Football Set To Take On North Texas
September 05, 2000 | Football
Sept. 5, 2000
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The Game
Texas Tech plays its third game of the season against North Texas Sat., Sept. 9, at Jones SBC Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT). The Eagles finished the 1999 season with a 2-9 record. One of their wins was a 21-14 victory over the Red Raiders in Lubbock. The Red Raiders enter the third game of the season with a 2-0 record for the first time since the 1998 season. That team went on to start 6-0. Saturday's game is the third of four-straight games the Red Raiders play at home to open the season. Eight games on the 12-game slate will be played at home.
The Records
Texas Tech enters the game with a 2-0 record following last Saturday's 38-16 win over Utah State at Jones SBC Stadium. The perfect start is the first since the 1998 season, when the Red Raiders opened 6-0.
North Texas is 0-1 following a 20-7 loss at the hands of Baylor in Denton last Thursday night. The Eagles finished the 1999 season with a 2-9 record, including a 21-14 win over Texas Tech.
The Series
The Red Raiders and Eagles meet for the seventh time in the series. North Texas owns a 4-2 record over Texas Tech in their first six meetings. North Texas has won three of the last four games in the series, including last year's 21-14 win over the Red Raiders in Lubbock. The Eagles lead the series in Lubbock, 3-1. Tech's lone win at home was a 28-7 triumph in 1985. Tech's other win came at Texas Stadium in Irving in 1998. UNT head coach Darrell Dickey is 1-0 against the Red Raiders.
The Last Time These Two Met...
North Texas held a 7-0 halftime lead and tacked on 14 in the third quarter as the Eagles won 21-14 and handed Tech its first home-opening loss in seven years. Shaud Williams rushed 24 times for 151 yards, a career high at the time. Williams also scored both Tech touchdowns on runs of 6 and 24 yards. The Red Raiders dominated the game in every aspect, except the scoreboard. Tech out-gained the Eagles on the ground (222-170), in the air (171-76) and in total yards (393-246). Tech also controlled the clock by almost seven minutes over UNT. UNT's Ja'Quay Wilborn rushed 27 times for 148 yards. The Red Raiders turned the ball over three times. The Eagles returned one of two Tech interceptions for a touchdown and recovered a fumble.
The Last Time Out ... Texas Tech vs. Utah State
The game marks the first time since 1998 that the Red Raiders have opened the season with two-straight wins. Freshman receiver Carlos Francis set two school records: freshman receiving record with 234 yards and average-yards-per-catch with 33.4 on seven catches. He shattered the old record of 20.7 yards per catch, set by Leonard Harris against Houston in 1983. Quarterback Kliff Kingsbury set the single-game school record with 450 passing yards, breaking the old record of 446 yards set by Billy Joe Tolliver against Oklahoma State in 1988. Kingsbury's dive into the endzone was his second-career rushing touchdown. The other came against Oklahoma last season. Dorian Pitts' 6-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the first quarter was his second-career score. The Tech defense has scored a touchdown in each of the first two games, matching last season's defensive total. Receiver Darrell Jones has seven touchdown receptions on 18 career catches. Tech set the school and Big 12 record with 505 passing yards. The win makes head coach Mike Leach only the fourth coach in school history to win his first two games at Tech.
Kingsbury Sets Record
Kliff Kingsbury set a single-game record with 450 passing yards against Utah State. On the night, he was 33-of-47 with one interception and a career-high three touchdown passes. He breaks the old record of 446 yards, set by Billy Joe Tolliver against Oklahoma State in 1988.
Freshman Receiver Makes Mark
Redshirt freshman Carlos Francis set records in freshman receiving yards and yards per catch against Utah State. He caught seven passes for 234 yards, an average of 33.4 yards per catch. He shattered the old mark of 20.7 yards per catch, set by Leonard Harris against Houston in 1983.
Def(off)ense
The Tech defense has not only stopped the opposition this season, but has assisted the offense on the scoreboard as well. In the first two games, the defense has accounted for a touchdown in each game. Dorian Pitts returned a fumble six yards for a score against Utah State, while Aaron Hunt returned a fumble 63 yards in the season opener against New Mexico.
Briggs Leads Defense
Senior defensive back Derrick Briggs set a personal mark with eight tackles and led the Red Raiders against Utah State.
Younger Williams Sets Personal Mark
Shaud Williams caught six passes for 54 yards during the entire 1999 season. Saturday against Utah State, the sophomore set career highs with 10 receptions and 91 receiving yards.
So Does the Elder
Ricky Williams' seven catches also sets a personal mark in receptions for the senior back. He had 14 yards and a touchdown.
Washington Grabs First Pick
Senior defensive back Mark Washington recorded his first career interception against Utah State. He made the pick early in the second quarter and returned it 25 yards.
Birkholz Streak Continues
Placekicker Chris Birkholz has made all 61 of his extra point attempts during his career at Texas Tech. He was 5-of-5 against Utah State.
Tech Shatters Passing Record
The Red Raiders set the school passing yardage record with 505 yards against Utah State. The old mark of 449 yards was set in 1985 against TCU. The mark also sets the Big 12 record, breaking the old record of 474 yards by Colorado against San Jose State last season.
On the Numbers
Ten different receivers caught a pass against Utah State as Tech set school and Big 12 records in passing yardage. Eight receivers caught two or more balls. Shaud Williams led all receivers with 10 catches, while Carlos Francis and Ricky Williams grabbed seven each.
It's Been A While
Texas Tech 582 yards of total offense against Utah State was the most for a Tech team since the Red Raiders tagged Texas for 608 yards in 1996.
Clock Control
The Red Raiders are averaging almost two more minutes per game over the opposition on the season. Tech controlled the ball for 34:41 against Utah State after trailing New Mexico by nine minutes.
A Little Trickery
Receiver Mickey Peters took a lateral from Kliff Kingsbury and hit King Scovell for a 35-yard gain in the second quarter on a first and 25 play against Utah State. Peters began his career at Tech last season as a quarterback, but moved to receiver this season.
Ricky Scores in Three Straight
Dating back to last season's opener at Arizona State, Ricky Williams has scored a touchdown in his last three games. Ironically, the running back has scored both touchdowns on the receiving end this year.
Busy (D) Bees
The Tech secondary had busy night against Utah State. The unit broke up six passes on the game, accounted for 18 tackles, an interception and a tackle for a loss.
Holding Them in the First
In two games, the Red Raider defense has not allowed a touchdown in the first half this season.
Score Early and Often
The Red Raiders scored on three of their first four possessions, including a six-yard fumble return by Dorian Pitts. Two of the scores were in the first quarter, while the third came on Tech's first possession of the second quarter.
Forcing the Issue
The Texas Tech defense has forced eight fumbles during the first two games and has recovered four. The Red Raiders also have picked off two passes, broken up ten and sacked the quarterback five times.
Back in Black
Texas Tech unveiled its new look against the Lobos with an all-black ensemble. The Red Raiders sported black shoes, socks, pants, jerseys and helmets for the opener. Tech's look on the road will be quite the opposite as the colors reverse to all white, with the exception of the helmet.
Seeing Double
Four returning Tech defenders posted double-figure tackle games in 1999. Following is a list of returning double-digit tacklers from last season. Safety Kevin Curtis leads that list with seven double-digit games in 1999.
10 On Turf
Saturday's game against North Texas will be the third of 10 games played on artificial turf by Texas Tech this season. Tech opened the season on the artificial turf at Jones SBC Stadium against New Mexico. The Red Raiders will only feel the grass between their cleats at Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
Touchdown Jones
Texas Tech receiver Darrell Jones has just 19 career receptions, but he has made the most of his chances. Of those 19 catches, seven have been for touchdowns. In other words, Jones has found the endzone 37-percent of the time he has gotten his hands on the football.
Protection Degrees
Offensive tackles Paul Erickson and John DePasquale and center Kyle Sanders will all spend a lot of time protecting quarterback Kliff Kingsbury this season. Prior to that, the three had spent a lot of time in the books. Both Erickson and DePasquale earned their undergraduate degrees following summer term and will play the 2000 season as graduate students.