Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Faces Missouri In Crucial Big 12 Tilt
October 22, 2003 | Football
Oct. 22, 2003
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THE GAME
The fifth meeting in the Texas Tech-Missouri series kicks off Sat., Oct. 25, at 11:40 a.m. at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. Fox Sports Regional will carry the action live.
SERIES TIED; RED RAIDERS WON LAST MEETING IN 2002
Texas Tech and Missouri meet for the fifth time in the series between the two programs. The Red Raiders won the initial game 41-14 in Lubbock during the 1995 season. The Tigers won the next two games, both the first between the teams as members of the Big 12 Conference. Tech claimed a 52-38 last year in Lubbock to even the series at 2-2.
TELEVISION
Fox Sports Regional will televise the game to the Texas Tech and Missouri markets Saturday. Kickoff is set for 11:40 a.m. (CT) and Bill Land (play-by-play), Gary Reasons (analyst) and Jim Knox (sideline) will call the action from Columbia.
RADIO
The All Sports Radio Network, with its flagship station KKAM 1340-AM, carries the live broadcast of every football game throughout the state of Texas on its 26-station network. Play-by-play man Brian Jensen calls the action with longtime Lubbock broadcasting fixture John Harris as the color analyst. Mark Finkner provides the sideline coverage, while Tim Chambers serves as statistician.
THE COACH: Mike Leach
Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is 28-18 at Texas Tech and is in his fourth season at the helm of the Red Raider program. In his first three seasons, Leach won 23 games, was the first coach in Tech history to lead his first three teams to bowl appearances, and helped Red Raider players set 125 school records. He also produced NCAA record-setting QB Kliff Kingsbury, who set 17 NCAA marks and tied four others during his three seasons as the starter. Leach's three-year record of 23 wins ties former Red Raider head coach Steve Sloan with the most over a three-year span.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
FIRST DOWN NUMBERS PILING UP Since setting the Big 12 record for first downs in a game with 38 against Missouri last season, Texas Tech has reached the total twice more, including an NCAA-record 45 first downs against Iowa State two weeks ago. In last Saturday's game at Oklahoma State, the Red Raiders rolled up 24 second-half first downs en route to 38 for the game. On the season, Tech leads the country with 33.3 first downs per game and is averaging almost five more than the second-place team. The Red Raiders also hold the single-season Big 12 mark with 380, set in 2002. If the Red Raiders keep their current pace of 32.5 first downs per game, they could post 390 over the course of the 12-game regular season.
TECH SCORING SIXTH ON SINGLE-SEASON LIST
The Red Raiders' 330 points this season is tied sixth all-time on the Tech single-season scoring list. The 2002 team set the single-season record with 537 points, eclipsing the old mark of 428, set during the 1953 season. Top Scoring Seasons in Tech History 537 in 2002; 428 in 1953; 409 in 1993; 386 in 2001; 367 in 1954; 330 in 1995; 330 in 2003
PACK YOUR LUNCH, THIS IS AN ALL-DAY AFFAIR
On the season, Texas Tech is averaging just under four hours per game. Texas Tech's game at Oklahoma State ran 4:20 and is one of the longest games in recent memory. The previous long this season was 3:48 at Mississippi. The low came in the season opener against SMU at 3:20.
SYMONS SOLID UNDER PRESSURE
Tech QB B.J. Symons can handle the pressure. Entering the fourth quarter down 39-34 at Mississippi and down 48-21 at Oklahoma State, he stepped up and led the Red Raiders to a comeback win and narrowly missed another. Symons marched the Red Raiders up the field in the fourth quarter atMississippi, completing 14-of-22 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, the final being the game winner. At Oklahoma State trailing by 27, Symons mounted a four-touchdown fourth quarter pulling the Red Raiders within two at the final tick. During the final frame at OSU, he completed 15-of-25 for 217 yards and two touchdowns. The fourth quarter against Oklahoma State is the best yardage-wise for Symons this season. He threw for a season-high three touchdowns in the third against Texas A&M and completed 16-of-20 in the first quarter against Iowa State.
GROUND GAME ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH HENDERSON
Texas Tech sophomore RB Taurean Henderson has put together back-to-back 100-yard rushing games and is the first to do so under head coach Mike Leach. Henderson ran for 123 at Oklahoma State and 113 yards against Iowa State. The last time a Texas Tech player rushed for 100 yards in consecutive games was in 1998 when Ricky Williams ran for 148 and 119 yards in the last two games of the season, respectively. Henderson leads a Red Raider running game that is averaging 103.0 yards per game.
TECH QB PROVES TO BE THREAT THROUGH THE AIR AND ON THE GROUND
It's well-known that B.J. Symons has more than enough ability to lead Tech to the end zone through the air; he's only passed for 32 touchdowns in seven games. He's also rushed for five scores, the most for a Tech quarterback since Zebbie Lethridge's seven rushing touchdowns in 1997. Against Iowa State, Symons became the first quarterback since Lethridge in 1997 to rush for two scores in a game.
SYMONS CONTINUES OFFENSIVE DOMINANCE
Since passing for 297 yards in the season opener against SMU, QB B.J. Symons has exploded, passing for an average of 534.8 yards per game during that stretch. Included in the total is the third-best NCAA single-game passing total of 661 yards at Mississippi. Saturday night at Oklahoma State, Symons threw for 552 yards and five touchdowns.
ROAD SWEET ROAD?
Whether playing in Jones SBC Stadium or on the road, the venue hasn't been an issue for Symons this season during his record-breaking inaugural campaign. The top three single-game passing performances in the Texas Tech record books were accomplished by Symons on the road. He passed for a school-record 661 yards at Mississippi, 586 yards at N.C. State and 552 yards last weekend at Oklahoma State. Symons is averaging 599.7 passing yards per game on the road this season, compared to 426.8 yards per game at home.
WELKER, FRANCIS MOVE UP BIG 12 RECEIVING LIST
Senior receivers Wes Welker and Carlos Francis each moved into the Big 12 Conference's top five among career receiving yardage leaders against Oklahoma State. Welker ranks fourth with 2,603 yards, while Francis follows with 2,570 yards. Additionally, Welker passed current Texas WR Roy Williams on the Big 12 career receptions list and now has 212.
FRANCIS HAVING CAREER SEASON
Senior WR Carlos Francis is making the most of his final run as a Red Raider. Francis is second on the team with 43 receptions and leads with 720 yards. He also has five touchdown receptions, is averaging 102.9 yards per game and has three 100-yard receiving games to his credit this season.
GLOVER QUIETLY APPROACHING TOUCHDOWN RECORD
What took Lloyd Hill (1990-93) four years to accomplish may take junior WR Nehemiah Glover another game or two. Glover has 18 career receiving touchdowns and is approaching Hill's record of 20. Glover leads the team this season with seven touchdowns through the air.
WHO'S ON THE RECEIVING END OF ALL OF THOSE YARDS
Four Red Raiders have over 500 yards receiving this season, led by senior WR Carlos Francis. Francis is having a stellar senior season and leads the team with 720 yards and 16.7 yards per catch. He also is the first Red Raider to average over 100 receiving yards per game under Mike Leach at Texas Tech. Francis ranks second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally with 102.9 yards per game. He also has five touchdown receptions and 43 receptions overall. Additionally, senior WR Wes Welker leads the team with 50 catches and has 633 yards and six touchdowns. Senior TE Mickey Peters has 43 receptions, 546 yards and five touchdowns. WR Nehemiah Glover leads the team with seven scoring catches and has 39 catches for 551 yards. The quartet accounts for 61.8 percent of Tech's receptions this season and 71.9 percent of the receiving corps touchdowns.
OVER THE HILL
WR Carlos Francis' three-straight 100-yard receiving games marked the best streak since Lloyd Hill totaled four-consecutive 100-yard games in 1992. Francs grabbed a career-high 184 yards at Mississippi and followed with games of 110 and 118 yards against Texas A&M and Iowa State, respectively.
RECEIVING DUO ROLLING UP THE YARDS
Texas Tech WR Carlos Francis and WR Wes Welker are the country's second-best receiving duo this season with 5,173 career receiving yards between them. Marshall's Darius Watts and Josh Davis have combined for 6,499 yards.
