Red Raiders Face In-State Rival North Texas
September 13, 1999 | Football
Sept. 13, 1999
NORTH TEXAS
SEPT. 18 - 6 P.M. (CDT)
JONES STADIUM (50,500)
Coaches
Spike Dykes (Stephen F. Austin, ?59) is in his 13th season as head coach of the Red Raider football program. The ?Dean of the Big 12 Coaches,? Dykes has a career record of 77-63-1 at Tech. Dykes has served in his current position longer than any coach in school history. He passed Pete Cawthon as the all-time wins leader at Tech with the win at UL-Lafayette
Darrell Dickey (Kansas State, ?84) is in his second season at UNT with a 3-10 record.
Series
North Texas leads the series 3-2. The Eagles won the initial game in 1952 with the Red Raiders taking the second game in 1985. UNT rattled off two-straight wins, before Tech claimed it second in the series last season.
Radio
The All Sports Radio Network is in its fourth season of broadcasting Texas Tech football games on a network basis. The 22-station network covers the state of Texas and Eastern New Mexico. Jack Dale (play-by-play) and John Harris (color) provide gameday coverage.
In Espanol
All Texas Tech football games are broadcast in Spanish via KXTQ in Lubbock. Mario Montez and Israel Aguilar provide commentary. The Spanish broadcast, like the English broadcast on the All Sports Radio Network, can also be heard on the internet at www.texastech.com.
800 and Counting
Texas Tech?s 1999 home opener against North Texas marks the 800th game in the history of Red Raider football. The first game in Tech football history was Oct. 3, 1925, a 0-0 tied with McMurry with 4,500 looking on. Since then Texas Tech has a 421-346-32 record.
Spike Tops List
With Texas Tech?s 38-17 victory at Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Spike Dykes became the winningest coach in Red Raider football history. The win was Dykes? 77th in his 13th year at the helm of the Tech program. He moved past Pete Cawthon, who rang up 76 wins from 1930-40.
Texas Tech in Home Openers
Texas Tech has had success in home openers over the years, posting a 54-17-3 record. The Red Raiders have won the last six consecutive home openers and eight of the last 10. Dating back to the 1963 home opener against Washington State, Texas Tech has won 29 of 36 home openers.
Spike In Home Openers
Texas Tech teams coached by Spike Dykes are 9-3 in home openers.
Mr. Curtis? Neighborhood
After passing the guys who play with their hands on the ground and those who back the line, then you arrive in Mr. Curtis? Neighborhood, and for visiting ball carriers and receivers the hospitality hasn?t been very cordial early this season. In the first two games of the 1999 season the sophomore free safety from Lubbock-Coronado has registered 30 tackles, 17 at Arizona State and 13 at Louisiana-Lafayette.
Happy Easter(ling)
Junior tailback James Easterling made the most of his opportunity to carry the football last week at Louisiana-Lafayette. With All-America Ricky Williams sitting out with an injured knee, Easterling rang up a couple of career highs. His 25 carries and 105 rushing yards were both career bests. His previous career high for rushing yards was 40 against UTEP in 1998 and his career high for carries in a game was four against UL-Lafayette in 1997 and North Texas in 1998.
Just Stepping In
For the second consecutive year a tailback subbing for an injured Ricky Williams rushed for over 100 yards. James Easterling rushed for 105 yards at UL-Lafayette, while Ricky Hunter gained 121 on 25 carries after Williams hurt his ankle at Missouri last year.
Paper or Plastic?
Senior defensive end Taurus Rucker has been Texas Tech?s early-season sack man. In two games, the Denison (Texas) High product already has three sacks. He had one at Arizona State in the season opener and then added two more at UL-Lafayette.
Three in 13
Saturday?s game against North Texas will be Texas Tech?s third in 13 days. The Red Raiders opened the season with a 31-13 loss at Arizona State on Labor Day and beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 38-17, Sept. 11.
New Turf?
The new Astroturf surface at Jones Stadium gets it official christening Saturday night when the Red Raiders host North Texas. The previous playing surface had been installed in 1988.
? and a New Saddle
In what promises to be a new tradition in a long line of Texas Tech football lore, a new bronze saddle has been created by Lindon, Utah, sculptor Grant Speed in memory of ?Double T?, the Tech mascot who died during the 1994 Texas Tech-New Mexico football game. The saddle also honors all former horses and Masked Riders.
Money for the Saddle Campaign was raised, in part, through a solicitation campaign of former Saddle Tramps. The saddle will be unveiled in a noon ceremony Saturday in the place where it will stand, in the ramp just outside the Texas Tech locker room. The Red Raiders will all touch the saddle as they make their way to the field.
The Last Time Out
Texas Tech got into the win column for the first time this season in a big way, 38-17, at Louisiana-Lafayette. Red Raider defenders did not allow a touchdown and just 148 total yards. UL-Lafayette TDs came on fumble and interception returns. On the flip side, the Tech offense rang up 491 yards total offense without the services of four starters.
The Last Time vs. North Texas
Ricky Williams ran for 170 yards and two scores and Montae Reagor became the all-time Texas Tech leader in tackles for loss with his 29th and 30th in a 30-0 Red Raider victory over North Texas at Texas Stadium on Sept. 12 of last season. Texas Tech registered 531 total yards while limiting UNT to 125.
Tech-UNT Series Tidbits
This will be the sixth game in a series which North Texas leads 3-2. UNT won the first meeting, 34-19, in 1952. Tech wins in the series came in 1985 (28-7) and 1998 (30-0).
Against UNT in Jones Stadium
North Texas has had success on the Texas Tech campus, winning two of three meetings in Lubbock. UNT won 29-24 in 1988 and then upset the Red Raiders 30-27 in 1997.
Will They Be Back?
The jury is still out on Texas Tech?s walking wounded from week one. Heisman candidate tailback Ricky Williams was scheduled to be re-examined on Sept. 13. Fullback Sammy Morris, along with offensive linemen Matt Heider and Jason May are all questionable for the home opener. Freshman tailback Shaud Williams suffered a bruised thigh and cornerback Oscar Solis an ankle sprain against UL-Lafayette. Both will be evaluated as the week progresses.
The 2,500 Yard Club
Even though a knee injury slowed Ricky Williams? 1999 debut at Arizona State and kept him out of the UL-Lafayette game last week, the Heisman hopeful has joined an elite group of Texas Tech runners. Williams is one of only six ball carriers in Tech history to rush for over 2,500 career yards. He now has 2,509 yards and joins Byron Hanspard (4,219), James Gray (4,066), Bryon Morris (3,544), James Hadnot (2,794) and Larry Issac (2,633) in that exclusive club.
Ricky on The Web
Follow Ricky Williams? Heisman chase on the Internet at www.texastech.com/rickywilliams.
Top of the List
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper has rated Texas Tech?s Sammy Morris the top fullback in the upcoming National Football League draft. Before exiting at halftime against Arizona State with a bruised shoulder, Morris had caught three passes for 68 yards and ran three times for 11 yards. The shoulder injury kept him out of last week?s game. 13 for Loss
Inside linebacker Kyle Shipley notched his 13th career tackle for loss at UL-Lafayette last week. Shipley is currently tied for second on the team with 14 total tackles.
Fullback? No Thanks
Even with injuries taking an early-season toll on the Texas Tech backfield, don?t look for junior Jonathan Hawkins to be trekking back to the offensive side of the ball. Hawkins started eight games at fullback last year, but has blossomed since returning to the more familiar linebacker spot. After two games, Hawkins is tied for second on the team with 14 tackles.
All-Purpose Norman
Junior Raider back John Norman has been the busiest, and one of the most productive, players in the early season for Texas Tech. In addition to his regular defensive duties, Norman also leads the Red Raiders in all-purpose yards with 119.5 per game. Norman is averaging 13.8 yards on six punt returns and 24.3 yards on seven kickoff returns. He has also taken a snap or two at wide receiver, but has not had a ball thrown his way.
Longest Grabs for Baker and Allamon
Tim Baker?s 55-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter against UL-Lafayette was his career-long reception. Baker?s previous best was a 33-yarder against Oklahoma in 1997. Kyle Allamon?s 64-yard reception in the first quarter to set up Tech?s first score was also the longest of his career. His previous career high was 41 yards against Baylor in 1998.
A Perfect 4
In addition to starting at the Raider position for Texas, senior Keith Cockrum has finished with a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the last four consecutive semesters. An MIS/Finance/Economics major, Cockrum is a member of the Texas Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board.
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.
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.
Dean of Big 12
Coach Spike Dykes is the dean of Big 12 head coaches, in 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.
Adding to the Game
Four of five Texas Tech home games this season have special designations. The 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.
Coming Next Week
Texas Tech has an open date followed before hosting Texas A&M Oct. 2.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
RUSHING YARDS
Texas Tech NORTH TEXASEasterling 108 Wilburn 183Peters 73 Banks 33Hunter 71 Hickmon 24
PASSING YARDS
Texas Tech NORTH TEXASPeters 369 Attaway 106Kingsbury 34 Bridges 9
RECEPTIONS
Texas Tech NORTH TEXASDorris 6 Wilburn 5Jones 5 McClane 4Baker 3 McGrew 3
POINTS SCORED
Texas Tech NORTH TEXASEasterling 12 Ball 3Birkholz 9
TACKLES
Texas Tech NORTH TEXASCurtis 30 Kassell 22Shipley 14 Pertile 14Hawkins 14 Rodgers 13
SERIES
Texas Tech vs. NORTH TEXAS
TTU NTTotal Offense 392.0 196.5Points Scored 25.5 1.5First Downs 18.5 10.0Rushing Yards 190.5 139.0Passing Yards 201.5 57.5Time of Possession 30:50 27:233rd Down Conversion % 46% 23%Points Allowed 24.0 39.0Yards Allowed 299.0 403.5Rushing Yards Allowed 162.5 258.0Passing Yards Allowed 136.5 145.5