Postgame Notes
November 08, 2003 | Football
Nov. 8, 2003
Recap?|? Final Stats?|? Photo Gallery
GETTING STARTED
- Texas Tech lost the opening coin toss for the seventh time this season and is 0-4 in coin tosses on the road this season. Baylor elected to receive and defend the south end zone.
- Today's game marked the fifth homecoming game that Tech (including its own vs. Iowa State) has been part of this season. Tech has been the homecoming foe against North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Missouri and now Baylor.
- Since 2001, Texas Tech is now 11-1 against teams from the State of Texas.
Texas Tech Starters (Offense) - (LT) Daniel Loper, (LG) Cody Campbell, (C) Toby Cecil, (RG) Manuel Ramirez, (RT) E.J. Whitley, (QB) BJ Symons, (F) Taurean Henderson, (BH) Clay McGuire, (Y) Mickey Peters, (X) Nehemiah Glover, (Z) Carlos Francis (Defense) - (LE) Adell Duckett, (NT) Ken Scott, (DT) Fred Thrweatt, (RE) Gathan McGinnis, (SAM) Mike Smith, (MIKE) Brock Stratton, (WILL) John Saldi, (LC) Chad Johnson, (SS) Ryan Aycock, (FS) Vincent Meeks, (RC) Jabari Smith
THE SYMONS WATCH
A look at what BJ Symons accomplished today:
- Had five touchdown passes in the first half, setting a new personal best (previous high was four against Texas A&M).
- Finished the first half with 287 passing yards as he was 22-of-35. His first half passing yardage of 287 marked the sixth time this season that he has passed for over 275 yards in the first half.
- Finished the game with 428 passing yards and was 32-of-47 and seven touchdowns.
- Moved into second place on the all-time Texas Tech passing touchdown list as he now has 51 career TD's. He passed Robert Hall who threw 48 touchdown passes from 1990 to 1993.
WES "THE NATURAL" WELKER SETS NCAA CAREER PUNT RETURN RECORD
Senior Wes Welker broke a 54-year old NCAA record for career punt return yardage in the second quarter when he returned a punt 22 yards. Welker, who came into the game needing just 18 to set the record, finished with the game with 67 punt return yards to give him a total of 1,745 in his career. Welker surpassed Vanderbilt's Lee Nalley who had the previous record of 1,695 from 1947-49.
FRANCIS SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
Seniors Carlos Francis set a new Texas Tech school record in the fourth quarter when he caught his 21st career touchdown pass. Francis tied Lloyd Hill's mark of 20 late in the second quarter and then set the record with 14:52 remaining in the game when he caught a 24-yard pass from Sonny Cumbie.
NOTING THE OFFENSE
- Taurean Henderson scored the first points of the day for the Red Raiders when he scored on a 10-yard reception from BJ Symons. The TD reception was his fifth of the year. Henderson followed up his first quarter TD with another in the second to give him six touchdown receptions this season.
- Jarret Hicks gave Tech a 14-7 lead with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter when he scored on an 18-yard pass. The touchdown was his fourth of the season.
- Nehemiah Glover gave Tech a 20-14 lead with 30 seconds remaining in the first period when he scored on a 59-yard touchdown reception. The TD was the second longest pass play of the season as the top two passes have both resulted in touchdown (Symons to Francis 70 yards vs. Mississippi). The one play scoring drive marked the first of the season for the Red Raider offense.
- Mickey Peters grabbed his eighth touchdown of the season in the third quarter.
- Wes Welker hauled in his eighth receiving touchdown of the season with 7:23 remaining in the third quarter. The touchdown was the 30th of his career (ranks sixth at Tech) and the 20th receiving TD of his career.
- Sonny Cumbie picked up his first career touchdown pass when he connected with Carlos Francis on a 24-yard touchdown with 14:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.
NOTING THE DEFENSE
- Senior strong safety Ryan Aycock notched his 11th career interception in the first quarter when he picked off Baylor quarterback Aaron Karas. The INT moved him into sixth place on the all-time Texas Tech career list and his sixth interception of the year moved him into a tie for sixth on the season list.
- Freshman Keyunta Dawson registered his third sack of the season on a Baylor third down situation midway through the first quarter. Two of his sacks have come on third down while the other came on a fourth down situation. Junior linebacker Mike Smith registered his fourth sack of the season just before the first quarter came to an end.
- The Red Raider defense had its best first half of a Big 12 game this year as the unit held Baylor to just seven points. On the season, the seven points ranks third as Tech held non-conference opponents SMU and New Mexico to three and zero respectively.
LOTS OF SCORING (FOR THE RED RAIDERS)
Since the Big 12 began in 1996, the Red Raiders have scored 195 points in Waco while the Bears have scored just 118 points in all eight games combined. Texas Tech holds a perfect 4-0 record in Waco in Big 12 play. The last loss in the series came in Waco in the final year of the Southwest Conference in 1995 (9-7).
NOTEBOOK
- Baylor's Robert Quiroga returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the first quarter marking the first time that a kickoff has been returned for a TD against Texas Tech since Mississippi's Deuce McAllister returned one against Tech in the 1998 Independence Bowl.
- Texas Tech's 35 first half points is the most scored by the Red Raiders in the first half this year. Tech's previous high was 31 points against Texas A&M on Oct. 4. The 35 points ties the most points scored by the offense in any half this year as Tech put up 35 against Oklahoma State in the second half.
