declared that Tech could challenge Oklahoma
2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2008-2009. It was the 114th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
and Texas for supremacy in the Big 12 South in 2008. As plusses, he cited a strong quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
(Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
), experienced wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s (including Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
), and five returning starters on the offensive line. As a weakness, he mentioned the defense's trouble stopping the run but speculated that a year of experience and new talent may help to alleviate this problem. Another weak spot he pointed out was the Red Raiders' trouble moving the ball on the ground on those rare instances when a rushing play is called.
Texas Tech was ranked #14 in the preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll, their highest ever preseason ranking since the 1977 season
1977 college football season
The 1977 college football season was one in which the top five teams all finished with records of 11-1-0. Notre Dame, which beat a #1 ranked Texas team in the Cotton Bowl Classic, became the national champion. The year 1977 was the last before NCAA's Division I was divided into I-A and I-AA...
when they came in at #8. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
's preseason poll put the team at #12.
Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Coach Mike Leach, along with players Graham HarrellGraham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
and Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
were featured on the cover of the 2008 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Dave Campbell's Texas Football is an annual publication, previewing football teams in the state of Texas.It is unique in that it is the only publication to preview every team in Texas , from the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, through every level of college football, to the roughly 1,400...
. The magazine predicted that the 2008 Red Raider football team would be the best in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and would challenge for the Big 12 South title.
Personnel changes
On January 22, 2008, Ruffin McNeillRuffin McNeill
Ruffin McNeill is the head football coach for the East Carolina Pirates. Before being named head coach, McNeill served the Texas Tech Red Raiders as an interim head coach, assistant head coach, special teams coordinator, and linebackers coach...
was hired as the team's defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. He had held the position in an interim capacity since Lyle Setencich
Lyle Setencich
-External links:...
was reassigned during the previous season. After McNeill took over from Setencich, the Red Raiders' numbers for the 2007 season
2007 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 2007 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team was coached by Mike Leach...
improved in all areas: rushing defense per game (198.1 to 157.1), passing defense per game (206.8 to 190.8), scoring defense per game (28.2 to 24.5), opponent first downs per game (22.5 to 19.9), and opponent third-down conversions per game (47.8% to 39.3%). For the McNeill-coached games, Tech’s average yield of 347.9 yards was the lowest allowed in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
, and the scoring defense was fourth-best in the conference for that time frame.
On February 1, 2008, offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Dana Holgorsen
Dana Holgorsen
Dana Holgorsen is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at West Virginia University, having succeeded Bill Stewart, who resigned under pressure on June 10, 2011...
resigned his position with the Red Raiders. He announced that he had been hired to the same position with the Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
.
Schedule
Denotes the largest crowd to watch a football game at Jones AT&T StadiumJones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
Source:
Player awards
Sorted alphabetically by last name.| Player | Position | Award(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Baron Batch | RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Brandon Carter Brandon Carter (American football) Brandon Carter is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2010... |
OL | All-Big 12 honorable mention AFCA American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of... Coaches' All-American |
| Michael Crabtree Michael Crabtree Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's... |
WR Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Fred Biletnikoff Award Fred Biletnikoff Award The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since... WCFF Walter Camp Football Foundation The Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year... first-team All-American All-Big 12 first team Rivals.com Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found... first-team All-American AFCA Coaches' All-American |
| Daniel Charbonnet | S | All-Big 12 First team (AP), All-Big 12 second team (coaches), |
| McKinner Dixon | DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Brian Duncan | LB Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Graham Harrell Graham Harrell Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:... |
QB Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of... All-Big 12 honorable mention AFCA Coaches' All-American |
| Stephen Hamby | OL | All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Darcel McBath | S | All-Big 12 first team |
| Rylan Reed Rylan Reed Rylan Robert Reed is a former American football and baseball player. He played minor league baseball as a pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization from 2001 to 2005. After undergoing treatment for cancer, Reed enrolled at Texas Tech University and played college football from 2005 to 2008... |
OL | WCFF first-team All-American All-Big 12 second team |
| Louis Vasquez Louis Vasquez (American football) Louis N. Vasquez is an Mexican-American football offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers. He played college football for Texas Tech.-College awards and honors:*2007 All-Big 12 honorable mention... |
OL | All-Big 12 second team Rivals.com second-team All-American |
| Jamar Wall | DB Defensive back In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of... |
All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Colby Whitlock | DL | All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Brandon Williams | DE | All-Big 12 first team |
| Marlon Williams | LB | All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Marlon Winn | OL | All-Big 12 honorable mention |
| Shannon Woods | RB | All-Big 12 second team |
Eastern Washington
2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach was Todd Graham, in his second year at Tulsa. They played home games at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed in the...
were scheduled to travel to Lubbock for this game but backed out of the deal, choosing to play the Arkansas Razorbacks
2008 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 2008 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2008 football season. The Razorbacks played five home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas and one home game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas...
instead. On February 7, 2008, Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers
Gerald Myers
Gerald Myers is an American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team and the Houston Baptist Huskies men's basketball team....
announced that the Red Raiders would play the Eagles of on August 30. During the previous season, the Eagles made it to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before being defeated, 38–35, by three-time defending national champion Appalachian State
Appalachian State Mountaineers football
The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team is the college football team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers have competed in the Southern Conference since 1972, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
. They came into the game ranked #7 in the FCS. Texas Tech came in with a #14 ranking in the FBS.
The Eagles won the coin toss and opted to receive the ball. On the first play after kickoff, Matt Nichols
Matt Nichols
Matt Nichols is an Canadian football quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos. Nichols played his college football at Eastern Washington.-College career:...
's pass was intercepted by Tech's Brian Duncan. The resulting drive ended in a two-yard rushing touchdown by Shannon Woods, followed by successful point after try by Donnie Corona. The Red Raiders scored twice more in the first quarter while shutting out the Eagles to bring the score to 21–0.
Eastern Washington was able to respond in the second quarter by scoring two touchdowns and a field goal. Meanwhile Texas Tech was held to a single touchdown with successful PAT. Going into halftime, the score stood at 28–17 in favor of the Red Raiders.
In the third quarter, both Eastern Washington and Texas Tech added seven points. In the final quarter, the Red Raiders extended their lead when Aaron Crawford and Baron Batch both scored rushing touchdowns to bring the final score to 49–24.
During the game, the Red Raiders rushed 25 time for a total of 103 yards. Quarterback Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
completed 43 out of 58 pass attempts for 536 yards, two touchdowns and was intercepted once. He was named AT&T ESPN All-America Player
AT&T ESPN All-America Player
The AT&T ESPN All-America Player is a joint marketing venture between AT&T and ESPN that allows fans to select college football's player of the week and player of the year respectively. Each "vote" counts as an entry into an AT&T sweepstakes, usually for a trip to the BCS National Championship...
of the Week for his performance. The team had a school record 18 penalties for 169 yards.
Nevada
The Red Raiders started off with the ball to begin the game. After failing to get a first down on the first three plays, Texas Tech decided to go for it on fourth down in Nevada territory and failed to make it. On the ensuing Nevada2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team
The 2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Nevada competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference .The team was led by...
drive, the Wolf Pack successfully kicked a field goal giving them the lead, 0–3. On the next drive by Texas Tech, Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
's pass was intercepted by Uche Anyanwu. The next Nevada drive stalled on a three-and-out. Nevada was forced to punt to Eric Morris
Eric Morris
Eric Morris may refer to:* Eric Morris , actor and acting teacher* Eric "Monty" Morris, Jamaican musician*Eric Morris * Eric Morris , Scottish football player with Rangers and Ayr United...
who took it 86 yards for a touchdown, giving the Red Raiders the lead, 7–3. Texas Tech and Nevada failed to score on their next drives with Nevada missing a field goal with a few minutes remaining in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Nevada's only points came from a field goal. Texas Tech drove 68 yards on five plays and scored on a one-yard run by Shannon Woods. The key play was a 50-yard pass from Harrell to Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
who ran it all the way to the one yard line. On the next Nevada drive, defensive end Brandon Williams tipped a pass which landed in the hands of defensive tackle Richard Jones. Both teams went scoreless the rest of the half. Nevada received the kickoff to begin the second half and immediately drove the field. Nevada's quarterback Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Nevada.-Personal:...
dove into the endzone in what appeared to be a touchdown. However, after a lengthy review, the officials agreed that Texas Tech's Daniel Charbonnet forced the ball out of Kaepernick's hands resulting in a touchback. The next Red Raider drive, Mike Leach decided to go for a first down on fourth down, which they failed to make again. Nevada's resulting drive stalled, but they were able to kick a field goal due to good field position after the failed fourth down attempt. The only other points in the third quarter came on Texas Tech's next drive of six plays and 39 yards, scoring on Eric Morris' 13-yard run giving the Red Raiders the lead, 21–12.
Harrell was intercepted to begin fourth quarter and the resulting Nevada drive went three-and-out. On the next drive, Harrell and Crabtree connected for another big play, this one resulting in 82-yards and a touchdown giving Texas Tech a 28–12 lead. Texas Tech's celebration did not last long, as on the very next drive Nevada's Kaepernick passed for the team's only touchdown, a 48-yard pass to Marko Mitchell to make the score 28–19 in favor of Texas Tech. The Red Raiders scored on their very next drive on a 21-yard run by Woods with 6:18 remaining. The next Nevada drive resulted in a turnover on downs and the Red Raiders held on to the ball and the win, 35–19.
The story of the game was Texas Tech's defense, not the offense. So much so, that as the Red Raiders were walking off the field, Texas Tech fans in attendance chanted, "De-fense! De-fense!" Although they allowed 488 total yards, the defense held the Wolf Pack to four field goals in six red zone attempts. Harrell, after being named Player of the Week last week against Eastern Washington, went 19 of 46 (41.3%) and 297 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and set a career low in completions and completion percentage. There has been only two other times in Harrell's career in which he had completed less than 60 percent of his passes. This is the first time Texas Tech has won one of those games. Michael Crabtree had 7 catches for 158 yards and one touchdown.
Nevada's place kicker Brett Jaekle went 4 of 6 on field goals from distances of 27, 26, 43, and 31 yards. Nevada quarterback Kaepernick had a huge game going 24 of 35 for 264 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was also the team's leading rusher, gaining 92 yards on 17 carries.
SMU
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
to Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
, followed by failed two-point conversion. Tech scored once in the second quarter to bring the score to 22–0 at the half.
In the second half, the Red Raiders scored three more times before putting in backup personnel.
The Mustangs only score of the game came with 3:29 remaining when Logan Turner passed to Aldrick Robinson
Aldrick Robinson
Aldrick Robinson is an American football player. He formerly played as a wide receiver for the SMU Mustangs at Southern Methodist University. Head coach June Jones called Robinson the fastest player he has ever coached...
for a seven-yard touchdown, followed by a successful Thomas Morstead PAT.
Texas Tech safety Daniel Charbonnet had a school-record three interceptions and was later named Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
Defensive Player of the Week.
UMass
During the first quarter, the Red Raiders scored three touchdowns, followed by successful point after tries. The Minutemen scored once, on a 53-yard return of a Texas Tech fumble. The Red Raiders scored three times in the second quarter while shutting out the Minutemen. The score going into the half stood at 42–7.Tech's first score of the third quarter came when Darcel Mcbath returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. Their second score was an 18-yard rushing touchdown by Shannon Woods. At the end of the third period of play, Texas Tech led 56–7. The only score by either team in the fourth quarter was a 2-yard rush by UMass's Korrey Davis with 51 seconds remaining on the game clock. The final score was 56–14 in favor of the Red Raiders.
During the game, Texas Tech's Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
completed 27 of 34 passes for 322 yards. Backup quarterback Taylor Potts was 4 of 9 for 37 yards. The Red Raiders had a total of 359 yards passing with 11 players catching passes. They also had 179 yards combined rushing from 5 different players.
Kansas State
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
was in 2000 in Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
. Texas Tech was favored by seven.
The Red Raiders scored first, on a 1-yard pass from Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
to Lyle Leong. The Wildcats responded by scoring on the following drive on a 33-yard TD pass to Ernie Pierce. Texas Tech made another touchdown, followed by successful PAT, to bring the score to 14–7. Facing fourth-and-inches from their own 29 late in the first quarter, the Red Raiders sent Shannon Woods on a sweep. But he was stopped and, four plays later, Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman
Josh Freeman
-2009:On November 8, 2009, Freeman started his first professional game at home against the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers won, ending an 11-game losing streak. He completed 14 out of 31 passes for 205 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and 1 INT, including a fourth down touchdown pass to rookie Sammie...
scored on a 1-yard run, bringing the score to 14–14. A moment later, Texas Tech’s Richard Jones recovered Lamark Brown
Lamark Brown
Lamark Brown is a Wide Receiver and a Running Back for the Minnesota State University football team.-High school:Lamark started all four years at Hazelwood West High School in Hazelwood, Missouri at free safety and running back and was a two-time consensus Class 6 all-state performer by the...
’s fumble on the Kansas State 34 and Baron Batch capped the ensuing drive with a 9-yard touchdown run on the following play to make the score 58–21.
On successive possessions in the second quarter, Harrell led quick-hitting drives of 53-, 70-, and 54-yards. Freeman, however, misfired on 9 of 10 passes, several of which Tech defenders got their hands on. The Kansas State junior, who a week earlier had become his own school’s career passing leader, was 13-for-28 for 170 yards. Ernie Pierce scored on an 18-yard return of a blocked punt late in the game.
K-State's defense gave up 626 yards in the game. It was the third consecutive game that the Wildcats gave up more than 600 yards on defense. Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell
Graham Harrell is an American football quarterback. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and is currently on their scout team. He played college football at Texas Tech.-Early years:...
threw six touchdown passes, matching his single-game career best. During the game, he also broke the school passing-yards record of 12,429 yard set by Kliff Kingsbury
Kliff Kingsbury
Klifford "Kliff" Kingsbury is an American Football Coach, serving as the current co-offensive coordinator for the University of Houston Cougar football team. Prior to his current role, Kingsbury was a Quarterback in the NFL and NFL Europe, winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in a...
from 1999 to 2002. For his performance, Harrell was also named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week as well as the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week.
Lyle Leong snared three touchdown passes from Harrell, who was 38-for-51 for 454 yards. Texas Tech scored on seven straight possessions and did not attempt a punt until Taylor Potts replaced Harrell late in the fourth quarter. Heisman candidate Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
had nine catches for 107 yards and two TDs. With six, Harrell tied his career-best for touchdown passes, getting the ball to ten different receivers.
Nebraska
For homecoming, Texas Tech hosted the Nebraska CornhuskersNebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
. Coming into the game, the Cornhuskers led the all-time series with Texas Tech, 7–2. However, the Red Raiders had won the previous two games. At Texas Tech's 2004 homecoming, they dealt Nebraska their worst loss in school history, 70–10. The following year, the Red Raiders won, 34–31, in Lincoln. This was Nebraska's first loss at their own homecoming in 37 years.
To begin the game, both the Red Raiders and Cornhuskers were forced to punt. On Texas Tech's next drive, Graham Harrell connected with Michael Crabtree on a 35-yard pass for the only score in the first quarter. This touchdown gave Crabtree the most touchdown receptions in school history. On the ensuing Nebraska drive, Quentin Castille scored on a 4-yard run and tied the game at 7–7. Texas Tech's Donnie Carona successfully kicked a 26-yard field goal on the Red Raider's next drive. After forcing a Nebraska turnover on downs, Shannon Woods gave Texas Tech a 17–7 lead on a 4-yard run. Nebraska later missed a field goal to end the half.
Nebraska began with the ball in the second half and drove 75 yards and scored on an Alex Henery 21-yard field goal. On the ensuing Texas Tech drive, Harrell again found Crabtree in the end zone this time on a 4-yard pass. Texas Tech had the lead 24–10 to end the third quarter.
To begin the fourth quarter, the Texas Tech defense forced a Nebraska fourth down and 1 in field goal range. The Cornhuskers brought out the kicker but faked the field goal and passed for a first down to the 1 yard line. Nebraska's Joe Ganz then scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to pull Nebraska within 7 points with 12:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. After a Red Raider punt, the Cornhuskers once again drove the field and scored on a Ganz 2-yard pass to Dreu Young to tie the game at 24–24. On the very next drive by Texas Tech, the Cornhuskers forced the Red Raiders to a fourth down with 5 yards to go on Texas Tech's own 36 yard line. Mike Leach decided to go for it, and Harrell found Crabtree again for a 47-yard reception keeping the drive alive. Harrell later said of the play, "If he was just a little covered, I would go to him. I threw it up there and he made the play." A few plays later, Harrell scored on a 1-yard run to give the Red Raiders the lead 31–24. Nebraska then drove the field 79 yards in 8 plays and scored on a 17-yard pass from Ganz to Todd Peterson to tie the game at 31 a piece with 29 seconds remaining in the game. Texas Tech failed to score on the next drive and the game went into overtime.
In overtime, Texas Tech received the ball first. The Red Raiders utilized a screen pass to running back Baron Batch to the 1 yard line. Harrell then handed the ball to Eric Morris for a 1-yard touchdown run. On the extra point, however, Carona's kick was partially blocked which kept the score difference at 6, 37–31. On Nebraska's first overtime try, Ganz's pass was intercepted by cornerback Jamar Wall after Ganz tried to throw the ball away to avoid being sacked. This interception gave Texas Tech the win preserving their top-10 ranking.
Harrell's two touchdown passes to Crabtree gave the tandem the most touchdown connections by a quarterback-receiver combination in Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
history with 32. Harrell ended the game completing 20 of his 25 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Crabtree caught 5 passes for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Baron Batch rushed 10 times for 89 yards.
Nebraska's Joe Ganz completed 36 of his 44 passes for 349 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The Cornhuskers held the ball for 40 minutes and 12 seconds in contrast to Texas Tech's 19 minutes and 48 seconds.
Texas A&M
Although, before the game, the Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
led the all-time series with the Red Raiders, 34–31–1, they have not beaten Texas Tech since an overtime victory at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
in 2004. Mike Leach had a 6–2 record versus the Aggies. Sports bettors favor Tech to win by 21 points.
The Aggies scored first on a 46-yard Randy Bullock field goal. The Red Raiders were able to answer with a touchdown to take the lead. However, A&M responded with a touchdown of their own, bringing the score to 10–7 in their favor. Thirty-nine seconds into the second quarter, Tech's Baron Batch scored on a three-yard run but the point after try was blocked. The Aggies scored two more field goals before the Red Raiders scored on an eight-yard pass from Graham Harrell to Baron Batch. Cory Fowler's extra point was good and Tech held a 20–16 advantage before A&M scored another touchdown to take a 20–23 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Texas Tech scored a touchdown and a field goal while holding A&M scoreless. Going into the final period of play, the Red Raiders led 30–23. With seven minutes remaining in the game, Texas Tech scored on a one-yard run by Graham Harrell. The extra point was blocked by Texas A&M and returned 97 yards by Arkeith Brown for the Aggies' final score of the game. The Red Raiders added one more touchdown to bring the final score to 43–25.
Kansas
2008 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 2008 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision intercollegiate football season of 2008-2009. It was the school's 119th year of intercollegiate football...
with the nation's longest winning streak, tied with Penn State
2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.-Previous season:...
and Utah
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
. Prior to play, the Red Raiders led the series with the Jayhawks, 9–1.
Texas Tech placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Matt Williams
Matt Williams (American football)
Matt Williams is a former walk on place kicker for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team. Williams was offered the position, two others having failed to succeed for the team at that point, after winning a year's worth of free rent in a place kicking contest at one of the Red Raiders...
made his debut during the game. Williams came to the attention of Coach Mike Leach when he kicked a 30-yard field goal during a halftime contest at the game versus UMass. Following Tech's victory over Kansas, Williams was recognized as the AT&T ESPN All-America Player of the Week
AT&T ESPN All-America Player
The AT&T ESPN All-America Player is a joint marketing venture between AT&T and ESPN that allows fans to select college football's player of the week and player of the year respectively. Each "vote" counts as an entry into an AT&T sweepstakes, usually for a trip to the BCS National Championship...
.
Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
in 1928 and the two teams have met annually since 1960. Texas led the series 43–14 entering the game, with the Red Raiders last win coming in a 42–38 upset of the #3 Longhorns in Lubbock in 2002. In the 2006 contest, #5 Texas narrowly came away with a 35–31 win over an unranked Texas Tech team at Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
. In the 2007 game, #14 Texas won 59–43.
On the day of the game, ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Lubbock for the first time.
Oklahoma State
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Stillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
, 49–45, in a game that came down to the final possession. However, the Cowboys had not won in Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
since 1944.
Oklahoma
Texas Tech and Oklahoma first played in 1992. Coming into the game, the Sooners led the series 11–4–0 though the Red Raiders had won 2 of the last 3 with the last loss coming in NormanNorman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
in 2006
2006 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 2006 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team was coached by Mike Leach. The Red Raiders played their home games at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas....
. The only road game Tech had won in the series was during the inaugural season of the Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
in 1996. Under head coach Bob Stoops
Bob Stoops
Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and a national championship....
, the Sooners had lost only two games at home. The Sooners are 7-point favorites.
The Red Raiders opened the game with a kickoff return to their 32-yard line. The Sooners forced a punt, and fielded their offense at their 27. The Sooners scored a touchdown with 8:59 left in the first. DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray
DeMarco Murray is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys who played high school football for Bishop Gorman and college football for the Oklahoma Sooners.-High school career:...
contributed 48 rushing yards in the drive. Tech returned the ensuing kickoff to their 22, and a Sooner personal foul after the return gave the Red Raiders 15 yards. Texas Tech lost 10 of those yards due to a delay of game and a false start. Starting at their 27, the Red Raiders were stopped at the Oklahoma 48, where they punted again. The Sooners got the ball on their 20. On the second play of the drive, Oklahoma was punished again with a 15-yard penalty. After three failed attempts to pass the ball for a first down, the Sooners elected to make their first punt. On the next Tech possession, Graham Harrell was sacked on two consecutive plays, once by Adrian Taylor and the other by Gerald McCoy. Coming into the game, the Red Raiders ranked second in the nation in sacks allowed, with only 5. The Sooners ended the first quarter with a 42-yard reception by tight end Jermaine Gresham and two rushes by Chris Brown for a combined 12 yards.
Once the second quarter commenced, both Brown and Gresham moved the ball for a touchdown on three different plays. Tech started their next drive at their own 38 and advanced the ball through the air to eventually get to the Oklahoma 15. Two incompletions caused the Red Raiders to face a 4th-and-3. Tech decided to go for it. Woods was unable to catch a pass by Harrell to convert and Tech turned the ball over on downs. Murray rushed the ball for 23 yards on Oklahoma's first play of the drive. Murray followed with a 31-yard reception, which put the ball on the Tech 30. After two rushes by Brown, Gresham scored a touchdown on a 19-yard catch, and the subsequent extra point extended the Sooners lead to 21–0. Oklahoma's defense forced Tech to four plays on the next drive, with the fourth play being a 4th-and-4, Tech's second 4th down conversion attempt. With 9:31 remaining, Oklahoma completed a 1:44 scoring drive, which was capped by Juaquin Iglesias
Juaquin Iglesias
Juaquin Iglesias is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma. He is currently on the Texans practice squad.-Early years:Born to Bobby and...
' 28-yard scoring reception. On the following possession, the Red Raiders reached the end zone, thanks to Harrell's 25-yard throw to Tramain Swindall. Matt Williams
Matt Williams (American football)
Matt Williams is a former walk on place kicker for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team. Williams was offered the position, two others having failed to succeed for the team at that point, after winning a year's worth of free rent in a place kicking contest at one of the Red Raiders...
' extra point brought the score to 28–7. With 6:28 left in the half, Oklahoma began to drain the clock using their running game. The Sooners eventually scored on the 12th play of the drive. Once Tech got the ball, about a minute was left on the clock. On the second play, Harrell threw an interception to Travis Lewis, who returned the ball 47 yards. Tech offensive guard Brandon Carter, who stopped Lewis at the Tech 1, received a personal foul. Murray scored on a 1-yard rush to increase the Sooners' lead to 42–7. Tech got the ball again after the Sooner touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in the game. Harrell threw a shovel pass to Baron Batch, who ran 21 yards to the Tech 28. The half ended with Tech receiving a 16-yard personal foul. The Red Raiders left the field facing their biggest deficit of the season (35 points).
Tech attempted an onside kick to start off the second half, though the Sooners grabbed the ball at the Tech 34. OU ended the drive on a 33-yard field goal. Tech fumbled on their next possession, Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton recovered the fumble and return it 53 yards to the Tech 3. The Sooners added another 7 points to extend their lead to 52–7. Tech cranked up its passing game on its next possession, eventually scoring a touchdown and extra point with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter. On the subsequent drive, the Red Raider defense forced their first sack on Bradford, and also forced the Sooners to punt. The Sooner defense countered in the next drive by forcing a three-and-out. The Sooner offense then added another score on a 66-yard reception by Manuel Johnson. The Tech defense blocked the extra point, and the score remained at 58–14.
In the fourth quarter, Tech failed to convert another fourth down, producing another turnover. Oklahoma scored immediately afterwards, improving their lead to 65–14. On the next possession, Tech was able to make three pass completions of at least 12 yards, though on the final play of the drive, Harrell lost the ball to the Sooners on a sack. With 10:50 left in the game, the Sooners started to run out the clock. The Red Raiders stopped them from scoring on a 4th down from the 1. Tech got the ball back with 4:48 on the clock. After a few plays, Tech faced another 4th down, and this time was able to convert it with a 13-yard throw to Crabtree. Tech later score their third touchdown with 11 seconds left, and Williams tacked on the extra point to change the score to 65–21. Tech attempted an onside kick and recovered the ball. The final play was a short-yard catch by Woods.
Since the Sooners won, Tech, Texas, and OU all tied for first in the division at 6–1. If all three teams win their regular season finales to tie again at 7–1, the highest ranked team in the BCS standings will earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. Sports columnists have also stated that the quarterback of the winning team would be the front runner for the Heisman Trophy.
Baylor
Two of Tech's starters on the secondary were unable to play in the game. Tech scored on the first possession of the game. The Bears countered on the ensuing drive, in which they scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Robert Griffin. On the next drive, Harrell's pass got intercepted on third down, and Antonio Johnson returned the interception for four yards to the Tech 34. After a few plays, Griffin soon scored a 13-yard rushing touchdown. Baylor's kicker Ben Parks missed the extra point, keeping the Baylor lead at 13–7 by the end of the first quarter.At the start of the second quarter, the Tech offensive line gave up another sack on Harrell, which cost them 10 yards. The Red Raiders, however, were able to complete the drive with a touchdown to regain their lead at 14–13. On the second to last play of the drive, Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
injured his right ankle with about four minutes left in the half. Crabtree's right ankle twisted as he got tackled while making a 6-yard reception at the Baylor 1-yard line. Crabtree hobbled to the Tech bench, and was later taken to the locker room on a cart. He did not return for the second half. Baylor was forced to kick a field goal on their next possession, though Parks missed it from 29 yards. Once Tech got the ball back again, Harrell got sacked on the second play of the drive, and lost the ball in the process. Baylor recovered the fumble and fielded their offense at the Tech 16. Griffin led his team to another scoring drive, which ended on a successful two-point conversion. Baylor left the field leading 21–14 at halftime.
The Bears opened the third quarter with a 9-play 78-yard offensive drive that produced another touchdown. The longest play was running back Jay Finley's 47-yard rush. On their next drive, the Red Raiders scored again, though still trailed 28–14. Early on in the drive, Antonio Johnson sacked Harrell and forced a fumble, but running back Baron Batch was able to recover the fumble.
The Red Raiders compiled 7 points with 12:20 remaining in the game. On Baylor's next drive, Tech intercepted the ball at the Baylor 38. They soon converted the interception into a touchdown. On Baylor's final possession, which lasted 5 plays, Griffin was sacked twice. The second sack occurred on a fourth down, which caused the Bears to turn the ball over on downs. Tech ran out the clock and preserved their 35–28 victory.
Ole Miss (Cotton Bowl Classic)
The Red Raiders were defeated by the Ole Miss Rebels in the 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
on January 2, 2009. The Red Raiders and the Rebels have met in bowl games twice before—1986 Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
and 1998 Independence Bowl—with Ole Miss winning both. The teams also met during the 2002 and 2003 regular seasons with Texas Tech winning both games of the home-and-home series.
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Coaches | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| ESPN Power Rankings | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 14 |
| SI Power Rankings | 8 | 8 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||
| Harris | Not released | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| BCS | Not released | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |||||||
Scores by quarter
See also
- 2008 Big 12 Conference South Division 3-way tie controversy2008 Big 12 Conference South Division 3-way tie controversyThe final standings of the 2008 Big 12 Conference's South Division football regular season resulted in the first 3-way division tie in the Big 12. The decision of which team would be selected to represent the division in the 2008 Big 12 Championship Game was controversial...