Red Raiders Head to Tempe
August 30, 1999 | Football
Aug. 30, 1999
COACHES
Spike Dykes (Stephen F. Austin, ?59) is in his 13th season as head coach of the Red Raider football program. Also known as the "Dean of the Big 12 Coaches," Dykes has a career record of 76-62-1 at Tech. Dykes has served in his current position longer than any coach in school history. He is tied with Pete Cawthon atop the all-time wins list at Tech.
Bruce Snyder (Oregon, ?63) begins his ninth season as head coach at Arizona State, where he has a 46-33 record. He is entering his 20th year as a head coach in the collegiate ranks.
SERIES
This is the first meeting between the two schools.
TV
Fox Sports Net will televise the game. Steve Physioc (play-by-play), Tom Ramsey (color) and James Lofton (sideline) will handle the on-air duties for the all sports network. The game is scheduled to reach nearly 78 million households.
RADIO
The All Sports Radio Network is in its fourth season of broadcasting Texas Tech football games on a network basis. The 25-station network covers the state of Texas and Eastern New Mexico. Jack Dale (play-by-play) and John Harris (color) provide gameday coverage.
ABS Communications will carry the game on a national basis and will be broadcast on 25 stations nationwide, including St. Louis, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Seattle and Salt Lake City. Kent Derdivanis (play-by-play) and Greg Wyatt (color) will call the action for ABS.
Tim Healey (play-by-play) and Jeff Van Raaphorst (color) call the action on The Sun Devil Sports Network through flagship station KGME 550-AM. The 11-station network covers Arizona and portions of California and Nevada.
WORLD WIDE WEB
Information concerning each of Texas Tech?s 17 intercollegiate sports can be obtained through the world wide web at:
www.texastech.com
Texas Tech in Season Openers
Entering its 75th season of football competition, Texas Tech is 47-24-3 all-time in season openers.
Opening on the Road
Monday?s game at Arizona State will mark the 25th time Texas Tech has opened its season on the road. The Red Raiders are 10-13-1 all-time in road season openers.
Go Ricky Go
After rushing for 1,582 yards last season, junior tailback Ricky Williams is poised to make a run at college football?s top awards in 1999. The second-leading returning rusher in the nation, Williams was a preseason All-America pick by several publications. Tech?s Ricky Williams outrushed Texas? and 1998 Heisman winner Ricky Williams in back-to-back Red Raider victories over the rival Longhorns in ?97 and ?98. While "the other" Ricky ran toward the Heisman a year ago, Texas Tech?s Ricky outgained him 148 to 141 in a 42-35 Red Raider win last season.
More...Ricky...Williams
Did you know Texas Tech running back Ricky Williams: has 2,476 career rushing yards in two seasons...is a preseason All-America choice...was named preseason Big 12 offensive player of year by The Sporting News...averaged 143.82 yards rushing per game in 1998...was a Doak Walker Award semi-finalist in 1998...is the top returning rusher in the Big 12 (143.82 ypg)...is the top returning all-purpose runner in the Big 12 (159.82 ypg).
In It For the Long Haul
Want to talk durability, then talk Ricky Williams. Not only did he average just under 28 carries per game at 5-9, 190 pounds, he is also consistent as the game progresses. Over 11 games last season, there was really no one quarter where Williams piled up the numbers to pad an average, instead his per quarter rushing average remained steady throughout each game. Williams averaged 32 yards in the first quarter, 40 in the second, 33 in the third and 39 in the fourth.
Ricky Williams on The World Wide Web
Follow Ricky Williams? Heisman chase on the Internet at www.texastech.com/rickywilliams.
House With a Garage
If tackle Jonathan Gray is indeed "The House", then trench-mate Curtis Lowery must be the garage. Both preseason all-conference selections, Gray and Lowery anchor a Tech offensive line that preseason publications have tabbed as one of the nation?s best. Gray, Lowery and company paved the way as Tech finished third in total offense in the Big 12 a year ago.
Staff Experience
To say Texas Tech players have a chance to learn from experience may be the understatement of the season. The 10 full-time members of the Red Raider staff have a combined 259 years of coaching experience, 156 of those years at the collegiate level. This staff has coached a collective 68 years at Texas Tech.
Tech Heisman History
If Ricky Williams makes a successful run for the 1999 Heisman Trophy he would be the first player in Tech history to claim college football?s top prize. Running back Donnie Anderson finished fourth in the balloting in 1965, while running back Byron Hanspard finished sixth in the race in 1996. Center/linebacker E.J. Holub finished 10th in the 1960 Heisman race.
SPIKE DYKES HEAD COACH
Dean of Big 12
Coach Spike Dykes is the dean of Big 12 head coaches, beginning his 13th season at the controls of the Red Raider program. Kansas State coach Bill Snyder and Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum are next on the list, both having been with their programs for 10 years.
Dykes in Season Openers
Texas Tech is 5-7 in season openers under Spike Dykes, but it goes without saying that Dykes? Red Raiders haven?t shied away from the big boys over the years. Since 1987 Texas Tech has opened its season on the road at Florida State (1987), Ohio State (1990), Penn State (1995), Kansas State (1996) and Tennessee (1997). Home season openers have included Arizona (1989) and Oklahoma (1992).
Tech on TV
Fox Sports Net?s production of the Texas Tech-Arizona State game will mark the 106th time the Red Raiders have played on television since first appearing on the tube against Auburn in the 1954 Gator Bowl. Texas Tech defeated the Tigers 35-13 in that first-ever TV game and has gone on to post a 44-58-3 all-time record on television. This will be Tech?s 32nd national TV appearance. Sixty of Texas Tech?s television appearances have come with Spike Dykes at the helm.
Red Raiders vs. the Pac-10
Texas Tech is 29-11-2 all-time against teams from the Pac-10 Conference. Of the 42 games, 32 of those have been played against Arizona State rival Arizona. The Red Raiders and Sun Devils have never met.
QB Fit as a Fiddle
After managing to pass for 1,269 yards and nine touchdowns while playing with a broken throwing hand and a separated shoulder last season, quarterback Rob Peters is healthy and poised to end his Texas Tech career with a bang after a productive preseason camp. Probably the most versatile player on the team, Peters could also see action as a punter. Multiple roles wouldn?t be anything new for Peters, however. The Katy, Texas native logged time at quarterback, flanker, fullback and tight end as a sophomore. He also played on special teams that year.
Sammy?s Back...
After missing the last two seasons due to eligibility questions, fullback Sammy Morris is back full force both on the field and in the classroom. Morris earned his way onto the Big 12 Commissioner?s Honor Roll while sitting out last season and has worked his way into a starting role going into what promises to be a banner season. Voted a captain for the 1999 season, Morris ran for 226 yards and caught 13 passes for 221 yards as a freshman in 1996. The last time Morris touched the ball in a game it was to go 81 yards with a TD reception against Texas A&M in 1996.
...and Expecting
Sammy Morris and wife Leslie are expecting their first child toward the end of September.
Magic "35"
Some of the best players in recent Texas Tech football history have started their careers in the number 35. Doak Walker Award winners Byron Hanspard and Byron "Bam" Morris both began their Red Raider careers wearing the number. Current tailback and all-star candidate Ricky Williams wore 35 as a freshman before switching to number 2 last year. All-America linebacker Zach Thomas kept 35 throughout his storied Tech career. The number now belongs to freshman runner Shaud Williams, arguably the top running back recruit in Texas last year.
Double Deuces
With Donnie Hart graduated and taking his team-leading 48 receptions with him, the onus falls to junior Derek Dorris to take up the lead receiver mantle. Dorris, who wears jersey number 22, finished 1998 with 28 receptions for 395 yards and three touchdowns. Six other returning receivers have 15 receptions combined. Dorris had 19 of his receptions in the last five games of 1998, including a pair of TD grabs against Texas.
Truck Stop
With All-America Montae Reagor now earning his living in the NFL, the leadership role on the defensive line of scrimmage goes to senior Taurus "Truck" Rucker. An All-Big 12 selection last season Rucker has 163 career tackles and 6? career sacks. Rucker was also named a Nations Bank Community Champion for his work in the Lubbock community a year ago.
Back-to-Back Triple Digits
Inside linebacker Kyle Shipley will be looking to finish his career with back-to-back season of triple digit tackles. Shipley led all Texas Tech tacklers a year ago with 112. The senior from Arlington, Texas has 11 career tackles for loss.
It?s Up, It?s Good
Chris Birkholz returns for his junior season as a legitimate all-star candidate. Birkholz? name dots the Tech record book. The Temple, Texas native made 16 of 21 field goal attempts and all 23 extra point tries last season. He shares the school record for field goals in a game with four against Texas last year and his 53-yarder against the Longhorns is tied for the fourth-longest in school history.
The Third Degree
Red Raider inside linebacker Tim Duffie goes into the 1999 season already in possession of what his teammates are all working for. Duffie, from Jefferson, Texas, completed requirements for his Exercise and Sport Sciences degree at the end of summer term. Duffie?s inside linebacker partner Kyle Shipley and quarterback Rob Peters will finish MBA programs this spring.
Academic All-Conference
Texas Tech had the second-most Academic All-Big 12 first team selections last season with 14. First team selections are regular players who posted at least a 3.2 grade point average. The list of academic all-conference selections can be found on page 141 of the 1999 Big 12 Football Media Guide.
Home Grown
Of the 92 players listed on the Texas Tech preseason roster, 88 hail from Texas. Eight Red Raiders call Lubbock home.
Captains
Texas Tech captains have already been elected for the 1999 season. The five players selected by their teammates to represent the Red Raiders are running back Ricky Williams, fullback Sammy Morris, quarterback Rob Peters, linebacker Kyle Shipley and defensive end Taurus Rucker.
Preseason All-Conference
Kyle Allamon, TE - Athlon, Lindy?s, Football Action 99
Jonathan Gray, OT - The Sporting News, Athlon, Lindy?s
Curtis Lowery, OL - The Sporting News, Football Action 99
Taurus Rucker, DE - Athlon, Lindy?s, Football Action 99
Ricky Williams, RB - The Sporting News, Athlon, Lindy?s, F-ball Action 99
Arizona Players
Texas Tech has one player on its roster from the state of Arizona. Senior defensive lineman Shane Roberts is from Scottsdale and played at Scottsdale Junior College prior to transferring to Tech.
1-800 TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech?s home opener against North Texas will mark the 800th game in the history of the program. The first game in Tech football history was Oct. 3, 1925, a 0-0 tied with McMurry with 4,500 looking on.
The Voice
Legendary Texas Tech radio play-by-play man Jack Dale begins his 47th season calling Red Raider football at Sun Devil Stadium Monday. Dale is joined by color man John Harris, in his 15th season behind a Red Raider microphone. Only Kansas radio man Max Falkenstein has logged longer in a Big 12 booth, starting his 54th year of calling Kansas action.
Adding to the Game
Four of five Texas Tech home games this season have special designations. The Sept. 18 home opener against North Texas is Alumni Band Day and Colorado visits Jones Stadium as Red Raider homecoming guests on Oct. 16. November 6 will be Family Day when Tech entertains Iowa State and the regular season finale against Oklahoma on Nov. 20 is Senior Day.
New Turf
When the Red Raiders finally open at home Sept. 18 against North Texas they will do so on brand new Astroturf. Final touches to the new surface are being completed. The previous playing surface was installed in 1988.
1998 TEXAS TECH TEAM SUPERLATIVES
Points Scored 42 vs. Texas
Low 10 at Texas A&M
First Downs 31 vs. Missouri
Low 11 at Texas A&M
Rushing Plays 61 at North Texas
Low 33 at Texas A&M
Net Rushing Yards 324 vs. Texas-El Paso
Low 94 at Texas A&M
Passes Attempted 42 vs. Texas
Low 15 vs. Oklahoma State
Passes Completed 21 vs. Missouri
Low 8 vs. Fresno St., Oklahoma St.
Had Intercepted 3 at North Texas
Low 0 vs. four teams
Net Passing Yards 322 vs. Texas
Low 74 vs. Oklahoma State
Total Off. Plays 97 vs. Texas
Low 56 vs. Texas A&M
Total Net Offense 538 vs. Baylor
Low 205 vs. Oklahoma St., at Texas A&M
Fumbles 4 vs. seven teams
Low 0 vs. Iowa State
Fumbles Lost 3 vs. Missouri, at Oklahoma
Low 0 at Texas A&M
Penalties 12 vs. Texas
Low 0 at Oklahoma
Penalty Yards 96 vs. Texas
Low 45 vs. Oklahoma State
TEXAS TECH INDIVIDUAL SUPERLATIVES
Rushing Attempts 42 Ricky Williams vs. Fresno State
Net Rushing Yards 251 Ricky Williams vs. Texas-El Paso
Rushing TDs 2 Ricky Williams vs. five teams
Pass Attempts 42 Rob Peters vs. Texas
Pass Completions 19 Rob Peters vs. Texas
Had Intercepted 3 Matt Tittle at North Texas
Net Passing Yards 322 Rob Peters vs. Texas
Passing TDs 2 Matt Tittle at Iowa State
2 Rob Peters vs. three teams
Receptions 8 Donnie Hart vs. Texas-El Paso
Receiving Yards 164 Donnie Hart vs. Texas-El Paso
TD Receptions 2 by three players
Punts 9 Brian Roberson vs. Oklahoma State
Punt Average 43.6 Brian Roberson vs. Oklahoma State
Punts Inside 20 3 Brian Roberson vs. Texas
Punt Returns 3 John Norman vs. four teams
Punt Return Yards 30 John Norman at Texas A&M
Kickoff Returns 4 John Norman at Texas A&M
Kickoff Return Yards 77 John Norman at Texas A&M
FG Attempts 4 Chris Birkholz vs. Texas
FG Made 4 Chris Birkholz vs. Texas
Interceptions 1 by 10 players
Interception Yards 31 Dorian Pitts vs. Iowa State
TEXAS TECH INDIVIDUAL LONG PLAYSRushing 72 Ricky Williams vs. Fresno State Passing 68 Matt Tittle at Iowa State Field Goal 53 Chris Birkholz vs. Texas Punt 56 Brian Roberson vs. Oklahoma State Punt Return 28 John Norman vs. Fresno State Kickoff Return 86 John Norman vs. Fresno State Interception Return 31 Dorian Pitts at Iowa StateOPPONENT TEAM SUPERLATIVES
Points Scored 35 by Texas
Low 0 by North Texas
First Downs 21 by Baylor
Low 5 by North Texas
Rushing Plays 58 by Texas A&M
Low 29 by North Texas
Net Rushing Yards 195 by Oklahoma State
Low 9 by Fresno State
Passes Attempted 37 by Iowa State
Low 11 by Texas A&M
Passes Completed 20 by Fresno State, Baylor
Low 4 by Texas A&M
Had Intercepted 3 by Texas-El Paso
Low 0 by five teams
Net Passing Yards 349 by Fresno State
Low 49 by Oklahoma
Total Off. Plays 72 by three teams
Low 48 by North Texas
Total Net Offense 381 by Baylor
Low 125 by North Texas
Fumbles 5 by Texas A&M
Low 0 by Oklahoma
Fumbles Lost 2 by Oklahoma St., Texas A&M
Low 0 by three teams
Penalties 13 by North Texas
Low 2 by Colorado
Penalty Yards 132 by Oklahoma State
Low 15 by Colorado, Texas A&M
OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL SUPERLATIVES
Rushing Attempts 30 Ricky Williams (Texas)
Net Rushing Yards 141 Ricky Williams (Texas)
Rushing TDs 3 Devin West (Missouri)
Pass Attempts 37 Todd Bandhauer (Iowa State)
Pass Completions 19 Billy Volek (Fresno State)
19 Todd Bandhauer (Iowa State
Had Intercepted 2 by three players
Net Passing Yards 349 Billy Volek (Fresno State)
Passing TDs 4 Major Applewhite (Texas)
Receptions 10 Damian Groce (Iowa State)
Receiving Yards 174 Wane McGarity (Texas)
TD Receptions 4 Wane McGarity (Texas)
Punts 8 John Baker (North Texas)
Punt Average 47.7 Scott Elder (Oklahoma State)
Punts Inside 20 3 by three players
Punt Returns 5 Chris Taylor (Texas A&M)
Punt Return Yards 69 Payton Williams (Fresno State)
Kickoff Returns 4 by three players
Kickoff Return Yards 79 Elijah Burkins (Baylor)
FG Attempts 5 Jeremy Aldrich (Colorado)
FG Made 4 Jeremy Aldrich (Colorado)
Interceptions 1 by 10 players
Interception Yards 33 Justin Johnson (Fresno State)
OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL SUPERLATIVESRushing 38 Elzie Johnson (Texas-El Paso) Passing 67 Major Applewhite (Texas) Field Goal 47 Jeff Hanna (Fresno State) Punt 62 Ryan Long (Texas) Punt Return 34 Payton Williams (Fresno State) Kickoff Return 77 Roman Hollowell (Colorado) Interception Return 33 Justin Johnson (Fresno State)
Redc