Red Raiders Travel North To Take On Kansas
October 23, 2000 | Football
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Oct. 23, 2000
Texas Tech (5-3, 1-3 Big 12) at Kansas (4-3, 2-2 Big 12)
The Series
Texas Tech leads the series 6-0, dating back to the 1965 season when the Red Raiders handed the Jayhawks a 26-7 loss in the inaugural game. In six meetings, the Red Raiders have averaged 26.2 points per game, while holding the Jayhawks to 10 points per game. In the last two games, Tech has out-scored KU 23.5 to 12.
Date Result Site
9/18/65 Texas Tech 26, Kansas 7 Lubbock, Texas
9/17/66 Texas Tech 23, Kansas 7 Lawrence, Kansas
9/20/69 Texas Tech 38, Kansas 22 Lubbock, Texas
9/19/70 Texas Tech 23, Kansas 0 Lawrence, Kansas
10/12/96 Texas Tech 30, Kansas 17 Lawrence, Kansas
10/11/97 Texas Tech 17, Kansas 7 Lubbock, Texas
The Game
Texas Tech is playing its ninth game of the season and third on the road. The Red Raiders are 5-1 at home in 2000, but are trailing 0-2 on the road. In their last outing, the Red Raiders narrowly missed knocking off No. 10 Kansas State in Manhattan. The Wildcats won 28-23. Kansas is playing in its eighth game of the season and second-straight at home. The Jayhawks opened the season 2-1 before dropping its first two conference games at Oklahoma and at home against Kansas State. In its last two games, Kansas knocked off Missouri (38-17) on the road and Colorado (23-15) last weekend in Lawrence.
The Records
Texas Tech enters the game with a 5-3 overall record and 1-3 mark in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders opened the season with four-straight wins, but have gone 1-3 in their last four games. Kansas got back in the positive in the win column with last weekend's win over Colorado. After opening the season 2-1, KU dropped two games, before winning its last two. The Jayhawks have posted wins over UAB, Southern Illinois, Missouri and Colorado, but suffered losses against Southern Methodist, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The Last Game - No. 10 Kansas State 28, Texas Tech 23
- The Red Raiders' starting offensive line was its fifth different lineup this season.
- Junior offensive lineman Matt Heider saw his first start and significant action since suffering a knee injury against Louisiana-Lafayette Sept. 16.
- Texas Tech held its sixth opponent of the season scoreless in the first quarter (New Mexico, Utah State, North Texas, UL Lafayette, Baylor and Kansas State).
- Redshirt freshman Mickey Peters caught his third pass of the season and the first in the game for a career-high 10 yards in the third quarter.
- The Red Raiders' starting offensive line was its fifth different lineup this season.
Kingsbury on Record Pace
Sophomore quarterback Kliff Kingsbury already has 2,200 yards on the season and is on pace to shatter the single-season record. Kingsbury is averaging 275 yards per game and could finish the season with 3,300 yards. Robert Hall currently holds the record with 2,894 yards he set during the 1993 season.
Kingsbury Chasing Pair of Records
Kliff Kingsbury's production rate has him on track to set a few more Tech records before the season is done. Kingsbury already holds school records in pass completions (47), attempts (60) and passing yards (456) - all set this season. Kingsbury's next venture:
Passing Yards (Single-Season)
1. Robert Hall (1993) 2,894
2. Billy Joe Tolliver (1988) 2,869
3. Kliff Kingsbury (2000) 2,200
300-Yard Passing Games (Career)
1. Robert Hall (1990-93) 5
2. Kliff Kingsbury (1998-00) 3
Billy Joe Tolliver (1985-88) 3
Baker Surpasses Career Mark
Senior receiver Tim Baker caught nine passes for 94 yards against Kansas State, bringing his season yardage total to 565 on a team-leading 46 catches. His production this season betters his career totals of 34 receptions, 510 yards and three touchdowns entering the 2000 season.
Dorris Having Best Season
Senior receiver Derek Dorris is having his best season as a Red Raider. He is second on the team with 34 catches for 380 yards and is tied for the team lead with four touchdown receptions. Previously, Dorris' best season came in 1998, when he caught 28 balls for 395 yards and four touchdowns.
Baker, Dorris Climbing Single-Season TD List
Tim Baker and Derek Dorris each have four touchdown receptions this season, placing them among the top 10 single-season leaders. Lloyd Hill holds the record with 12 scoring catches in 1992.
Paper or Plastic...
Sophomore defensive end Aaron Hunt leads the team with six sacks this season. He has 11 for his young career and is two sacks away from cracking the career top 10 at Texas Tech. He is one shy of breaking into the single-season top 10.
Paying Dividends
The Red Raiders have been getting the most out of their returns. Texas Tech has recovered 10 fumbles, returning seven of them for 212 yards - 21.2 yards per return. Defensive back Antwan Alexander leads the team with 70 yards on one return, while Aaron Hunt has 65 yards on two returns, including a 63-yard jaunt for a touchdown against New Mexico.
Flugence on Record Pace
Sophomore linebacker Lawrence Flugence is one of the nation's leading tacklers, averaging 12.4 stops per game. He has 99 total on the season and is on pace to finish among the top five single-season leaders in school history.
Leaderboard
Senior placekicker Chris Birkholz leads the team in scoring with 40 points on seven field goals and 19 extra points. He led the Red Raiders in 1999 with 51 points.
Birkholz Also Continues Perfection
Birkholz improved his career streak of 72-consecutive extra points with three against Kansas State. He has been successful on every point after attempts during his four-year career.
Safety First
The Red Raider's safety in the first half at Kansas State was the first for a Red Raider team since dropping a 13-2 decision to the Wildcats in 1997.
Beginning and the End
In the first four seasons of the Big 12, the Red Raiders held a combined record of 12-4 in the first four league games of the eight-game league slate. In the final four games, however, Tech was a combined 6-10.
Tough Stretch
In its last two games, Texas Tech has faced two of the nation's top teams - No. 1 Nebraska and No. 10 Kansas State (No. 2 the previous week). The last time the Red Raiders faced top 10 teams in consecutive weeks was during the 1978 season against Texas and Texas A&M.
On the Road Again
For the first time this season, Texas Tech plays on the road in consecutive weeks. The Red Raiders last played in back-to-back road games at Baylor and Missouri last season.
Back to Kansas
The Red Raiders face their second-straight opponent from the state of Kansas this weekend. The last time Tech faced back-to-back opponents from the same state (excluding Texas) was against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma to close the 1997 season.
Two-Game Skid
The last time Texas Tech dropped two-consecutive games came in the final two games of the 1998 season - a 20-17 loss at Oklahoma and a 35-18 loss to Mississippi in the Independence Bowl.
Charting the Red Raiders
Rushing
Ricky Williams leads the team with 321 total yards and 92 carries ... he also leads has scored four of the Red Raiders' six rushing touchdowns ... Williams is averaging 3.5 yards per carry ... Shaud Williams is second behind the elder Williams with 160 rushing yards, but is averaging 4.6 yards per rush ... the two Williams' have combined for 89.4 percent of the team's rushing yardage ... the duo also has 481 yards combined, while the Red Raiders as a team have rushed for 527.
Passing
Sophomore quarterback Kliff Kingsbury has passed for 2,200 yards this season ... he currently ranks third on the single-season yardage list behind Robert Hall (1993) and Billy Joe Tolliver (1987) ... in his last outing at Kansas State, Kingsbury set the school pass attempts record with 60 ... sophomore backup B.J. Symons has played in two games this season ... Symons completed 3-of-9 passes against Utah State and 2-of-11 against the Huskers ... Texas Tech has completed 231 passes in 384 attempts and has had 14 passes picked off.
Receiving
Senior receiver Tim Baker leads the team with 46 catches and 565 yards ... he also has four touchdown receptions ... he is averaging 70.6 yards per game and 12.3 yards per catch ... senior Derek Dorris has 34 catches for 380 yards ... at Kansas State, Dorris led the team with nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown and recorded a 41-yard reception, his longest in two seasons ... Dorris also has four scoring receptions ... redshirt freshman Carlos Francis follows Baker and Dorris with 347 yards ... Francis amassed a Texas Tech freshman record 237 yards in the air against Utah State and earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors for his performance ... Ricky Williams has two TD catches.
Returning
Freshman Wes Welker is Tech's primary return specialist ... he is second behind Baker on the team's all-purpose yardage list with 547, trailing Baker by 18 yards ... Welker has 224 punt return yards and 221 kick return yards to lead the team ... he also has 102 receiving yards ... Welker returned a punt for a touchdown against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Fumble and Interceptions
The Red Raiders have 10 interceptions on the season, led by Antwan Alexander's three picks ... John Norman and Derrick Briggs follow with two picks each ... Aaron Hunt leads the team with two fumble recoveries, including one he returned 63 yards against New Mexico for a touchdown.