2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders - Rec. Class

2008 Texas Tech Red Raiders Head Coach: Mike Leach

Texas Tech Red Raiders

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

McKinner Dixon  DL 6-3  265  Lufkin, Texas (Cisco JC)
Returns to the program after earning freshman All-America honors as a standout pass rusher for the Red Raiders in 2005 ... an aggressive, physical presence up front, he racked up 26 total tackles, including six for loss and two sacks, appearing in 10 games during his rookie season at Tech ... played the 2007 season at Cisco Junior College, finishing with 68 total tackles (45 solo) and leading the defense with nine sacks, while also forcing two fumbles and recording an interception in just nine games ... an honorable mention All-Conference choice for a Wrangler team finished with a 7-3 record and an average margin of victory of 17.3 points ... rated a four-star prospect and the No. 11 junior college defensive end by Scout.com ... listed as the No. 12 defender and No. 18 overall player on the SuperPrep JUCO 100 for 2008 ... chose Tech over Louisville and TCU, but held offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas as a prep in 2005.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Broderick Marshall DL  6-5 280 Austin, Texas (Tyler JC)
Initially a member of Texas Tech's 2006 signing class, his size makes him a candidate to play either defensive end or tackle for the Red Raiders ... totaled 43 tackles (16 solo) two behind the line, and one and a half sacks, earning first-team All-Southwest Junior College Conference honors following his sophomore season at Tyler in 2007 ... a four-star prospect and the No. 7 junior college defensive tackle prospect in the nation according to Scout.com ...  also the No. 91 overall player on the SuperPrep 'JUCO 100 for 2008' ... was the District 25-4A Defensive MVP as a high school senior in 2005, finishing with 47 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles and three pass break-ups on a McCallum defense that held opponents to just 14.9 points per game ... originally chose Tech over offers from Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma State coming out of high school in 2006.

Brandon Sesay  DL 6-6 273  Atlanta, Ga. (College of the Sequoias)
The premier defensive prospect to have signed with Texas Tech during the Mike Leach era ... a dominating pass rusher with tremendous size and strength, he appears primed to make an instant impact at the Division I level ... also listed as a four-star prospect and the No. 6 junior college defensive end by Scout.com ... registered 28 tackles (23 solo) including seven for loss and four sacks in six games for Sequoias in 2007 ... racked up 63 tackles and an impressive 12 sacks in eight games as a freshman in 2006 at Northwest Community College in Mississippi ... originally signed with Georgia out of high school in 2005 after totaling 50 tackles, including 15 for loss, 17.5 sacks, 24 hurries and eight forced fumbles as a senior at Douglass ... a member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 following his final prep season ... reportedly received over 70 written scholarship offers during his final junior college season ... has two years to play two ... chose Tech over California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan, Oregon, and Tennessee amongst others.

Rest of the Class

Donnie Carona	P/K	6-0	210	Beaumont, Texas (Kelly)
Omar Castillo	OL	6-6	285	Roswell, N.M. (Goddard)
Cody Davis	DB	6-2	205	Stephenville, Texas (Stephenville)
Seth Doege	QB	6-2	200	Wolfforth, Texas (Frenship)
Cornelius Douglas	ATH	5-9	180	Lawton, Okla. (Lawton)
Joey Fowler	DL	6-4	271	Oklahoma City, Okla. (Westmoore)
Deveric Gallington	OL	6-4	320	North Richland Hills, Texas (Richland)
Ryan Haliburton	DL	6-4	234	Wolfforth, Texas (Frenship)
Harrison Jeffers	RB	5-9	210	Lawton, Okla. (Eisenhower)
Joe King	OL	6-6	297	Oklahoma City, Okla. (Putnam City North)
Terry McDaniel	OL	6-7	330	Diana, Texas (New Diana)
Brandon Reid	ATH	6-2	208	El Paso, Texas (Canutillo)
Jarell Routt	DB	6-0	205	Texas City, Texas (Coffeyville CC)

- 2007 T Tech Season
- 2007 T Tech Preview
- 2006 T Tech Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 8-4
2007 Record: 9-4

Sept. 1 at SMU W 49-9
Sept. 8 UTEP W 45-31
Sept. 15 at Rice W 59-24
Sept. 22 at Okla St L 49-45
Sept. 29 NW State W 75-7
Oct. 6 Iowa State W 42-17
Oct. 13 Texas A&M W 35-7
Oct. 20 at Missouri L 41-10
Oct. 27 Colorado L 31-26
Nov. 3 at Baylor W 38-7
Nov. 10 at Texas L 59-43
Nov. 17 Oklahoma W 34-27
Gator Bowl
Jan. 1 Virginia W 31-28

2007 Recap

Recap: It was a familiar tale for Texas Tech in 2007, highlighted by plenty of offense, a bowl invitation, and an inability to break through the glass ceiling in the Big 12 South.  The Red Raiders did add one twist this season, a rare New Year’s Day bowl game against Virginia that they rallied to win with 17 unanswered points in the final four minutes.  QB Graham Harrell continued his assault on the record books, throwing 48 touchdown passes and uncovering a new partner in crime, freshman WR Michael Crabtree.          

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Michael Crabtree

Defensive Player of the Year: S Joe Garcia

Biggest Surprise: For the second time in three years, the Red Raiders upset Oklahoma in Lubbock, knocking the nation’s No. 3 team out of the national title hunt.  Yeah, it helped that Sooner QB Sam Bradford lasted less than a quarter, but the way Harrell and Crabtree were hooking up all night, Tech might have won the game no matter the circumstances.       

Biggest Disappointment: Even 646 yards from Harrell and a pair of 200-yard receivers weren’t enough for the Red Raiders to outscore Oklahoma State on Sept. 22.  Tech held the lead late in the final quarter, but relinquished it for good when Cowboy TE Brandon Pettigrew rambled for a 54-yard touchdown reception with 1:37 left in the game.  

Looking Ahead: The Red Raiders lose very little from last year’s Gator Bowl team, and developed a lot of young kids, so they’ll be thinking real big in 2008.  The offense is fine, but to win that elusive Big 12 South crown, Tech must plug up some holes on defense, especially against the run.

Jan. 1
2008 Gator Bowl
Texas Tech 31 ... Virginia 28
Virginia appeared to have control of the game with a 96-yard Mikell Simpson touchdown run and an 11-yard scoring grab leading the way to a 28-14 fourth quarter lead, but Texas Tech scored 17 unanswered points in the final 3:31 to pull off the win. Michael Crabtree toed the line on a 20-yard touchdown grab, and following a Rajon Henry forced fumble of Virginia backup QB Peter Lalich, Aaron Crawford tied it up on a four-yard run. Texas Tech got one last shot and went 30 yards in seven plays leading to a 41-yard Alex Trlica field goal with two seconds to play.
Offensive Player of the Game: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 44 of 69 passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns
Defensive Player of the Game: Texas Tech DT Rajon Henry made seven tackles and forced the fumble that led to the game-tying touchdown
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Jameel Sewell, 14-23, 78 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Mikell Simpson, 20-170, 1 TD. Receiving: Mikell Simpson, 5-36, 1 TD
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 44-69, 407 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Kobey Lewis, 8-33. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 9-101, 1 TD
Thoughts & Notes ... 5 Thoughts on the Gator Bowl ... Virginia got pressure early on the Texas Tech passing game and forced several mistakes and misfired. Star WR Michael Crabtree didn't get the ball enough, and there were few long drives. And then the attack woke up in crunch time and went on a tear. The Virginia defense couldn't do anything to slow down the momentum. ... Virginia didn't have much of a passing game, but Jameel Sewell was effective until he was knocked out of the game. .Peter Lalich was effective for a short spurt, but his fumble proved to be too costly to overcome. ... Mikell Simpson once against established himself as one of the premier overall backs in college football. Just a sophomore, he has size, speed, and great hands to become a national star over the next few seasons. ... Texas Tech converted just nine of 20 third down chances, Virginia converted nine of 18.

Nov. 17
Texas Tech 34 ... Oklahoma 27
Graham Harrell threw 72 times with touchdown passes to Michael Crabtree and Erick Norris, to go along with a touchdown run, as Texas Tech got up 34-10 midway through the third quarter. And then things got interesting as OU got a 33-yard Garrett Hartley field goal in the third and two Joey Halzle to Manuel Johnson touchdown passes, connecting from 65 and nine yards out, in the fourth. The Red Raiders recovered the onside kick after the second score and was able to run out the clock. OU scored first on a 63-yard Lendy Holmes interception return, but later in the first quarter lost QB Sam Bradford to a concussion following an interception.
Player of the game: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 47 of 72 passes fro 420 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, and ran 12 yards for a score.
Stat Leaders: Oklahoma - Passing: Joey Halzle, 21-41, 291 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: DeMarco Murray, 19-94. Receiving: Juaquin Iglesias, 7-73
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 47-72, 420 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Aaron Crawford, 12-47, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 12-154, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Graham Harrell and the Red Raider offense will get all the headlines for the win over Oklahoma, but it was the defense, for about 52 minutes, that stole the show. It got tight late as OU's Joey Halzle finally found a groove, and the Tech offense had a nightmare of a time trying to close out, but it was still an epic win that ruined the Sooners' national title campaign. After failing to get a really big win all year, the regular season obviously couldn't have closed out better. Now the team has to do a take advantage of this momentum to build even more confidence going into the bowl game; the Red Raiders now know they can beat anyone in America.

Nov. 10
Texas 59 ... Texas Tech 43
Colt McCoy threw four touchdown passes and ran for two scores, Texas outgained Texas Tech 551 yards to 476, and held on to the ball for 40:12, but it needed two onside kicks and to keep the pressure on offensively to overcome 466 passing yards and five passing touchdowns from Graham Harrell. The Texas Tech quarterback connected with Michael Crabtree from 26 and 69 yards out as part of a 23-point fourth quarter, but the Longhorns cranked out 24 in the final frame with McCoy connecting with Nate Jones from 34 yards out and Quan Cosby from 14 yards out, and ran for a 22-yard score. The Longhorns outgained the Red Raiders 283 yards to ten on the ground.
Player of the game: Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 21 of 30 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns with an interception, and ran 11 times for 51 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Texas - Passing: Colt McCoy, 21-30, 268 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jamaal Charles, 23-174, 1 TD. Receiving: Quan Cosby, 8-94, 2 TD
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 36-48, 466 yds, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Edward Britton, 1-9. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 9-195, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...  Texas Tech doesn't have enough defensively to beat a top team, but the offense continues to roll. Texas had no prayer of stopping Graham Harrell, and Michael Crabtree put on a show in the fourth quarter, but the O didn't get the ball enough with the defense doing nothing to get Colt McCoy and the Longhorn attack off the field. Texas converted 12 of 18 third down conversion attempts, and if the defense isn't better on clutch plays against Oklahoma, the outcome will be ugly.

Nov. 3
Texas Tech 38 ... Baylor 7
Graham Harrell threw for 433 yards and three touchdowns with two to Aaron Crawford from 17 and seven yards out, and Crawford scored on runs from three and seven yards away as Texas Tech got up 38-0 in the third quarter. Baylor finally got on the board with a Brandon Whitaker touchdown catch, but it was far too little, too late. The Red Raiders outgained the Bears 563 yards to 282 and 490 passing yards to 191.
Player of the game: Texas Tech RB Aaron Crawford ran nine times for 44 yards and two touchdowns, and caught ten passes for 82 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 37-46, 433 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Aaron Crawford, 9-44, 2 TD. Receiving: Aaron Crawford, 10-82, 2 TD
Baylor - Passing: Blake Szymanski, 25-31, 191 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jacoby Jones, 21-83. Receiving: Thomas White, 7-58
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It always helps to face Baylor to get back on track, and Graham Harrell had a tremendous game to get the taste of Missouri and Colorado out of his mouth. It also helped to get a huge game from Aaron Crawford, a home-run hitting true freshman who can run the ball a bit. Now the fun begins. A bowl bid is assured, winning the South is gone, and there are two big games left against Texas and Oklahoma. Now is when the program has to establish itself for next year.

Oct. 27
Colorado 31 ... Texas Tech 26
Colorado picked off Texas Tech's Graham Harrell four times with Terrence Washington getting three, and Jordon Dizon taking one 42 yards for a score. Hugh Charles started off the scoring with a 31-yard touchdown run, and all but put the game away late in the third on a six-yard scoring grab. The Red Raiders rallied with a 19-yard Michael Crabtree scoring catch and with two minutes to go, a seven-yard Edward Britton scoring grab, but the Buffs held on. CU outgained Texas Tech 217 yards to 39 on the ground.
Player of the game: Colorado RB Hugh Charles ran 20 times for 121 yards and a touchdown, and led the team with five catches for 26 yards and a score, and CB Terrence Washington made 3.5 tackles, three interceptions, and broke up a pass.
Stat Leaders: Colorado - Passing: Cody Hawkins, 15-26, 123 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Hugh Charles, 20-121, 1 TD. Receiving: Hugh Charles, 5-26, 1 TD
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 46-62, 431 yds, 3 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Aaron Crawford, 2-31 Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 12-131, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... That's two straight weeks the Texas Tech offense was held in check, and why? Pressure. Missouri got to Graham Harrell early and often, and Colorado got just enough of a push to disrupt the overall timing. Harrell occasionally got the attack moving, but he also screwed up way too much, with no commitment to the running game to fall back on. Of course, this is Texas Tech. This happens every year. A few simple tweaks and it'll crank out 500+ passing yards and an easy win against Baylor.

Oct. 20
Missouri 41 ... Texas Tech 10
Missouri's Stryker Sulak returned a Graham Harrell pass 38 yards for a touchdown to set the tone for the game, and the defense played tough outside of one big play in the surprisingly easy win. Jimmy Jackson had three short touchdown runs, and Jeremy Maclin caught a 57-yard touchdown pass, as part of a 31-3 run after Harrell connected with Edward Britton on a 68-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter. The Tigers outgained the Red Raiders 212 yards to -9 on the ground, and 422 to 388 overall.
Player of the game: Missouri SS Cornelius Brown made 14 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss, an interception an two broken up passes
Stat Leaders: Missouri - Passing: Chase Daniel, 14-19, 210 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Derrick Washington, 9-66. Receiving: Chase Coffman, 3-53
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 44-69, 397 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 10-30. Receiving: Danny Amendola, 11-94
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Stopping the Texas Tech offense isn't hard; you just have to get to Graham Harrell on a consistent basis. It's far, far easier said than done, considering he gets the ball out of his hands so quickly, but Missouri was able to pressure him all game long and keep pushing into the backfield. Tech's at its best when it gets something from the running game, and Shannon Woods went nowhere this week. There's no question Tech's offense is scary, but now it has to be consistent.

Oct. 13
Texas Tech 35 ... Texas A&M 7
Texas A&M held a 7-0 first quarter lead after a long drive ended with a one-yard Jorvorskie Lane touchdown run. That would be all the fun the Aggies would have, as Texas Tech cranked out 35 unanswered points on three Graham Harrell touchdown passes, a one-yard run, and a one-yard Shannon Woods run. .The A&M ground game managed 344 yards, but couldn't keep pace one the Red Raider offense got rolling. Tech's Michael Crabtree didn't score, but he came up with a 54-yard pass play off a slant pattern that led to the Woods touchdown run with 25 left in the first half for a 21-7 Red Raider lead.
Player of the game: Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 30 of 37 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for a score
Stat Leaders: Texas A&M - Passing: Stephen McGee, 17-30, 133 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Stephen McGee, 14-89. Receiving: Martellus Bennett, 4-35
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 30-37, 425 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 21-93, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 8-170
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Of course Graham Harrell is going to get all the national love after destroying Texas A&M with yet another big passing day, but it was the play of the defense that made the game a laugher. Joe Garcia, Darcel McBath, and the rest of the Red Raiders held up well against the Aggie running game, coming up with just enough stops to get the ball back to its offense, and Harrell took advantage time and again. Now it's off to Missouri for the big test. If Tech wins in Columbia, then it might be time to think about Big 12 title possibilities

Oct. 6
Texas Tech 42 ... Iowa State 17
Texas Tech got out to a 28-0 first half lead on two Michael Crabtree touchdown catches, a one-yard Graham Harrell scoring run, and a 16-yard fumble recovery from Darcel McBath, and cruised from there. The Red Raiders got up 42-3, with Crabtree catching his third touchdown pass of the game, before Iowa State finally got into the end zone on a five-yard Bret Meyer run with less than five minutes to play. Texas Tech threw for 460 yards, and ran for just 29.
Player of the game: Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree caught 10 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Iowa State - Passing: Bret Meyer, 15-26, 187 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jason Scales, 22-82. Receiving: Todd Blythe, 8-128, 1 TD
Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 36-43, 425 yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 10-47. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 10-154, 3 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell are going ballistic. Everyone knows they're going to try to hook up for about ten catches per game, and everyone knows Crabtree is going to be the main scoring option, yet no one can do anything to stop them. Iowa State wasn't even remotely close, although the defense got to Harrell a few times and forced three turnovers. Outside of that, everything's humming going into the Texas A&M game.

Sept. 29
Texas Tech 75 ... Northwestern State 7
Texas Tech ripped off 34 passing yards and scored the final 61 points of the game as Shannon Woods scored three times and Michael Crabtree caught touchdown passes from 34, 30 and six yards out on the way to the blowout win. NWLA got an 18-yard Dudley Guice touchdown catch, but Tech responded with a suck 75- yard drive and a two-yard Woods touchdown catch from Graham Harrell, who threw five on the day before giving way to Taylor Potts, who threw three scoring strikes in the second half.
Player of the game: Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree caught eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 26-40, 338 yds, 5 TD
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 5-45, 2 TD. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 8-145, 3 TD
Northwestern State - Passing: Germayne Edmond, 7-17, 90 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Byron Lawrence, 12-31. Receiving: Dudley Guice, 4-60, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Tech blew away poor Northwestern State in an easy scrimmage, but it was a good game to get the team used to defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, who needs to quickly establish himself, even if he is just an interim coach. As always, the passing game was incredible, with WR Michael Crabtree scoring three times for the fourth time this year. He tied the record for touchdown catches by a freshman, and now he's going to be a marked man with the schedule starting to get tougher. Penalties continue to be an issue, committing eight for 90 yards.

Sept. 22
Oklahoma State 49 ... Texas Tech 45
In one of the wildest games of the year, Texas Tech threw for 646 yards, Oklahoma State ran for 366, but it was through the air that the Cowboys pulled off the win, as Brandon Pettigrew hauled in a 54-yard touchdown catch with 1:37 to play for a four-point lead. But Graham Harrell and the Texas Tech passing game wouldn't be done, getting down to the OSU 15 before finally sputtering out on a fourth down incomplete pass. Each team score 21 second quarter points, with Michael Crabtree catching two of his three touchdown passes, both from two yards out, on the way to a Red Raider lead, while OSU kept pace with a 46-yard Kendall Hunter touchdown run and a 48-yard Zac Robinson dash. Tech got 14 catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns from Crabtree, and 14 catches for 233 yards and a score from Danny Amendola. Three different players ran for over 100 yards for OSU.
Player of the game: In a losing cause, Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell threw for 646 yards and five touchdown passes on 46-of-67 passing.
Stat Leaders: Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 46-67, 646 yds, 5 TDs
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 12-58, 1 TD. Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 14-237, 3 TDs
Oklahoma State - Passing: Zac Robinson, 16-32, 211 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Dantrell Savage, 25-130, 1 TD. Receiving: Adarius Bowman, 6-81
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Texas Tech's offense has its receivers (Michael Crabtree appears to be a superstar who'll shatter some major records), Graham Harrell is locked in as one of the nation's best passers, and the running game is providing just enough balance to keep things moving. Now the defense has to hold up its end of the bargain in games like the shootout to Oklahoma State. The run defense wasn't tackling well, and there weren't nearly enough stops on third downs. Overall, the penalties are continuing to be a problem, with 11 for 110 yards a week after committing 16 for 183 yards in the win over Rice. There shouldn't be any problems over the next few weeks, but to beat Texas A&M and Missouri, the run defense has to be far better.

Sept. 15
Texas Tech 59 ... Rice 24
Graham Harrell threw six touchdown passes including three to Michael Crabtree in a rout. Rice hung tough for about 20 minutes, helped by a 47-yard Jarett Dillard touchdown and a 13-yard Toren Dixon scoring grab. Crabtree took over with a 74-yard touchdown to give the Red Raiders all the points they'd need, and he scored from nine and 25 yards out in the second half as part of a 35-point run. Tech outgained Rice 592 yards to 311.
Player of the game ... Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 48 of 64 passes for 484 yards and four touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 28-37, 414 yds, 6 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 9-75, 1 TD  Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 11-244, 3 TD
Rice - Passing: Chase Clement, 20-37, 212 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: C.J. Ugokwe, 15-63, 1 TD   Receiving: Jarett Dillard, 6-90, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree are ripping apart defenses like they're not even there. Crabtree is the nation's hottest receiver, with his third straight fantastic game in a row, while the ground attack was fine against Rice, rushing for 111 yards. Of course, it's all about Harrell and the passing game right now, but it hasn't been tested yet. If the offense can remain consistent, and the defense can continue to shine against the run, beating Oklahoma State next week will be a must, and a 6-0 start is more than possible before facing Texas A&M. Someday, Tech has to stop with the penalties, after committing 16 for 183 yards.

Sept. 8
Texas Tech 45 ... UTEP 31
UTEP got up early with a 21-point first quarter run on two Trevor Vittatoe touchdown passes, including a 41-yarder to Joe West, and a two-yard Marcus Thomas touchdown run, and held a 28-17 lead after a three-yard Thomas score.  And then the Red Raider offense took over, outscoring UTEP 28-3 in the second half on three of Graham Harrell's four touchdown passes. Michael Crabtree made two scoring grabs and Shannon Woods ran for a two-yard score to finally put the game away.
Player of the game ... Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 48 of 64 passes for 484 yards and four touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 48-64, 484 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 7-46, 1 TD  Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 15-188, 2 TD
UTEP - Passing: Trevor Vittatoe, 12-26, 202 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Marcus Thomas, 22-85, 2 TD   Receiving: Joe West, 5-101, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Chalk up the slow start against UTEP to a short week after the SMU win. The Red Raiders adjusted nicely on offense after halftime, but did a better job on defense as the Miner offensive effectiveness stopped when the ground game was stuffed. Even so, it took away too long to put the game away. That won't be a problem against Rice next week as Graham Harrell should be able to throw for 500 yards if he wants to. WR Michael Crabtree is on the verge of Big 12 superstardom after making 27 catches for 294 yards and five touchdowns in two games.

Sept. 1
Texas Tech 49 ... SMU 9
SMU had no hope of stopping the Red Raider offense as Graham Harrell started off the scoring with a one yard run and threw four touchdown passes on the way to a 35-6 lead after three quarters. Michael Crabtree scored from one, 42, and two yards out, while Shannon Woods ran for two short scores in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs were only able to manage three Thomas Morestead field goals.
Player of the game ... Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell completed 44 of 59 passes for 419 yards and four touchdowns and ran one time for a one-yard score
Stat Leaders: Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 44-59, 419 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 10-45, 2 TD  Receiving: Michael Crabtree, 12-106, 3 TD
SMU - Passing: Justin Willis, 15-33, 135 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Justin Willis, 14-40   Receiving: Zack Sledge, 4-64
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Any worries about who'd take over in the receiving corps are gone after Michael Crabtree was unstoppable on a 12-catch, 106-yard day against SMU and Danny Amendola caught ten passes for 149 yards and a score. The key was time. QB Graham Harrell had as much as he wanted. The Tech offensive line dominated the Mustangs. Lost in the fireworks was a big day from a defense that didn't allow a touchdown and gave up just 270 yards of total offense.