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) |
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2007 T Tech Season
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2007 T Tech Preview
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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.