Football Welcomes Top-Ranked Cornhuskers
October 09, 2000 | Football
Oct. 9, 2000
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The Game
The game against Nebraska is the seventh of the season for the Red Raiders and sixth at Jones SBC Stadium. Tech opened the season with four-straight home games.
Nebraska is playing in its sixth game of the year. The No. 1-ranked Huskers have knocked off Missouri and Iowa State in their last two outings.
The Series
Nebraska holds a 5-0 advantage over Texas Tech in the series, which began in 1976 in the Bluebonnet Bowl. The Huskers won the initial meeting 27-24. The teams have met twice in Lubbock, twice in Lincoln and once on neutral surface.
The Records
Texas Tech enters the game with a 5-1 record, the best six-game start since the 1998 season when the team opened 6-0. The Red Raiders' 28-0 win over Baylor last weekend marked the ninth-straight home win for Texas Tech. The streak began with a 21-19 win over Texas A&M in Jones SBC Stadium last season. Tech is 5-0 at home this season. The win over Baylor also was Tech's first shutout over a Big 12 opponent.
Nebraska is 5-0 and 2-0 in the Big 12, following a 49-20 win at Iowa State last weekend. The No. 1-ranked Huskers opened Big 12 play two weeks ago against Missouri. NU won the game 42-24. Nebraska has held the top spot in the USA/Today Coaches Poll throughout the season
Texas Tech vs. No. 1's
The Red Raiders have played four Associated Press No. 1 teams since the poll's inception in 1936. Two of the games have been at home, while the other two were on the road. In the last game against a No. 1-ranked team, the Red Raiders dropped 42-16 decision to Nebraska Sept. 8, 1994.
| Date | Result | Site |
| 10/29/77 | Texas 26, Texas Tech 0 | Austin, Texas |
| 9/8/79 | USC 21, Texas Tech 7 | Lubbock, Texas |
| 10/23/82 | Washington 10, Texas Tech 7 | Seattle, Washington |
| 9/8/94 | Nebraska 42, Texas Tech 16 | Lubbock, Texas |
Home Sweet Home
The Red Raiders have won nine straight at Jones SBC Stadium, beginning with last season's 21-19 win over Texas A&M. Tech has won all five games in Lubbock this season.
The Last Game - Texas Tech 28, Baylor 0 (Oct. 7, 2000)
Tech's shutout over the Bears marked the second of the season. The last time Texas Tech posted two shutouts in a season came in 1970. The last time Tech had two home shutouts was during the 1964 season.
The Red Raiders' 28-0 win over Baylor improved Tech's homecoming record to 42-26-3.
Senior receiver Derek Dorris caught multiple touchdown passes for the first time in his career. His two scoring receptions came in the first and third quarters.
Senior running back Ricky Williams scored two rushing touchdowns for the first time this season, bringing his season total to three.
Sophomore quarterback Kliff Kingsbury completed a string of 14-consecutive passes, breaking the old record of 11 straight, set by Charles Napper against Texas A&M in 1970. Kingsbury also tied Koy Detmer's Big 12 record of 14-straight completions.
Quarterback Kliff Kingsbury rushed four times for 42 yards against Baylor, setting a career best. The yard total pushed him back into positive yardage for the season.
Running Game Flourishes
The Red Raiders rushed for 129 yards on 27 carries against Baylor. That total is tops for the season on the ground. Texas Tech had games of 69, 71, 80, 101 and 23 entering the Baylor game. The Red Raiders also set three game highs this season against the Bears - rushing yards (129), yards per rush (4.8) and rushing touchdowns (2).
Dorris Posts Career Day
Derek Dorris caught multiple touchdown passes for the first time in his career Saturday against Baylor. He has three touchdown receptions on the season, catching his first in the season-opener against New Mexico. Dorris also tied his personal season best of three touchdowns in 1998. The senior receiver also set a personal best of nine receptions.
Williams Moves Up Career Lists
Ricky Williams rushed for 33 yards and two touchdowns against Baylor, moving up both career lists.
Rushing Touchdowns
| 1. | James Gray (1986-89) | 52 |
| 2. | Byron Morris (1991-93) | 37 |
| 3. | Bobby Cavazos (1951-53) | 32 |
| 4. | Larry Isaac (1973-76) | 31 |
| 5. | Three tied | 29 |
| 8. | Ricky Williams (1997-00) | 19 |
Rushing Yards
| 1. | Byron Hanspard (1994-96) | 4,219 |
| 2. | James Gray (1986-89) | 4,066 |
| 3. | Byron Morris (1991-93) | 3,544 |
| 4. | James Hadnot (1976-79) | 2,794 |
| 5. | Ricky Williams (1997-00) | 2,766 |
Kingsbury Sets Completion Mark
Kliff Kingsbury completed 14-consecutive passes during Saturday's game against Baylor, setting the school mark. The old record of 11 straight was held by Charles Napper during the 1970 season against Texas A&M. His streak also ties Koy Detmer's (Colorado) Big 12 mark.
30-Year Wait
The Red Raiders' shutout over the Bears marked the second of the season for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders posted a 26-0 shutout over UL Lafayette in the previous home game. The two shutouts in one season are the first since the 1970 campaign when Texas Tech knocked off Kansas (23-0) and Rice (3-0). Both games were on the road. The last time Tech shutout two opponents at home came during the 1964 season. The Red Raiders defeated SMU (12-0) and West Texas State (48-0). And finally, the last shutout over a league opponent was a 34-0 blanking of Houston in San Antonio in 1994, when both teams were member of the Southwest Conference.
Birkholz Continues Perfection
Senior placekicker Chris Birkholz nailed all four of his extra point attempts against Baylor to improve his streak to 69 straight. He is 69-of-69 from the point after stripe during his career at Texas Tech. He is the only kicker in school history with that distinction.
Redzone Defense Steps Up
Baylor entered the Texas Tech redzone three times and came up empty on each attempt. The Bears missed a 30-yard field goal attempt, lost possession on downs and threw and interception. The second team defense thwarted Baylor's final attempt when defensive back Brian Giddens picked off a pass in the endzone.
Tech Dominates with Defense
Texas Tech's defense is limiting opponents to 232.5 yards per game of total offense, including only 110.7 yards per game on the ground. The defense ranks second nationally in passing defense, 11th in total defense. Sophomore linebacker Lawrence Flugence leads the nation in tackles with 12.8 per game, according to the NCAA individual defensive statistics released once a month.
Pulling Away
The Red Raiders are out-scoring the opposition 24.0 to 9.8 points per game. Texas Tech allowed more than 10 points only twice (16 to Utah State and 33 at Texas A&M) this season and has given up a total of 10 points in the other four games.
Offense, Defense Working Together
The Texas Tech offense is averaging 382.0 yards of total offense per game, while the defense is limiting the opposition to 232.5 yards per game. Tech is averaging 303.2 yards in the air each night out.
Kingsbury Dominates Total Offense
Kliff Kingsbury leads the team with 291.5 yards per game of total offense, which ranks 2nd in the Big 12 and ninth nationally. Ricky Williams is second with 48.3 yards.
Catching On
Tim Baker continues to prove why he is the go-to guy on offense. The 6-foot-5 receiver leads the team with 34 catches and 71.8 yards receiving per game. His 431 yards receiving this season is his single-season best, while his seven career touchdowns moves him into the career top ten list at Tech. Entering the season, Baker had 510 career receiving yards.
Give It Up
The Red Raider defense has wreaked havoc on opposing offenses this season. Texas Tech has intercepted seven passes and picked up eight fumbles on the season for 15 takeaways. Two of the fumble recoveries were returned for touchdowns.
Seniors Provide Scoring Punch
Four seniors hold the top spots on the Tech scoring charts. Chris Birkholz leads the team with 34 points on six field goals and 16 extra points. Ricky Williams follows with 30 points on three rushing and two receiving touchdowns, while Tim Baker is third with 24 points on four TD receptions. Derek Dorris is fourth with 18 points on three touchdown catches.
Passing the Opposition
The Red Raiders have out-gained each opponent this season in the air. Following a 186-yard passing performance against New Mexico, the Red Raiders haven't passed under 238 yards since. In addition to the 186 yards against New Mexico, the Red Raiders tagged Utah State for a school record 511 yards, 238 against North Texas, 240 against UL Lafayette, 322 at Texas A&M and 322 against Baylor.
Raider Defense Provides More Opportunities
Texas Tech's defense is holding opponents to 60.7 plays per game, allowing the Red Raider offense to run an average of 77.5 plays.